As an important step in image processing, image segmentation can be used to determine the accuracy of object counts, and area and contour data. In addition, image segmentation is indispensable in seed testing research. Due to the uneven grey level of the original image, traditional watershed algorithms generate many incorrect edges, resulting in oversegmentation and undersegmentation, which affects the accuracy of obtaining seed phenotype information. The DMR-watershed algorithm, an improved watershed algorithm based on distance map reconstruction, is proposed in this paper. According to the grey distribution characteristics of the image, the grey reduction amplitude h was selected to generate the mask image with the same grey distribution trend as that of the original image. The original greyscale map was reconstructed with corresponding thresholds selected according to the false minima of different regions that are to be segmented, which generates an accurate distance map that eliminates the wrong edges. An adzuki bean (Vigna angularis L.) image was selected as the experimental material and the residual rate of the segmentation counting results of each algorithm was investigated in two cases of two-particle adhesion and multiparticle adhesion. The results of the proposed algorithm were compared with those of the traditional watershed algorithm, edge detection algorithm and concave point analysis algorithm which are commonly used for seed segmentation. In the case of two-particle adhesion, the residual rates of the watershed algorithm and edge detection algorithm were 0.233 and 0.275, respectively, while the residual rate of the concave point analysis algorithm was 0 which proved to be suitable for two-particle adhesion. In the case of multiparticle adhesion, the concave point analysis algorithm was not applicable because it would destroy the seed image. The residual rates of the watershed algorithm and edge detection algorithm were 0.063 and 0.188, respectively, while the residual rate of the proposed algorithm in the two-particle adhesion cases was 0 and the counting accuracy reached 100%, which proved the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. The algorithm in this paper significantly improves the accuracy of image segmentation of adherent seeds, and provides a new reference for image segmentation processing in seed testing.

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the significant food crops in the world, and the number of wheat ears serves as a critical indicator of wheat yield. Accurate quantification of wheat ear counts is crucial for effective scientific management of wheat fields. To address the challenges of missed detections, false detections, and diminished detection accuracy arising from the dense distribution, small size, and high overlap of wheat ears in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) imagery, we propose a lightweight model, PSDS-YOLOv8 (P2-SPD-DySample-SCAM-YOLOv8), on the basis of the improved YOLOv8 framework, for the accurate detection of wheat ears in UAV images. First, the high resolution micro-scale detection layer (P2) is introduced to enhance the model’s ability to recognize and localize small targets, while the large-scale detection layer (P5) is eliminated to minimize computational redundancy. Then, the Spatial Pyramid Dilated Convolution (SPD-Conv) module is employed to improve the ability of the network to learn features, thereby enhancing the representation of weak features of small targets and preventing information loss caused by low image resolution or small target sizes. Additionally, a lightweight dynamic upsampler, Dynamic Sample (DySample), is introduced to decrease computational complexity of the upsampling process by dynamically adjusting interpolation positions. Finally, the lightweight module Spatial Context-Aware Module (SCAM) is utilized to accurately map the connection between small targets and global features, enhancing the discrimination of small targets from the background. Experimental results demonstrate that the improved PSDS-YOLOv8 model achieves Mean Average Precision(mAP) 50 and mAP50:95 scores of 96.5% and 55.2%, which increases by 2.8% and 4.4%, while the number of parameters is reduced by 40.6% in comparison with the baseline YOLOv8 model. Compared to YOLOv5, YOLOv7, YOLOv9, YOLOv10, YOLOv11, Faster RCNN, SSD, and RetinaNet, the improved model demonstrates superior accuracy and fewer parameters, exhibiting the best overall performance. The methodology proposed in this study enhances model accuracy while concurrently reducing resource consumption and effectively addressing the issues of missed and false detections of wheat ears, thereby providing technical support and theoretical guidance for intelligent counting of wheat ears in UAV imagery.

