Measurement of Maize Leaf Phenotypic Parameters Based on 3D Point Cloud

• Published in: Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 25; no. 9; p. 2854
• Main Authors: Su, Yuchen, Li, Ran, Wang, Miao, Li, Chen, Ou, Mingxiong, Liu, Sumei, Hou, Wenhui, Wang, Yuwei, Liu, Lu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 30.04.2025; MDPI
• Subjects: 3D point cloud; Accuracy; Algorithms; Cameras; Clustering; clustering segmentation; Corn; Crops; Deep learning; digital modeling; Genotype & phenotype; Imaging, Three-Dimensional - methods; Lasers; Leaves; maize phenotype; Measurement; Morphology; Optical radar; Phenotype; Plant Leaves - anatomy & histology; Remote sensing; stem and leaf segmentation; Zea mays - anatomy & histology; Zea mays - growth & development; 3D point cloud; maize phenotype; digital modeling; clustering segmentation; stem and leaf segmentation
• DOI: 10.3390/s25092854
• ISSN: 1424-8220

Plant height (PH), leaf width (LW), and leaf angle (LA) are critical phenotypic parameters in maize that reliably indicate plant growth status, lodging resistance, and yield potential. While various lidar-based methods have been developed for acquiring these parameters, existing approaches face limitations, including low automation, prolonged measurement duration, and weak environmental interference resistance. This study proposes a novel estimation method for maize PH, LW, and LA based on point cloud projection. The methodology comprises four key stages. First, 3D point cloud data of maize plants are acquired during middle–late growth stages using lidar sensors. Second, a Gaussian mixture model (GMM) is employed for point cloud registration to enhance plant morphological features, resulting in spliced maize point clouds. Third, filtering techniques remove background noise and weeds, followed by a combined point cloud projection and Euclidean clustering approach for stem–leaf segmentation. Finally, PH is determined by calculating vertical distance from plant apex to base, LW is measured through linear fitting of leaf midveins with perpendicular line intersections on projected contours, and LA is derived from plant skeleton diagrams constructed via linear fitting to identify stem apex, stem–leaf junctions, and midrib points. Field validation demonstrated that the method achieves 99%, 86%, and 97% accuracy for PH, LW, and LA estimation, respectively, enabling rapid automated measurement during critical growth phases and providing an efficient solution for maize cultivation automation.