Species identification of crops and weeds in wheat fields using hyperspectral data and machine learning algorithms

Rimma Meyramovna Ualiyeva, Mariya M. Kaverina, Anastasiya V. Osipova, E. Koppayev, М. А. Чайзабекова, Sayan Berikovich Zhangazin

2026

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DOI 10.31489/2026feb3/137-151
Data confidence 70 medium
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Abstract

Based on establishing the relationship between the morphological and anatomical properties of plant tissues and the recognition efficiency of the machine learning algorithm, a comprehensive assessment of the limitations of ML algorithms (using Random Forest as an example) in the multiclass identification of crops and weeds in the agroecosystems of northeastern Kazakhstan was carried out for the first time. The study substantiates the principal biological causes manifested in the optical overlap of classes in the hyperspectral feature space. Data collection was performed with a hyperspectral sensor in the VIS-NIR range. The analysis of spectral profiles was carried out based on variance distribution assessment using principal component analysis and the construction of reflectance curves. Classification of the extracted data was performed using the Random Forest algorithm. Spring wheat (Triticum aestivum) crops at different phenological phases and five dominant weed species (Euphorbia virgata, Descurainia sophia, Vicia hirsuta, Fallopia convolvulus, Echinochloa crus-galli) were selected as research objects. The algorithm demonstrated "crop-weed" segregation efficiency with an overall classification accuracy on test data of 72.94%. High identification accuracy was revealed for wheat (MCC=0.994) due to its spectral stability and pronounced red edge features (680-730 nm). Reduced accuracy in intra-class weed separation is driven by species-specific anatomy: thick cuticles in Euphorbia virgata increase reflectance, complex structure in Vicia hirsuta causes spectral dispersion, and mesophyll similarity between Echinochloa crus-galli and grasses leads to optical overlap with crop features. Thus, the model enables reliable crop-weed differentiation, a key requirement for precision agriculture and targeted agrochemical application.