Quantifying planting layouts during the seedling stage of mung beans (Vigna radiata L.) is crucial for assessing cultivation conditions and providing support for precise management. Traditional information extraction methods are often hindered by engineering workloads, time consumption, and labor costs. Applying deep-learning technologies for information extraction reduces these burdens and yields precise and reliable results, enabling a visual analysis of seedling distribution. In this work, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was employed to capture visible light images of mung bean seedlings in a field across three height gradients of 2 m, 5 m, and 7 m following a time series approach. To improve detection accuracy, a small target detection layer (p2) was integrated into the YOLOv8-obb model, facilitating the identification of mung bean seedlings. Image detection performance and seedling information were analyzed considering various dates, heights, and resolutions, and the K-means algorithm was utilized to cluster feature points and extract row information. Linear fitting was performed via the least squares method to calculate planting layout parameters. The results indicated that on the 13th day post seeding, a 2640 × 1978 image captured at 7 m above ground level exhibited optimal detection performance. Compared with YOLOv8, YOLOv8-obb, YOLOv9, and YOLOv10, the YOLOv8-obb-p2 model improved precision by 1.6%, 0.1%, 0.3%, and 2%, respectively, and F1 scores improved by 2.8%, 0.5%, 0.5%, and 3%, respectively. This model extracts precise information, providing reliable data for quantifying planting layout parameters. These findings can be utilized for rapid and large-scale assessments of mung bean seedling growth and development, providing theoretical and technical support for seedling counting and planting layouts in hole-seeded crops.

Accurate yield prediction for major grain and oilseed crops, including soybean, corn, wheat, and rice, is essential for food-security assessment and precision field management. This study presents a structured integrative review of UAV-based crop yield prediction and follows PRISMA-guided procedures for literature search, screening, and evidence synthesis. Seventy peer-reviewed studies published between 2018 and 2025 were synthesized within a “Data–Ground Truth–Model–Decision” framework. Beyond summarizing UAV platforms, sensor configurations, feature-engineering strategies, and model architectures, the review explicitly distinguishes among microplot, field, and regional prediction scales, and evaluates the characteristics and limitations of yield-label acquisition methods, including manual harvest, plot-combine harvest, and combine yield-monitor data. Existing evidence indicates that the reliability of UAV-based yield prediction depends not only on optimal image acquisition windows, multi-source feature fusion, and model architecture, but also on scale-consistent yield labels, spatially aware validation strategies, and clearly defined model outputs, such as plot-level scalar yield, field-scale yield maps, and regional yield estimates. Major bottlenecks include scale mismatch between UAV imagery and yield labels, error propagation during yield-map generation, limited cross-year and cross-region transferability, weak causal interpretability, and difficulties in deploying models under complex operational field conditions. Future research should emphasize scale-explicit benchmark datasets, quality-controlled ground-truth yield acquisition, UAV–satellite–ground data fusion, spatiotemporal deep learning, and edge–cloud collaborative systems that can translate prediction outputs into agronomic decisions. This review provides a practical pathway for developing robust, interpretable, and deployable UAV-based yield prediction systems for major grain and oilseed crops.

Chromosome rearrangements play an important role in the speciation of plants and animals, and the recognition of chromosome rearrangement patterns is helpful to elucidate the mechanism of species differentiation at the chromosome level. However, the existing chromosome rearrangement recognition methods have some major limitations, such as low quality, barriers to parental selection, and inability to identify specific rearrangement patterns. Based on the whole genome protein sequences, we constructed the combined figure according to the slope of the collinear fragment, the number of homologous genes, the coordinates in the top left and bottom right of the collinear fragment. The standardized combination figure is compared with the four standard pattern figures, and then combined with the information entropy analysis strategy to automatically classify the chromosome images and identify the chromosome rearrangement pattern. This paper proposes an automatic karyotype analysis method EntroCR (intelligent recognition method of chromosome rearrangement based on information entropy), which integrates rearrangement pattern recognition, result recommendation and related chromosome determination, so as to infer the evolution process of ancestral chromosomes to the existing chromosomes. Validation experiments were conducted using whole-genome data of Gossypium raimondii and Gossypium arboreum, Oryza sativa and Sorghum bicolor. The conclusions were consistent with previous results. EntroCR provides a reference for researchers in species evolution and molecular marker assisted breeding as well as new methods for analyzing karyotype evolution in other species.