Image dataset: UAV images and ground data of one ‘Bingo’ mandarin and two ‘Valencia’ orange rootstock trials conducted in Florida

The data are aerial images and ground tree measurement data of 3 citrus rootstock trials. Developing new citrus rootstock varieties requires field trials to test to identify selections with improved horticultural performance. A bud from a scion variety is grafted onto the rootstock and grown in a nursery until the grafted plant is ready to be planted in the field, which is in about one year. Trees in the field are assessed each year by measuring height, canopy diameter in 2 dimensions, overall health, and fruit number and quality factors when the trees begin to have a significant crop (∼3 years). Data collection of each tree is done manually. The image and ground data sets are of 3 rootstock trials that includes a 3-year-old Bingo mandarin hybrid trial of 206 trees, a 6-year-old Valencia orange trial of 643 trees, and a 7-year-old Valencia orange trials of 648 trees. Data for each trial includes aerial images and ground data of height, canopy diameters, and an overall health rating. The combination of ground validated measures and aerial images make this data set useful for building AI-based aerial image data collection applications. The data will be useful for 1) visualizing the effects of different rootstock selections and varieties on scion growth, effects that may not be fully captured with single measure metrics; and 2) development of image analysis applications and segmentation algorithms that can extract data from the images that are suitable for replacing some or all the ground measures.