Identification of Pecan Weevils through Image Processing

Abstract: Problem Statement: Pecan weevil is one of the most destructive pests of Oklahoma. The scope of this study is to develop a recognition system that can serve in a wireless imaging network for monitoring pecan weevils. Approach: The recognition methods used in this study are based on template matching. Five recognition methods were implemented: Normalized cross-correlation, Fourier descriptors, Zernike moments, String matching and Regional properties. The training set consisted of 205 pecan weevils and the testing set included 30 randomly selected pecan weevils and 74 other insects which typically exist in pecan habitat. Results: It was found that Region-based methods were better in representing and recognizing biological objects such as insects. Different recognition rates were obtained at different order of Zernike moments. The optimum result among the tested orders of Zernike moments was found to be at the order 3. The results also showed that using different number of Fourier descriptors may not significantly increase the recognition rate of this method. Conclusion: The most robust and reliable recognition rate was achieved when the Zernike moments and Region properties recognition methods were used in a combination. A positive match from either of these two independent tests would yield reliable results. Therefore, 100% recognition could be achieved by adopting the proposed algorithm. The processing time for such recognition is 0.44 sec.