DFMA: an improved DeepLabv3+ based on FasterNet, multi-receptive field, and attention mechanism for high-throughput phenotyping of seedlings

With the rapid advancement of plant phenotyping research, understanding plant genetic information and growth trends has become crucial. Measuring seedling length is a key criterion for assessing seed viability, but traditional ruler-based methods are time-consuming and labor-intensive. To address these limitations, we propose an efficient deep learning approach to enhance plant seedling phenotyping analysis. We improved the DeepLabv3+ model, naming it DFMA, and introduced a novel ASPP structure, PSPA-ASPP. On our self-constructed rice seedling dataset, the model achieved a mean Intersection over Union (mIoU) of 81.72%. On publicly available datasets, including Arabidopsis thaliana, Brachypodium distachyon, and Sinapis alba, detection scores reached 87.69%, 91.07%, and 66.44%, respectively, outperforming existing models. The model generates detailed segmentation masks, capturing structures such as the embryonic shoot, axis, and root, while a seedling length measurement algorithm provides precise parameters for component development. This approach offers a comprehensive, automated solution, improving phenotyping analysis efficiency and addressing the challenges of traditional methods.