Utilization of hyperspectral imaging to characterize herbicide phytotoxicity in oat and mustard

The use of herbicides is one of the predominant methods often deployed to manage weeds. Over time, weeds can evolve mutations and develop resistance against certain herbicides, hence it is essential to screen for herbicide’s efficacy on evolving weed populations. This study aims to utilize proximal hyperspectral imaging to estimate plant injury from herbicide applications in tame oat [Avena sativa; model species for wild oat (Avena fatua)] and oriental mustard [Brassica juncea; model for wild mustard (Sinapis arvensis)]. The treatments included an untreated control along with 8 herbicides at their recommended dose for mustard and an untreated control along with 6 herbicides at their recommended dose for oat. The experiment was conducted at Lethbridge, AB, Canada. The imagery and the visual control rating were obtained at 2 different time points for hyperspectral imaging (HSI). The regression models developed with hyperspectral images were able to estimate crop phytotoxicity with an R ² (determination of coefficient) of 90.93% and 71.80%.