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Apple Fruit Growth Modeling Techniques

The document consists of multiple research papers focusing on modeling fruit growth, particularly apples, using various methods and models. Key findings include the use of statistical models like Gompertz and logistic models for diameter predictions, machine learning algorithms for size estimation, and advanced imaging techniques for fruit detection. Overall, the studies demonstrate robust methodologies for accurately predicting fruit growth and size across different cultivars and conditions.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
10 views12 pages

Apple Fruit Growth Modeling Techniques

The document consists of multiple research papers focusing on modeling fruit growth, particularly apples, using various methods and models. Key findings include the use of statistical models like Gompertz and logistic models for diameter predictions, machine learning algorithms for size estimation, and advanced imaging techniques for fruit detection. Overall, the studies demonstrate robust methodologies for accurately predicting fruit growth and size across different cultivars and conditions.

Uploaded by

Rahi Malowa
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

PAPER I:

Title: Modelling Fruit Growth of Apple

Authors: Chaves, B. et al., 2017

Journal: Acta Horticulturae

Material and Methods

Apple varieties: ‘Gala’, ‘Cripps Pink’, and ‘Red Delicious’.

 Locations: 11 orchards across Washington State.


 Duration: 4 years (2010–2013).
 Weekly diameter (mm) measurements of 30-50 fruits per cultivar, full bloom to harvest.
 Daily temperature data collected from nearby weather stations.
 Used Growing Degree Days (GDD) from full bloom to harvest for the development of models

Models

 Euler integration method used to estimate daily diameter:

Dt= Dt−1+(δD/δTT)tΔt

Dt is the simulated diameter on day t


Dt-1 is the simulated diameter a day before day t
and Δt=1 is the integration period of time step, which is one day for this model.
Thus, the estimation of the apple diameter for the day t depends on the diameter estimated for day t-1
plus the rate of growth between the day t and t-1.

 Growth rate determined using Von Bertalanffy statistical model

δD/δTT = ake-kTT

where, D- apple diameter adjusted


a – upper asymptote (maximum diameter)
k – shape parameter of curve
TT- cumulative GDD

Model accuracy

 High. Model performance varied slightly across sites but was generally robust.
Model Features & Applications

 The model can predict daily fruit diameter using only local temperature data.

Graphs

 Observed diameter vs Simulated diameter


PAPER II
Title: Analysis and Modelling of Apple Fruit Growth

Authors: Orlandini et al., 1999

Journal: Acta Horticulturae

Material and Methods

 Cultivar: Golden Delicious


 Locations: Three orchards (Bolzano, Trento valley, Trento hill), Italy
 Duration: 1987–1992 (6 seasons)
 Around 20 fruits measured per site at regular intervals using calipers

Models used

 Winter model (simulates diameter on basis of maximum possible diameter and parameters
concerning variety and region)
 Logistic model – (based on rate of fruit growth and maximum possible diameter and the end of
season)
 Gompertz model

Growth Metrics Analyzed

 DG (Diameter Growth, mm): total increase over time


 DDG (Daily Diameter Growth, mm/day)
 DGR (Daily Growth Rate %)

Results

 All models simulated fruit diameter well.


 Winter model showed lowest error
 Gompertz model slightly less accurate but still reliable.
 Logistic model had higher errors
.
PAPER III
Title: Modeling of ‘Gala’ Apple Fruits Diameter For Improving The Accuracy of Early Yield Prediction.
Authors: Stajnko et al., 2013
Journal: Scientia Horticulturae
Material and Methods:
 Cultivars: Gala Schniga
 Duration: 3 years (2009-11)

 Location: Fruit Center Maribor–Gačnik, Slovenia


 Fruit diameter measurements observed every 14 days using digital caliper
Models:
 Modified Gompertz function
D(t) = 3.5 + α. (1 – e -βt) γ

where, D(t) = fruit diameter (mm), t = time after the full blossom till harvest (days), α + 3.5 = maximal
theoretical fruit diameter (mm), β, γ = parameters concerning the fruit shape.

 The procedure for estimating α, β and γ is based on the linear regression estimation between the
natural logarithm of the fruit diameter and natural logarithm of days after full blossom.

