Objective:
(1) Develop an automated system that can be used in official grain inspection procedures for detection of moldy and damaged wheat kernels, and secondly, establish the feasibility of the use of vibrational spectroscopies (near-IR, mid-IR, Raman) as a screening tool for use by processors in the measurement of deoxynivalenol (DON) concentration. (2) Develop rapid and objective optical methods for prediction of quality indicators in wheat. Two biochemical aspects of wheat flour will be examined: waxiness, as determined by the proportions of amylose and amylopectin, as controlled by granule bound starch synthase (GBSS), and the glutenin and gliadin that collectively define the dough rheological and breadmaking properties of bread wheat. (3) Determine the feasibility of using near-infrared transmittance/reflectance to measure the following quality-related constituents of soybeans: fatty acids (oleic, linolenic, palmitic), saturated fats, phytate, and amino acids (methionine, cysteine).

Approach:
(1) Conduct experiments, design equipment, and formulate methodology that uses visible and near-infrared reflectance to identify mold-contaminated wheat kernels for official inspection and/or high speed commercial sorting. (2) Develop near-infrared- and mid-infrared-based diffuse reflectance procedures that can identify waxy (amylose-to-amylopectin) genetic condition in hexaploid (bread) and tetraploid (durum) wheats. (3) Develop methodology and analysis procedures that will use near-infrared transmittance and/or reflectance of whole intact soybeans and ground soybeans for desirable profiles of fatty acids, amino acids, and phytate.