Application of image processing in seed technology: A survey

This paper aims to present a review of seed technology, seed germination and vigor methods using image processing. Computer–aided image analysis techniques have been recently developed in monitoring seed growth and vigor. Their integration with the standard germination test is needed to describe the germination performance of a seed sample with high accuracy. The use of various modern image acquisition techniques combined with image processing techniques have allowed developing automated seed quality tests,. The two main limitations of performing a vigor test manually are 1) results of a vigor test may vary from laboratory to laboratory because of the subjective nature of most vigor tests and 2) many vigor tests take excessive time to acquire results. These two limitations can be addressed by designing computer software that measures the seedlings represented by a digital image and computes the vigor index from those measurements. Several theories of seed germination and vigor are briefly mentioned. Methods are classified into several groups. Keywords—Artificial Vision System, Living Ability Index, Seed Germination, Seed Vigor, Seed Quality Tests, Vigor