From the ANOVA table of the regression estimation:

 α is calculated as the inverse value of natural logarithm of given coefficient of intercept


 β is given as standard error of intercept
 γ is given as coefficient of depended variable.
 This function was validated each time using 16 fruits from adjacent plants on the sampling date,
which gave coefficients of determination from 0.97 to 0.99.

Weather data

 Heat accumulation (°C )


 Relative Humidity
 Rainfall

Results
 In 2009 and 2010, the diameter of fruit was estimated accurately
 In 2011 model overestimated the fruit diameter.
PAPER IV
Title: Fruit Size Prediction of Tomato Cultivars Using Machine Learning Algorithms
Authors: Takahashi et al., 2025
Journal: Frontiers in Plant Science
Material and Methods:
 Cultivars: 3, CF Momotaro York, Zayda, and Adventure.
 Fruit diameter was measured weekly using a caliper from anthesis until harvest.
Models:
 Ridge Regression
 Extra Tree Regression
 CatBoost Regression
 Data were normalized using Z-score normalization and randomly divided into 80% for training
and 20% for testing.
 Hyperparameters were optimized by repeated 10-fold crossvalidation to maximize the
determination coefficient (R2) in the training data with grid search (PyCaret’s default parameter).
The model was then fitted to maximize the R 2 for all training data. These analyses were
conducted using PyCaret.
Weather Data
 Cumulative Temperature
 Average Temperature during fruit size prediction period
Model Accuracy
 Determined using MAPE (mean absolute percentage error), R2 and root mean squared error
(RMSE)
Results
 Ridge Regression showed the most stable and accurate performance across cultivars.

 Best prediction for ‘Zayda’.


# PAPER V
Title: A Computer Vision System for Apple Fruit Sizing by Means of Low-Cost Depth Camera and
Neural Network Application
Authors: Bortolotti et al., 2024
Journal: Springer (Precision Agriculture)
Material and Methods:
 Ground Truth: Apple size measured using digital/Vernier calipers. Diameter collection of Fuji
apple varieties at 17 different times, from 17-June to 12 th October, 2020. (starting from initial size
of 45 mm to maximum of 85 mm)
 Imaging: Used RGB-D cameras
 Recordings were taken at 1.0 and 1.5 m distance from the tree-row.
 Dataset obtained from [Link]
Models Used
Python based computer vision system to size apples directly on tree
 YOLOv516
 Hough Transform (circle detection algorithm)
 Depth map trigonometrical calculations
Size Estimation: To automate fruit sizing, authors exploited an open-source YOLO object detection
algorithm (i.e., ‘yolov5l6’ - [Link] which was trained on a custom
dataset for apple detection made of more than 100 apple tree images.
 The dataset was split as 70% for training, 20% for validation and 10% for test set.
 Data augmentation was used to increase the train-set image number up to 6 times, and the
‘yolov5l6’ was then trained for 500 epochs exploiting two Nvidia RTX 2080super GPUs.
 The trained model presented test-set precision=0.87, recall value=0.83 and F1-score value
0.85. This model was referred to as Yc by the authors.
Model Accuracy
 Better results in size rates were generally found at the closer distance (1.0 m)
 Good correlations (r > 0.8) were found between estimated and actual fruit size.
# PAPER VI

Title: Simultaneous fruit detection and size estimation using multitask deep neural networks
Authors: Ferrer-Ferrer et al., 2023
Journal: Elsevier (Biosystems Engineering)
Material and Methods:
 RGB-D images of Fuji apples
 Images were annotated manually to provide ground truth for both fruit location (masks) and
diameter.
 The methodology was tested with a total of 15,335 annotated apples at different growth stages,
with diameters varying from 27 mm to 95 mm.
Models used:
 Baseline model: Mask R-CNN, extended to handle multitask learning with two outputs:
Segmentation- for detecting and segmenting individual fruits.
Size regression - for predicting the diameter of each fruit.
 Implementation utilized Detectron2, a modern and flexible deep learning framework.
 The model was trained to jointly optimize masking and size estimation tasks.

