Measuring grain protein concentration with in-line near infrared reflectance spectroscopy

The advent of near infrared (NIR) on-combine sensors gives growers the opportunity to measure the grain protein concentration of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) during harvest. A study consisting of three sequential experiments (laboratory bench, combine test stand, and field) was conducted to evaluate the performance of an in-line, NIR reflectance spectrometer, referred to as the ProSpectra Grain Analyzer, possessing a factory calibration model. In the laboratory bench experiment, the instrument was mounted to a circulating impeller apparatus designed to simulate a moving stream of grain. The ProSpectra performed well on a validation set of 231 grain samples of soft white winter wheat and explained a high level of protein variability (R² = 0.91, SEP = 3.1 g kg^-1) with a slope near unity. In the second experiment, the sensor was installed on a combine test stand constructed from the cross and exit augers, and clean grain elevator of a combine, to create the grain flow conditions found on a combine. Predicted protein was highly correlated (R ² = 0.93, SEP = 4.5 g kg^-1) with reference protein of nine large (14-kg^-1) wheat samples. During the third experiment, the instrument was placed on the exit auger of a Case IH 1470 combine for the harvest of a 17-ha winter wheat field. Prospectra protein predictions correlated well with reference protein measurements (R² = 0.94, SEP = 3.1 g kg^-1). This study demonstrated the feasibility of using in-line NIR reflectance spectroscopy to rapidly (0.5 Hz measurement rate) and accurately (SEP < 5.0 g kg^-1) measure wheat protein in a moving grain stream.