Near infrared (NIR) hyperspectral imaging for evaluation of whole maize kernels: chemometrics for exploration and classification
Date
2009-03
Authors
Williams, Paul James
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
Abstract
The use of near infrared (NIR) hyperspectral imaging and hyperspectral image analysis for distinguishing between whole maize kernels of varying degrees of hardness and fungal infected and non-infected kernels have been investigated. Near infrared hyperspectral images of whole maize kernels of varying degrees of hardness were acquired using a Spectral Dimensions MatrixNIR camera with a spectral range of 960-1662 nm as well as a sisuChema SWIR (short wave infrared) hyperspectral pushbroom imaging system with a spectral range of 1000-2498 nm. Exploratory principal component analysis (PCA) on absorbance images was used to remove background, bad pixels and shading. On the cleaned images, PCA could be used effectively to find histological classes including glassy (hard) and floury (soft) endosperm. PCA illustrated a distinct difference between floury and glassy endosperm along principal component (PC) three. Interpreting the PC loading line plots important absorbance peaks responsible for the variation were 1215, 1395 and 1450 nm, associated with starch and moisture for both MatrixNIR images (12 and 24 kernels). The loading line plots for the sisuChema (24 kernels) illustrated peaks of importance at the aforementioned wavelengths as well as 1695, 1900 and 1940 nm, also associated with starch and moisture. Partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was applied as a means to predict whether the different endosperm types observed, were glassy or floury. For the MatrixNIR image (12 kernels), the PLS-DA model exhibited a classification rate of up to 99% for the discrimination of both floury and glassy endosperm. The PLS-DA model for the second MatrixNIR image (24 kernels) yielded a classification rate of 82% for the discrimination of glassy and 73% for floury endosperm. The sisuChema image (24 kernels) yielded a classification rate of 95% for the discrimination of floury and 92% for glassy endosperm.
The fungal infected and sound whole maize kernels were imaged using the same instruments. Background, bad pixels and shading were removed by applying PCA on absorbance images. On the cleaned images, PCA could be used effectively to find the infected regions, pedicle as well as non-infected regions. A distinct difference between infected and sound kernels was illustrated along PC1. Interpreting the PC loading line plots showed important absorbance peaks responsible for the variation and predominantly associated with starch and moisture: 1215, 1450, 1480, 1690, 1940 and 2136 nm for both MatrixNIR images (15 and 21 kernels). The MatrixNIR image (15 kernels) exhibited a PLS-DA classification rate of up to 96.1% for the discrimination of infected kernels and the sisuChema had a classification rate of 99% for the same region of interest. The The
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sisuChema image (21-kernels) had a classification rate for infected kernels of 97.6% without pre-processing, 97.7% with multiplicative scatter correction (MSC) and 97.4% with standard normal variate (SNV). Near infrared hyperspectral imaging is a promising technique, capable of distinguishing between maize kernels of varying hardness and between fungal infected and sound kernels. While there are still limitations with hardware and software, these results provide the platform which would greatly assist with the determination of maize kernel hardness in breeding programmes without having to destroy the kernel. Further, NIR hyperspectral imaging could serve as an objective, rapid tool for identification of fungal infected kernels.
Description
Thesis (Msc Food Sc (Food Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009.
Keywords
Near infrared imaging, Hyperspectral image analysis, Dissertations -- Food science, Theses -- Food science