Clustering symptomatic pixels in broomrape-infected carrots facilitates targeted evaluations of alterations in host primary plant traits

In this study, we explore spectral heterogeneity within plant canopies, a characteristic often observed in stressed plants where certain leaves or intra-leaf regions exhibit stress symptoms while others remain unaffected. Considering this variability in spectral signatures holds promise for enhancing remote sensing methodologies aimed at plant stress detection. Typically, remote sensing techniques analyze the plant as a whole, potentially overlooking stress-related spectral signatures due to the inclusion of unaffected pixels. We used a clustering-based technique, which incorporates semi-supervised learning elements for tuning hyper-parameters, to differentiate spectral patterns associated with and unique to pixels from broomrape-infected (Orobanche spp. and Phelipanche spp.) carrots from unrelated patterns. Ground-based hyperspectral (400–1000 nm) images of broomrape-infected and non-infected carrot canopies were used in an agglomerative clustering procedure followed by spectral angle mapper (SAM) analysis to identify a spectral endmember indicative of broomrape infection symptoms. Pixels from this cluster constituted an average of 8.5–11.5 % from the canopies of infected plants. Subsequently, we: (a) examined the relationship between carrot leaf mineral content and the percentage of symptomatic pixels to explore stress-induced alterations creating the unique spectral signatures of infected plants; and (b) utilized the inverse mode of PROSPECT, a radiative transfer model (RTM), to derive primary plant traits from the distinct spectral data of each cluster. We found that deficits in two macro elements, phosphorous and potassium, along with two pigments, chlorophyll and carotenoid, were correlated with the symptomatic cluster in infected plants. The methodology presented in this study paves the way for further research into broomrape detection in various crop species, as well as other plant stressors.