Enhancing Seed Germination Test Classification for Pole Sitao (<i>Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.</i>) Using <i>SSD MobileNet</i> and <i>Faster R-CNN</i> Models

Abstract

The classification of germinated pole sitao (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) seeds is important in seed germination tests. The automation of this process has been explored for different grain and legume seeds but is only limited to binary classification. This study aimed to develop a classifier system that can recognize three classes: normal, abnormal, and ungerminated. SSD MobileNet and Faster R-CNN models were trained to perform the classification. Both were trained using 1500 images of germinated seeds at fifth- and eighth-day observations. Each class had 500 images. The trained models were evaluated using 150 images per class. The SSD MobileNet model had an accuracy of 0.79 while the Faster R-CNN model had an accuracy of 0.75. The results showed that the average accuracies for the classes were significantly different from one another based on one-way ANOVA at a 95% confidence level with an F-critical value of 3.0159. The SSD MobileNet model outperformed the Faster R-CNN model in classifying pole sitao seeds, with improved precision in identifying abnormal and ungerminated seeds on the fifth day and normal and ungerminated seeds on the eighth day. The results confirm the potential of the SSD MobileNet model as a more reliable classifier in germination tests.

Keywords

• pole sitao seed germination
• machine learning in agriculture
• seed germination classification
• germination test automation