Farmers need to monitor crop moisture levels to keep plants healthy and maximize yields. While advanced multispectral cameras can detect early signs of water stress in crops, these systems are very expensive and don’t provide clear alerts. This makes it hard for smaller farms to benefit from high-tech monitoring.
What the invention does
This invention offers a smart crop moisture warning system that works using regular color photos (RGB images) from smartphones or simple cameras. Instead of needing costly multispectral equipment, it uses software to simulate multispectral data from these normal images. It then analyzes this data to detect if the crop lacks water—and alerts the user immediately.
Inventive step (what’s new)
The breakthrough is in converting standard RGB images into multispectral ones using a special fitting algorithm. This lets the system mimic the benefits of advanced sensors at a fraction of the cost. The invention also includes a built-in early warning model powered by machine learning (XGBoost), which can even incorporate other crop data like leaf temperature or chlorophyll levels to improve accuracy.
Practical benefits
- Affordable: No need for expensive hardware—just a regular photo and internet connection.
- Accurate: AI-powered analysis provides reliable warnings.
- Actionable: The system calculates how much water is needed and shows the farmer exactly what to do.
- Simple to use: All functions are available through a connected device like a phone or tablet.
Broader impact
This system democratizes precision agriculture, making smart farming tools accessible to small-scale farmers. It could boost crop yields, reduce water waste, and promote sustainable farming globally.