AppleQSM: Geometry-Based 3D Characterization of Apple Tree Architecture in Orchards.

Abstract

The architecture of apple trees plays a pivotal role in shaping their growth and fruit-bearing potential, forming the foundation for precision apple management. Traditionally, 2D imaging technologies were employed to delineate the architectural traits of apple trees, but their accuracy was hampered by occlusion and perspective ambiguities. This study aimed to surmount these constraints by devising a 3D geometry-based processing pipeline for apple tree structure segmentation and architectural trait characterization, utilizing point clouds collected by a terrestrial laser scanner (TLS). The pipeline consisted of four modules: (a) data preprocessing module, (b) tree instance segmentation module, (c) tree structure segmentation module, and (d) architectural trait extraction module. The developed pipeline was used to analyze 84 trees of two representative apple cultivars, characterizing architectural traits such as tree height, trunk diameter, branch count, branch diameter, and branch angle. Experimental results indicated that the established pipeline attained an R 2 of 0.92 and 0.83, and a mean absolute error (MAE) of 6.1 cm and 4.71 mm for tree height and trunk diameter at the tree level, respectively. Additionally, at the branch level, it achieved an R 2 of 0.77 and 0.69, and a MAE of 6.86 mm and 7.48° for branch diameter and angle, respectively. The accurate measurement of these architectural traits can enable precision management in high-density apple orchards and bolster phenotyping endeavors in breeding programs. Moreover, bottlenecks of 3D tree characterization in general were comprehensively analyzed to reveal future development.

Plant phenotyping relevance

TLS点群を用いて樹体構造を分割し、樹高・幹径・枝数・枝径・枝角度を抽出する3D表現型計測パイプラインの開発と精度評価が中心である。

Code and data availability

The paper's AppleQSM pipeline source code is explicitly stated as publicly available on the authors' GitHub repository. Raw TLS point cloud data are only available upon reasonable request, so they do not qualify as a public asset. TreeQSM and FLIP_main repositories are cited prior work/tools, not paper-specific assets.