Model Accuracy
 Fruit detection showed F1 score of 0.88
 Estimated fruit size with MAE = 5.64mm
 When discarding the measured highly occluded apples, the correlation between actual and
estimated diameter slightly improved (from R2 = 0.66 to R2 = 0.77).
 Size estimation closely matched predicted diameters to ground truth measurements.

Fruit detection and size estimation results in four randomly selected images.
PAPER VII

Title: On-tree apple fruit size estimation using stereo vision with deep learning-based occlusion handling
Authors: Mirbod et al., 2023
Journal: Elsevier (Biosystems Engineering)
Material and Methods:
 Synchronized stereo cameras paired with a custom-built LED strobe for optimal image capture in
natural orchard lighting.
 Images of apple varieties, Candy Crisp and Rome were collected cover the entire apple growing
season (June to October), capturing fruit diameters ranging from 22 to 82 mm.
Models used
 Faster R-CNN for fruit detection
 Mask R-CNN for segmentation of each fruit surface.
 Deep learning-based image inpainting techniques for reconstructing occluded fruit areas.
 Stereo vision to convert surface area pixels to metric coordinates and compared to ground truth
apple diameters

Model accuracy
 An average relative estimation error of about 4.8% compared to manual ground truth sizes.
 Standard deviation of errors ranged from 0.7 to 1.08 mm, indicating consistent performance.

PAPER VIII

Title: Fruit Size Estimation by Integrating Depth Data Calculated Using Monocular Images
Authors: Shrawne et al., 2025
Journal: SSRN
Material and Methods:
 Dataset consisting of 250 monocular mango RGB images.
 Depth features were generated from the RGB images using MiDaS, a monocular depth estimation
model.
 Fruit sizes were categorized into three classes: small, medium, and large.
 Classification was performed using features extracted from RGB images, with and without the
integration of depth features to assess the impact of depth data.

Models used
 Random Forest classifier (ensemble learning method)
 Artificial Neural Networks (ANN)
 Clustering algorithms
 The MiDaS was used to provide depth information from the RGB images, enhancing size
classification capabilities.
Model performance
 The Random Forest classifier that incorporated depth features achieved the highest accuracy
of 67% on the mango dataset.
 Random Forest Classifier outperformed ANN and Clustering based algorithms.
 Inclusion of depth information consistently improved classification performance across all
models tested, compared to using RGB features alone.

PAPER IX
Title: Assessing automatic data processing algorithms for RGB-D cameras to predict fruit size and weight
in apples
Authors: Miranda et al., 2023
Journal: Elsevier (Computer and Electronics in Agriculture)
Material and Methods:
 RGB-D cameras used
 Fruit images (variety: Story and Inored) were taken during advanced ripening stage.
 Same fruits were collected for manual measurements (Dmax. and Dmin.)
Dataset creation
 Object Annotation: Apples were labelled manually using bounding boxes in RGB images
 Binary mask generation: using MATLAB Image Segmenter
 Verification: Compared labels with 3D photogrammetry reconstruction.
Prediction Algorithms
 Two approaches for ROI (Region of Interest):
o Bounding Box (BB)
o Binary Mask (MASK) with shape-fitting:
 Circle Enclosing (CE)
 Circle Fitting (CF)
 Ellipse Fitting (EF)
 Rotated Rectangle (RR)

Steps:
 Size estimation in pixels (major & minor axes)
 Depth estimation from RGB-D data (AVG, MOD, MIN values)
 Convert pixels → mm using thin lens theory
 Apply allometric models to predict fruit weight.

Common questions

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Stereo vision methodologies differ from monocular image approaches by utilizing synchronized stereo cameras to capture depth perception from two slightly different viewpoints, providing more accurate spatial depth mapping and distance measurements. This enables more precise conversion of surface area pixels into metric units for fruit size calculation, unlike monocular approaches which rely on depth estimation models like MiDaS to infer depth from single images, thus being more dependent on model assumptions. Stereo vision typically exhibits lower estimation errors and greater consistency due to its direct measurement of 3D structure, whereas monocular methods are slightly less accurate due to reliance on depth estimation algorithms .

