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Title: HIGH-SPEED BICHROMATIC SORTING OF FUSARIUM-DAMAGED WHEAT KERNELS

Author
item Delwiche, Stephen - Steve
item Pearson, Thomas
item Brabec, Daniel - Dan

Submitted to: AACC Pacific Rim Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/11/2005
Publication Date: 9/11/2005
Citation: Delwiche, S.R., Pearson, T.C., Brabec, D.L. 2005. High-speed bichromatic sorting of fusarium-damaged wheat kernels. AACC Pacific Rim Conference Abstracts. Available: http://www.aaccnet.org/meetings/2005/abstracts/o-64.htm.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a fungal disease that affects cereal grains such as wheat, barley, corn, oats, and rye. FHB is becoming increasingly more prevalent throughout the northern hemisphere, while, at the same time, countries are becoming more restrictive on the allowance of FHB-contaminated grain in food and feed. Previous work at our laboratory demonstrated the effectiveness of classification of normal vs. Fusarium-damaged, two-wavelength discriminant analysis models. Wavelengths were preferably in the near-IR region (1030 to 1670 nm), though successful models were also developed using visible region wavelengths (410 to 870 nm) or a wavelength from each region. Unknown until the present study was the effectiveness of such classification models when applied under real-time, high-speed sorting conditions. Therefore, a study was undertaken with more than 40 samples of soft red winter and soft white wheat, each approximately 5 kg, obtained from commercial mills in the eastern United States, predominantly from the 2003 harvest. The sorter, which used detectors and interference filters, one in the visible region (675 nm) and the other in the near-infrared region (1480 nm), consisted of a series of parallel inclined channels. Detector wavelengths and threshold signals were chosen to heighten the separation of normal and Fusarium-contaminated kernels. Results indicate that DON concentration was reduced by approximately one half on average, with further reduction arising from the resorting of accepted material. This work and new (spring 2005) high-speed sorting research will be presented and discussed in light of methods that can be used to further improve sorting efficiency.