The Pl@ntnet project: plant computational identification and collaborative information system

International audienceAmong the world's living species, there are approximately 300,000 species of plants. Accurate knowledge of their identity, geographic distribution and use, underpins the success of the world sustainable agriculture with advanced research in agronomy, and biodiversity conservation. Unfortunately, the quality and quantity of plant information is poorest in the regions that could use it the most: Mediterranean and tropical countries. It's for this reason that plant identification, sharing of and access to plant information play a crucial but little understood role in modern society. In this context, Agropolis Fondation (http://www.agropolisfondation. fr/) is supporting its first Flagship Programme called Pl@ntNet. This programme involves a large international partnership jointly led by the AMAP Joint Research Unit (http://umramap.cirad.fr), the IMEDIA Research Team (http://www-rocq.inria.fr/imedia/), and the non-governmental organization Tela Botanica (http://www.tela-botanica.org/). The Pl@ntNet project aims to set up a web-oriented scientific, informative and educational software platform dedicated to plant identification and to the collaborative gathering, share and use of large, multi-disciplinary datasets on plants. Free, open-source, easy-access software programs, based Among the world's living species, there are approximately 300,000 species of plants. Accurate knowledge of their identity, geographic distribution and use, underpins the success of the world sustainable agriculture with advanced research in agronomy, and biodiversity conservation. Unfortunately, the quality and quantity of plant information is poorest in the regions that could use it the most: Mediterranean and tropical countries. It's for this reason that plant identification, sharing of and access to plant information play a crucial but little understood role in modern society. In this context, Agropolis Fondation (http://www.agropolisfondation. fr/) is supporting its first Flagship Programme called Pl@ntNet. This programme involves a large international partnership jointly led by the AMAP Joint Research Unit (http://umramap.cirad.fr), the IMEDIA Research Team (http://www-rocq.inria.fr/imedia/), and the non-governmental organization Tela Botanica (http://www.tela-botanica.org/). The Pl@ntNet project aims to set up a web-oriented scientific, informative and educational software platform dedicated to plant identification and to the collaborative gathering, share and use of large, multi-disciplinary datasets on plants. Free, open-source, easy-access software programs, based on previously developed prototypes will function on-line on internet, or directly in the field, and will be adapted to the various working conditions of potential users (natural resources managers, foresters, agronomists, teachers, scientists or citizens). Plant identification tools will be based on the use of morphological, ecological or geographical characters, as well as on visual image recognition system. As an initiative of major scientific and strategic importance, Pl@ntNet is expected to bring scientific breakthrough and demonstrate the degree and extent by which the know-how, expertise and competencies of various research units and their partners are mobilized and put into use in order to contribute in addressing major challenges of our time