Growing Degree Days (GDD) are significant in apple growth models as they measure heat accumulation required for the development of organisms, which is essential for simulating the timing of phenological stages in plants. GDD provides a cumulative temperature framework that directly influences growth rates in models like the von Bertalanffy, allowing for accurate prediction of growth patterns based on local climatic conditions. This incorporation of thermal time improves model accuracy by aligning predicted growth stages with naturally induced developmental phases, thus reducing deviations between observed and simulated diameters .

The Gompertz model was considered less accurate than the Winter model because it exhibited slightly higher errors in simulating fruit diameter growth. The Winter model, which adjusts for maximum possible diameter based on regional parameters and varietal characteristics, provided a lower error rate, making it more precise for simulating growth across different orchard conditions. This higher accuracy is attributed to its consideration of specific environmental and varietal factors, which the Gompertz model managed with less precision .

The modified Gompertz function showed accurate diameter estimates in certain years for 'Gala' apple cultivars due to favorable alignment of growth conditions with model assumptions, specifically temperature and rainfall patterns that supported the model's expected growth curve parameters. However, in 2011, the model overestimated fruit diameter, likely due to deviations in environmental conditions from typical patterns, such as unexpected rainfall or temperature variances, which the model could not dynamically account for. This highlights the sensitivity of growth models to precise climatic inputs and the limitations in capturing unexpected yearly variability .

Challenges in using machine learning algorithms for fruit size prediction include data quality issues, model generalization across different conditions, and computational resource demands. Data quality can be improved through rigorous preprocessing and augmentation. Ensuring model generalization requires diverse training datasets that capture variability in size due to environmental factors. Balancing model complexity with available computational resources involves optimizing algorithm parameters and employing efficient architectures. Moreover, explanations driven by techniques like SHAP values can help demystify predictions, allowing for more transparent decision-making processes .

To achieve high accuracy in fruit size estimation, the YOLO object detection algorithm was trained on a custom dataset, involving extensive data augmentation to increase the training set size by up to six times. The model was trained for 500 epochs using Nvidia RTX 2080super GPUs to optimize its performance. The dataset was split into 70% for training, 20% for validation, and 10% for testing. This setup, combined with the YOLO's unique architecture for rapid and precise object detection, allowed for high precision and recall values, signifying reliable detection and size estimation in varying orchard conditions .

Depth data from monocular images enhance fruit size classification by providing an additional dimension of spatial information, which assists in distinguishing between size categories that may appear similar in flat RGB images. By integrating depth information, classification models like Random Forest are better equipped to discern subtle volumetric differences, thus leading to improved accuracy over models relying solely on RGB features. The depth integrates measurement of fruit real-world dimensions, yielding, for instance, a classifier accuracy increase from RGB-aligned visual estimates .

The Ridge Regression model's robust performance in predicting tomato fruit size is attributed to its ability to manage multicollinearity by applying L2 regularization, which stabilizes the coefficient estimates. Additionally, the model benefited from the comprehensive weather data input, Z-score normalization of variables, and rigorous optimization of hyperparameters via grid search across repeated cross-validation. These aspects collectively ensured that the Ridge Regression model captured essential patterns and relationships between environmental variables and fruit growth, leading to its stable and accurate performance .

The Euler integration method estimates daily fruit diameter by using the formula Dt= Dt−1+(δD/δTT)tΔt, where Dt is the diameter on day t and Dt-1 is the diameter on the previous day. This model updates the fruit diameter by combining the rate of growth, determined by the von Bertalanffy model, with the accumulated Growing Degree Days (GDD). This method operates on the principle that diameter progression is dependent on the temperature accumulation, thus allowing for accurate simulation of daily changes in fruit diameter using local temperature data .

RGB-D cameras enhance apple fruit sizing by providing depth information alongside traditional RGB imaging, allowing for accurate 3D representation of fruit dimensions. These cameras facilitate the determination of fruit size by detecting objects' spatial properties and calculating the diameter from depth maps. Additionally, the RGB-D cameras enable close correlation between estimated and actual fruit size, achieving high precision, particularly when measurements are taken at optimal distances from the fruit .

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