Journal of Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers ISSN:1738-3692(Print) 2093-7709(Online) 한국농공학회논문집

Soil texture is determined by the proportions of sand, silt, and clay within the soil, which influence characteristics such as porosity, water retention capacity, electrical conductivity (EC), and pH. Traditional classification of soil texture requires significant sample preparation including oven drying to remove organic matter and moisture, a process that is both time-consuming and costly. This study aims to explore an alternative method by developing an AI model capable of predicting soil texture from images of pre-sorted soil samples using computer vision and deep learning technologies. Soil samples collected from agricultural fields were pre-processed using sieve analysis and the images of each sample were acquired in a controlled studio environment using a smartphone camera. Color distribution ratios based on RGB values of the images were analyzed using the OpenCV library in Python. A convolutional neural network (CNN) model, built on PyTorch, was enhanced using Digital Image Processing (DIP) techniques and then trained across nine distinct conditions to evaluate its robustness and accuracy. The model has achieved an accuracy of over 80% in classifying the images of pre-sorted soil samples, as validated by the components of the confusion matrix and measurements of the F1 score, demonstrating its potential to replace traditional experimental methods for soil texture classification. By utilizing an easily accessible tool, significant time and cost savings can be expected compared to traditional methods.