Detection and Quantification of Tar Spot Foliar Infection in Maize Using
Machine Learning, Object Detection, and Application Development
Framework
Abstract
The expanding geographic range of Phyllachora maydis, the fungus that
induces Tar Spot infection on corn foliage, is increasingly threatening
a Michigan industry that contributes over $1 billion to the state’s
economy annually. Advances in machine learning now enable quantification
of crop infection presence and severity using powerful object detection
packages such as Tensorflow, Keras, and more. Tensorflow, specifically,
has developed Application Programming Interface (API) tools to connect
powerful object detection capabilities with streamlined usability.
Foliar infection of maize by P. maydis is often difficult to detect
early. Visible lesions initially appear tiny, ambiguous, and sparse,
making them difficult to identify with the naked eye. Both farmers and
breeders of corn desperately need better tools that allow early,
definitive detection of lesions and provide more time for management
decisions. This tool must verify presence of P. maydis and quantify
infection severity as quickly as possible to allow growers the most
options for treatment. I propose a combination of supervised machine
learning using Tensorflow for custom object detection, and containerized
application-development software such as Docker to create a user
interface accessible on desktop or mobile devices. This application will
be developed by weaving the transferrable infrastructure of Docker with
the powerful machine learning platforms Tensorflow and Tensorflow Lite,
thereby allowing users to analyze images using their preferred operating
system. By implementing both complementary Tensorflow platforms, farmers
and breeders will be afforded the choice of either capturing and
analyzing one image at a time, or detecting lesions continuously in
real-time.