Automated Leaf Color Chart (LCC)-BasedNitrogen Fertilizer Recommendation UsingPaddy Leaf Image Color Classification

Abstract

The demand for accurate and timely assessment of crop health is high in precision agriculture to support proper nutrient management. In this work, we present an intelligent deep learning-based solution that evaluates the colour of paddy rice leaves to provide real-time, context-sensitive recommendations regarding the addition of nitrogen fertilizers to grow rice sustainably. For optimum nitrogen management and sustainability in the production of rice crops, an accurate assessment of the color of paddy leaves is required. Herein, we present a deep learning-based framework for paddy leaf color classification with the capability of recommending an appropriate amount of nitrogen fertilizer as needed in real-time. In this research, the Paddy Net dataset containing 12,000 augmented rice leaf images will be used for training the neural network used for classifying the rice leaf's color based on the Leaf Color Chart (LCC) system, which consists of LCC levels from 2 to 5. Additionally, several deep learning architectures were trainedand tested, specifically Custom CNNs, VGG16, ResNet50 and EfficientNetB7, to identify which architecture provided the best classification performance of rice leaf color. In terms of the experimental results, it can be concluded that the Custom CNN with a classification accuracy of 97.55% significantly outperforms the transfer learning models, VGG16 (78.89%) and EfficientNetB7 (78.67%). To also improve practicality, multimodal vision-language model LLa MA 3.2-11B Vision is integrated into the system, allowing it to provide real-time, context-based nitrogen fertilizer recommendations based on visual input images. Additionally, the proposed framework takes into account other agronomic factors such as the growth stage of the crop, type of soil, and fertilizer application history. This allows for more accurate and relevant recommendations. The proposed framework allows for precise and objective nitrogen management without the subjective use of visual assessment methods typically used by farmers. Overall, the proposed system for fertilizer application is significant for the development of precision agriculture because it increases the efficiency of the decision-making process, optimizes the use of fertilizer, and increases the practice of sustainable rice cultivation.