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A system for high resolution, spectral and spatial characterization. R. E. DEMPSTER (1), D. D. Day
(2), C. M. Martin (1), and J. L. Steele (1). (1) US Grain Marketing and Production Research Center,
Manhattan, KS; (2) Kansas State University, Dept. of Electral and Computer Engineering, Manhattan, KS.
New techniques, which characterize grain attributes, have been a
priority of the cereal grain industry since the establishment of grain inspection procedures. This article
describes the development of a system to measure the spectral and spatial characteristics at high resolution
using reflective and transmissive properties of single grain kernels. The original device consisted of a
photomultiplier tube, a tunable filter and diffused illumination source. Having demonstrated the benefits of
the original device and the advent of integrating cameras, the photomultiplier tube was replaced with an
integrating system that uses a 768 x 576 element CCD sensor. Optics was modified to provide high
resolution (0.0115 mm/pixel for wheat) in the final instrument. The application of the system for
non-destructive quality assessment was tested on kernels of corn and wheat. Purple plumule was compared to
blue eye mold, which currently requires physical removal of the pericarp for subjective evaluation, and a
characteristic peak at 670 nm in the germ was found in purple plumule and not in blue eye mold. Using
transmissive light source, vitreous kernels and partial vitreous kernels can be identified by the absence of
radiated energy in the 500 nm to 700 nm region of the electromagnetic spectrum. This instrument has
potential to provide characteristic spectra for a variety of agriculture products in addition to grain.
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