A Study of the Reliability and Accuracy of the Real-Time Detection of Forage Maize Quality Using a Home-Built Near-Infrared Spectrometer

The current study was conducted to explore the real-time detection capability of a home-built grating-type near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy online system to determine forage maize quality. The factor parameters affecting the online NIR spectrum collection were analyzed, and the results indicated that the detection optical path of 12 cm, conveyor speeds of 10 cm s(-1), and number of scans of 32 were the optimal parameters. Choosing the crude protein and moisture of forage maize as quality indicators, the reliability of the home-built NIR online spectrometer was confirmed compared with other general research NIR instruments. In addition, an NIR online multivariate analysis model developed using the partial least squares (PLS) method for the prediction of forage maize quality was established, and the reliability, applicability, and stability of the NIR model were further discussed. The results illustrated that the home-built grating-type NIR online system performed satisfying and comparable accuracy and repeatability of the real-time prediction of forage maize quality.