Maize Hybrids Performance Evaluation with Data Fusion by Matrix Factorization Algorithm

Crop breeders often face challenges due to limited data availability when making crucial decisions, such as selecting top-performing varieties/hybrids for further experiments, registration, and commercialization. Evaluating all varieties/hybrids across all fields is impractical due to high experimental and time costs, as well as the limited number of locations for planting. This article aims to evaluate the performance of various maize hybrids in untested locations using historical data. The problem is approached through a matrix framework, where hybrids and fields correspond to rows and columns, respectively, with entries representing the yield of a specific hybrid at a given location. As this matrix is typically sparse, the task is to fill in missing data. Agronomists are primarily interested in the performance of top hybrids at specific locations for smart seed selection. To address this, we introduce a novel application of the Data Fusion by Matrix Factorization (DFMF) algorithm for predicting crop yields using maize data from the 2019 Syngenta Crop Challenge. The DFMF results are compared with the Random Forest (RF) algorithm as a benchmark, focusing on model performance for smart seed selection. Our analysis highlights the advantages of the DFMF approach over the traditional RF method in this context.