Predictive ability of machine learning methods for massive crop yield prediction

  • Alberto Gonzalez-Sanchez Tecnologico de Monterrey, Campus Cuernavaca. Autopista del Sol km 104, Colonia Real del Puente, Xochitepec, Morelos
  • Juan Frausto-Solis Tecnologico de Monterrey, Campus Cuernavaca. Autopista del Sol km 104, Colonia Real del Puente, Xochitepec, Morelos
  • Waldo Ojeda-Bustamante Instituto Mexicano de Tecnología del Agua. Paseo Cuauhnáhuac 8532, Col. Progreso, Jiutepec, Morelos
Keywords: regression trees, neural networks, support vector regression, k-nearest neighbor, multiple linear regression

Abstract

An important issue for agricultural planning purposes is the accurate yield estimation for the numerous crops involved in the planning. Machine learning (ML) is an essential approach for achieving practical and effective solutions for this problem. Many comparisons of ML methods for yield prediction have been made, seeking for the most accurate technique. Generally, the number of evaluated crops and techniques is too low and does not provide enough information for agricultural planning purposes. This paper compares the predictive accuracy of ML and linear regression techniques for crop yield prediction in ten crop datasets. Multiple linear regression, M5-Prime regression trees, perceptron multilayer neural networks, support vector regression and k-nearest neighbor methods were ranked. Four accuracy metrics were used to validate the models: the root mean square error (RMS), root relative square error (RRSE), normalized mean absolute error (MAE), and correlation factor (R). Real data of an irrigation zone of Mexico were used for building the models. Models were tested with samples of two consecutive years. The results show that M5-Prime and k-nearest neighbor techniques obtain the lowest average RMSE errors (5.14 and 4.91), the lowest RRSE errors (79.46% and 79.78%), the lowest average MAE errors (18.12% and 19.42%), and the highest average correlation factors (0.41 and 0.42). Since M5-Prime achieves the largest number of crop yield models with the lowest errors, it is a very suitable tool for massive crop yield prediction in agricultural planning.

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Published
2014-04-29
How to Cite
Gonzalez-Sanchez, A., Frausto-Solis, J., & Ojeda-Bustamante, W. (2014). Predictive ability of machine learning methods for massive crop yield prediction. Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research, 12(2), 313-328. https://doi.org/10.5424/sjar/2014122-4439
Section
Agricultural engineering