Go to "File > Open" and navigate to your image, or drag the file onto the ImageJ toolbar. The measurements described below do not require plugins.
#Plant imaging download#
Download ImageJ Softwareĭetermine your platform (Mac/Linux/Windows) and click on the appropriate link. There are already many plugins available that allow more advanced measurements, such as three-dimensional live-cell imaging, radiological image processing, multiple imaging system data comparisons, and automated hematology systems. ImageJ was designed with an open architecture, so users can write custom plugins to solve many image processing and analysis problems. ImageJ is a public domain, Java-based image processing program developed at the National Institutes of Health and the Laboratory for Optical and Computational Instrumentation. Overhead canopy images of various crops converted to binary images using ImageJ for canopy cover measurements. This article is intended to help researchers and Extension agents collect plant growth assessment data more efficiently using simple imaging techniques.įigure 1. The techniques described in this article work well particularly for small herbaceous plants.
![plant imaging plant imaging](https://media.springernature.com/lw685/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs40502-018-0374-8/MediaObjects/40502_2018_374_Fig1_HTML.png)
Image-based measurements are useful not only for researchers but also for Extension agents, especially when collecting data from on-farm trials with limited time and resources.
![plant imaging plant imaging](https://els-jbs-prod-cdn.jbs.elsevierhealth.com/cms/attachment/8fc3f076-cafe-45d1-b4e9-424ff8fa0aad/fx2_lrg.jpg)
Photographs and measurement data can be archived electronically. Photographs can be saved with metadata, such as geolocation, date, and time, automatically. Photographs themselves are very good visual data. Multiple measurements can be performed on the same image (e.g., plant width, canopy cover, and fruit counts).
#Plant imaging manual#
Image-based measurements are quicker and can be more precise than manual measurements.Ĭost and tools needed are minimal-you only need a compact digital camera or smartphone and ImageJ. The entire process can be done by one person. Time spent in the field is minimal image processing and measurements can be performed indoors at a convenient time. The advantages of image-based measurements are as follows: Figure 1 shows examples of canopy images processed by ImageJ to calculate canopy cover. The basic procedure involves taking a photograph with a digital camera or smartphone and then calibrating and processing the image using an image processing program, such as ImageJ (free to download and use). There are simple imaging techniques that can perform these measurements more quickly and precisely (Patrignani and Ochsner 2015, Sozzani et al.
![plant imaging plant imaging](https://www.qubitphenomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/2-fungus-plants.jpg)
Such data collection methods are laborious and time-consuming, often requiring multiple people. Quantification of plant phenotypic traits, such as plant height, plant width, stem diameter, and leaf area, is often performed manually in the field or after destructive plant sampling.