Dataset Information

Forest-Scale Phenotyping: Productivity Characterisation Through Machine Learning.

ABSTRACT: Advances in remote sensing combined with the emergence of sophisticated methods for large-scale data analytics from the field of data science provide new methods to model complex interactions in biological systems. Using a data-driven philosophy, insights from experts are used to corroborate the results generated through analytical models instead of leading the model design. Following such an approach, this study outlines the development and implementation of a whole-of-forest phenotyping system that incorporates spatial estimates of productivity across a large plantation forest. In large-scale plantation forestry, improving the productivity and consistency of future forests is an important but challenging goal due to the multiple interactions between biotic and abiotic factors, the long breeding cycle, and the high variability of growing conditions. Forest phenotypic expression is highly affected by the interaction of environmental conditions and forest management but the understanding of this complex dynamics is incomplete. In this study, we collected an extensive set of 2.7 million observations composed of 62 variables describing climate, forest management, tree genetics, and fine-scale terrain information extracted from environmental surfaces, management records, and remotely sensed data. Using three machine learning methods, we compared models of forest productivity and evaluate the gain and Shapley values for interpreting the influence of categorical variables on the power of these methods to predict forest productivity at a landscape level. The most accurate model identified that the most important drivers of productivity were, in order of importance, genetics, environmental conditions, leaf area index, topology, and soil properties, thus describing the complex interactions of the forest. This approach demonstrates that new methods in remote sensing and data science enable powerful, landscape-level understanding of forest productivity. The phenotyping method developed here can be used to identify superior and inferior genotypes and estimate a productivity index for individual site. This approach can improve tree breeding and deployment of the right genetics to the right site in order to increase the overall productivity across planted forests.

SUBMITTER: Bombrun M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7068454 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Forest-Scale Phenotyping: Productivity Characterisation Through Machine Learning.

Bombrun Maxime M Dash Jonathan P JP Pont David D Watt Michael S MS Pearse Grant D GD Dungey Heidi S HS

Frontiers in plant science 20200306

Advances in remote sensing combined with the emergence of sophisticated methods for large-scale data analytics from the field of data science provide new methods to model complex interactions in biological systems. Using a data-driven philosophy, insights from experts are used to corroborate the results generated through analytical models instead of leading the model design. Following such an approach, this study outlines the development and implementation of a whole-of-forest phenotyping system ...[more]

PMID: 32210980

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Project description:ObjectiveElectronic health records (EHR) offer medical and pharmacogenomics research unprecedented opportunities to identify and classify patients at risk. EHRs are collections of highly inter-dependent records that include biological, anatomical, physiological, and behavioral observations. They comprise a patient's clinical phenome, where each patient has thousands of date-stamped records distributed across many relational tables. Development of EHR computer-based phenotyping algorithms require time and medical insight from clinical experts, who most often can only review a small patient subset representative of the total EHR records, to identify phenotype features. In this research we evaluate whether relational machine learning (ML) using inductive logic programming (ILP) can contribute to addressing these issues as a viable approach for EHR-based phenotyping.MethodsTwo relational learning ILP approaches and three well-known WEKA (Waikato Environment for Knowledge Analysis) implementations of non-relational approaches (PART, J48, and JRIP) were used to develop models for nine phenotypes. International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) coded EHR data were used to select training cohorts for the development of each phenotypic model. Accuracy, precision, recall, F-Measure, and Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (AUROC) curve statistics were measured for each phenotypic model based on independent manually verified test cohorts. A two-sided binomial distribution test (sign test) compared the five ML approaches across phenotypes for statistical significance.ResultsWe developed an approach to automatically label training examples using ICD-9 diagnosis codes for the ML approaches being evaluated. Nine phenotypic models for each ML approach were evaluated, resulting in better overall model performance in AUROC using ILP when compared to PART (p=0.039), J48 (p=0.003) and JRIP (p=0.003).DiscussionILP has the potential to improve phenotyping by independently delivering clinically expert interpretable rules for phenotype definitions, or intuitive phenotypes to assist experts.ConclusionRelational learning using ILP offers a viable approach to EHR-driven phenotyping.

Project description:During the last decade, there has been rapid adoption of ground and aerial platforms with multiple sensors for phenotyping various biotic and abiotic stresses throughout the developmental stages of the crop plant. High throughput phenotyping (HTP) involves the application of these tools to phenotype the plants and can vary from ground-based imaging to aerial phenotyping to remote sensing. Adoption of these HTP tools has tried to reduce the phenotyping bottleneck in breeding programs and help to increase the pace of genetic gain. More specifically, several root phenotyping tools are discussed to study the plant's hidden half and an area long neglected. However, the use of these HTP technologies produces big data sets that impede the inference from those datasets. Machine learning and deep learning provide an alternative opportunity for the extraction of useful information for making conclusions. These are interdisciplinary approaches for data analysis using probability, statistics, classification, regression, decision theory, data visualization, and neural networks to relate information extracted with the phenotypes obtained. These techniques use feature extraction, identification, classification, and prediction criteria to identify pertinent data for use in plant breeding and pathology activities. This review focuses on the recent findings where machine learning and deep learning approaches have been used for plant stress phenotyping with data being collected using various HTP platforms. We have provided a comprehensive overview of different machine learning and deep learning tools available with their potential advantages and pitfalls. Overall, this review provides an avenue for studying various HTP platforms with particular emphasis on using the machine learning and deep learning tools for drawing legitimate conclusions. Finally, we propose the conceptual challenges being faced and provide insights on future perspectives for managing those issues.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Shape is a critical element of the visual appeal of strawberry fruit and is influenced by both genetic and non-genetic determinants. Current fruit phenotyping approaches for external characteristics in strawberry often rely on the human eye to make categorical assessments. However, fruit shape is an inherently multi-dimensional, continuously variable trait and not adequately described by a single categorical or quantitative feature. Morphometric approaches enable the study of complex, multi-dimensional forms but are often abstract and difficult to interpret. In this study, we developed a mathematical approach for transforming fruit shape classifications from digital images onto an ordinal scale called the Principal Progression of k Clusters (PPKC). We use these human-recognizable shape categories to select quantitative features extracted from multiple morphometric analyses that are best fit for genetic dissection and analysis. RESULTS:We transformed images of strawberry fruit into human-recognizable categories using unsupervised machine learning, discovered 4 principal shape categories, and inferred progression using PPKC. We extracted 68 quantitative features from digital images of strawberries using a suite of morphometric analyses and multivariate statistical approaches. These analyses defined informative feature sets that effectively captured quantitative differences between shape classes. Classification accuracy ranged from 68% to 99% for the newly created phenotypic variables for describing a shape. CONCLUSIONS:Our results demonstrated that strawberry fruit shapes could be robustly quantified, accurately classified, and empirically ordered using image analyses, machine learning, and PPKC. We generated a dictionary of quantitative traits for studying and predicting shape classes and identifying genetic factors underlying phenotypic variability for fruit shape in strawberry. The methods and approaches that we applied in strawberry should apply to other fruits, vegetables, and specialty crops.

Dataset Information

Forest-Scale Phenotyping: Productivity Characterisation Through Machine Learning.

Publications

Forest-Scale Phenotyping: Productivity Characterisation Through Machine Learning.

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