Crop diseases constitute a danger to worldwide food stability, diminishing harvest yield, grade, and total farming efficiency. Conventionally, the identification of plant ailments has depended on lengthy visual assessments by specialists, a method that frequently results in mistakes. Machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI), in particular Vision Transformers (ViTs) and Convolutional Neural Networks, deliver a swifter, automated substitute for recognizing plant illnesses through leaf image analysis. However, these frameworks are regularly faulted for their "black box" character, which curbs confidence in their outputs due to a lack of clarity. Our outcomes indicate that integrating Explainable AI (XAI) approaches like Grad-CAM, Integrated Gradients, and LIME notably boosts model explainability, rendering it simpler for users to detect the fundamental indicators of plant sicknesses. This investigation not only adds to the area of plant disease recognition but also supplies an original viewpoint on advancing AI openness in actual farming settings through the application of XAI methods. With training accuracy rates of 100.00% for ViT, 96.88% for EfficientNetB7, 93.75% for EfficientNetB0, and 87.50% for ResNet50, and equivalent validation accuracy rates of 96.39% for ViT, 86.98% for EfficientNetB7, and 82.00% for EfficientNetB0, our suggested architectures exceed earlier studies performed on the identical dataset. This illustrates a considerable leap in model capability while upholding clarity and dependability by way of explainable and trustworthy decision procedures.
In recent years, the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) in farming has emerged as a critical priority. Embracing technological innovation in agriculture, when pursued imaginatively, unlocks significant value. A vital procedure involves managing affected leaves throughout crop cultivation. The prompt identification, categorization, and examination of foliar diseases, together with viable remedies, perpetually foster agricultural progress. A central emphasis of our proposed study is the detection and categorization of diseases across different crops, specifically targeting tomatoes and grapes. The principal aim is to anticipate the type of disease likely to affect grape and tomato foliage at an early stage. Techniques employing Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) are harnessed for Multi-Crop Leaf Disease (MCLD) detection. A deep learning-centric model carried out image feature extraction to differentiate between infected and vigorous leaves. The CNN-dependent Visual Geometry Group (VGG) model is applied to achieve superior performance indicators. A collection of crop leaf imagery serves to both train and evaluate the model. Metrics gauging performance, including accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, precision, recall, and the F1-score, were determined and observed. The overarching research aim with the proposed framework is to secure steady enhancements in outcomes. The engineered model distinguishes leaves impacted by disease with heightened precision. In the experimental setup, the suggested investigation achieved 98.40% accuracy for grapevines and 95.71% for tomato plants. This body of work directly contributes to boosting agricultural food output.