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Using Image Texture Analysis to Evaluate Soil–Compost Mechanical Mixing in Organic Farms

Authors :
Elio Romano
Massimo Brambilla
Carlo Bisaglia
Alberto Assirelli
Source :
Agriculture, Vol 13, Iss 6, p 1113 (2023)
Publication Year :
2023
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2023.

Abstract

Soil amendments (e.g., compost) require uniform incorporation in the soil profile to benefit plants. However, machines may not mix them uniformly throughout the upper soil layer commonly explored by plant roots. The study focuses on using image texture analysis to determine the level of mixing uniformity in the soil following the passage of two kinds of harrows. A 12.3-megapixel DX-format digital camera acquired images of soil/expanded polystyrene (in the laboratory) and soil/compost mixtures (in field conditions). In the laboratory, pictures captured the soil before and during the simulated progressive mixing of expanded polystyrene particles. In field conditions, images captured the exposed superficial horizons of compost-amended soil after the passage of a combined spike-tooth–disc harrow and a disc harrow. Image texture analysis based on the gray-level co-occurrence matrix calculated the sums of dissimilarity, contrast, entropy, and uniformity metrics. In the laboratory conditions, the progressive mixing resulted in increased image dissimilarity (from 1.15 ± 0.74 × 106 to 1.65 ± 0.52 × 106) and contrast values (from 2.69 ± 2.06 × 106 to 5.67 ± × 1.93 106), almost constant entropy (3.50 ± 0.25 × 106), and decreased image uniformity (from 6.65 ± 0.31 × 105 to 4.49 ± 1.36 × 105). Using a tooth-disc harrow in the open field resulted in higher dissimilarity, contrast, entropy (+73.3%, +62.8%, +16.3%), and lower image uniformity (−50.6%) than the disc harrow, suggesting enhanced mixing in the superficial layer.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
20770472
Volume :
13
Issue :
6
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Agriculture
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.fabaccaea804412b6131b9197b2e18f
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13061113