Gradient-based stochastic depth with convolutional neural network for coconut tree leaf disease classification

Abstract

The coconut palm (Cocos nucifera) is vital plantation crop, valued for their different uses, ranging from their fruit to its trunk. In recent times, it has been observed that many coconut trees are affected by diseases that reduce production and weaken the strength of the coconut. The classification of coconut leaf diseases is challenging because of intra-class and inter-class variability. This research introduces the gradient-based stochastic depth (GSD) with convolutional neural network (CNN) technique to coconut leaf disease classification to overcome these challenges. The GSD technique is incorporated into every layer of the CNN, where it calculates the probability using gradient magnitudes and skips layers that contribute minimally to the classification. The images are segmented using the GrabCut segmentation algorithm, which isolates the leaf from the background using graph-based segmentation, helping to differentiate between various disease classes. The GSD with CNN algorithm obtains an accuracy of 96.42%, precision of 96.15%, recall of 95.87%, and F1-score of 95.93%, while comparing with existing algorithms.