Detection of healthy and diseased crops in drone captured images using Deep Learning

Abstract: Monitoring plant health is crucial for maintaining agricultural productivity and food safety. Disruptions in the plant's normal state, caused by diseases, often interfere with essential plant activities, and timely detection of these diseases can significantly mitigate crop loss. In this study, we propose a deep learning-based approach for efficient detection of plant diseases using drone-captured imagery. A comprehensive database of various plant species, exhibiting numerous diseases, was compiled from the Internet and utilized as the training and test dataset. A Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), renowned for its performance in image classification tasks, was employed as our primary predictive model. The CNN model, trained on this rich dataset, demonstrated superior proficiency in crop disease categorization and detection, even under challenging imaging conditions. For field implementation, we deployed a prototype drone model equipped with a high-resolution camera for live monitoring of extensive agricultural fields. The captured images served as the input for our trained model, enabling real-time identification of healthy and diseased plants. Our approach promises an efficient and scalable solution for improving crop health monitoring systems.