**3. Proxy-detection image processing for wheat ear counting**

Proxy-detection imagery for yield prediction needs the determination of the three components of the yield: number of ears / m², number of grains per ear and the weight per thousand seeds. Wheat ear shapes are very variable, especially due to the different inclinations of wheatears. However, wheatears show a very rough surface whereas leaf surfaces are smoother (figure 4).

Fig. 4. 3D surface of leaf and ear

Considering this specific roughness (figure 4), texture analysis can be used in order to discriminate wheatears, leaves and ground.
