*2.4. Canopy Extraction Quality Evaluation*

The quality of canopy extraction was determined by measuring the canopy area consistency throughout the study as well as assessing the accuracy of each method (ArcGIS Pro 2.9.0 software, ESRI, Redlands, CA, USA).

#### 2.4.1. Canopy Area Consistency

During stage III, vegetative growth of deciduous fruit trees, including peaches, is minimal to non-existent [32]. Hence, canopy area consistency can be used as a measure of extraction quality. The canopy area (m2) per MC (n = 22) per image was calculated for all four canopy extraction methods. On two dates, 21 July and 12 August, the median values were calculated, and the Student's t-test was used to determine significant differences in the mean canopy area on these dates for each method (JMP statistical software, JMP Inc., Cary, NC, USA). Additionally, the coefficient of variation (CV) was calculated for the canopy area median values per image for the 2PE, ED, and VS methods.
