14 Application of NIR in Agriculture
339
forages can be determined by NIRS with relevant precision. The cost of this NIR
determination is about one-tenth of the cost of determination by classical methods,
and it is obtained in less time, which is more compatible with farm management
requirements. Table 14.2 presents the performance for grass forages only [10, 17].
Today, with the evolution of technology, forage analysis can be performed at the
farm with handheld NIR instruments and applied directly on wet samples. Several
private companies have dedicated instruments for testing of forages and silages at
farm (e.g. AURORA = http://www.grainit.it/en/portfolio-items/aurora-nir-analisidei-foraggi-in-stalla/) and some offer a full service to the farmer (e.g. NIR4FARM =
https://www.abvista.com/Products/GB/NIR-4-Farm.aspx). Another new perspective
is the use of NIR hyperspectral imaging to detect and discriminate grassland species
in forage [3].
14.3.2 Determination of Key Parameters and Detection
of Contaminants/Impurities in Feed
Today, for compound feed specialists, NIR spectroscopy is considered an essential analytical tool that can contribute greatly to quality and safety control and
enhancement of their products. The technology has been implemented with success
at different stages of feed production chains. This provides not only gains in speed
of analysis but also larger analytical throughputs. For instance, NIR spectroscopy
is used to characterise raw materials entering the factory and allows the production
process to be optimised to assess the nutritive features of the different processed feeds.
Networks of tens (even hundreds in some cases) of spectrometers are implemented
in major feed companies that daily and routinely perform numerous determinations
to assess the quality of feed ingredients, feed additives and compound feeds. Several
reviews have addressed the application of NIR to feed analysis [18, 19].
Different parameters can be adequately predicted by NIR [20, 21]. Table 14.3
presents the performance of the equation used in the REQUASUD network to assess
the quality of feed (2018 status). Only the parameters for which a RPD sec higher than
2 are presented, i.e. moisture, nitrogen, fat, cellulose, ash and starch [10].
In the feed area, NIR technology can be also relevant to detect contamination by
plant, animal, mineral, chemical contaminants or any undesirable substances [22].
It has to be admitted that the use of NIR for detecting contaminants and undesirable
substances in feed products is not widely practised. However, several studies have
demonstrated the unique advantages of using this fingerprinting technique in the
continuing effort to give stakeholders the means to check the safety of the feed chains
[23]. Examples include the potential of NIR (NIR microscope and NIR hyperspectral
imaging devices) for detection of animal protein in feed ingredients and compound
feeds [24–26], detection of plant contaminants [21, 27], the detection of chemical
contaminants such as melamine [28, 21], paper and plastic residues coming from
packaging, assessment of the origin of feed ingredients [28–30] and the presence of
339
forages can be determined by NIRS with relevant precision. The cost of this NIR
determination is about one-tenth of the cost of determination by classical methods,
and it is obtained in less time, which is more compatible with farm management
requirements. Table 14.2 presents the performance for grass forages only [10, 17].
Today, with the evolution of technology, forage analysis can be performed at the
farm with handheld NIR instruments and applied directly on wet samples. Several
private companies have dedicated instruments for testing of forages and silages at
farm (e.g. AURORA = http://www.grainit.it/en/portfolio-items/aurora-nir-analisidei-foraggi-in-stalla/) and some offer a full service to the farmer (e.g. NIR4FARM =
https://www.abvista.com/Products/GB/NIR-4-Farm.aspx). Another new perspective
is the use of NIR hyperspectral imaging to detect and discriminate grassland species
in forage [3].
14.3.2 Determination of Key Parameters and Detection
of Contaminants/Impurities in Feed
Today, for compound feed specialists, NIR spectroscopy is considered an essential analytical tool that can contribute greatly to quality and safety control and
enhancement of their products. The technology has been implemented with success
at different stages of feed production chains. This provides not only gains in speed
of analysis but also larger analytical throughputs. For instance, NIR spectroscopy
is used to characterise raw materials entering the factory and allows the production
process to be optimised to assess the nutritive features of the different processed feeds.
Networks of tens (even hundreds in some cases) of spectrometers are implemented
in major feed companies that daily and routinely perform numerous determinations
to assess the quality of feed ingredients, feed additives and compound feeds. Several
reviews have addressed the application of NIR to feed analysis [18, 19].
Different parameters can be adequately predicted by NIR [20, 21]. Table 14.3
presents the performance of the equation used in the REQUASUD network to assess
the quality of feed (2018 status). Only the parameters for which a RPD sec higher than
2 are presented, i.e. moisture, nitrogen, fat, cellulose, ash and starch [10].
In the feed area, NIR technology can be also relevant to detect contamination by
plant, animal, mineral, chemical contaminants or any undesirable substances [22].
It has to be admitted that the use of NIR for detecting contaminants and undesirable
substances in feed products is not widely practised. However, several studies have
demonstrated the unique advantages of using this fingerprinting technique in the
continuing effort to give stakeholders the means to check the safety of the feed chains
[23]. Examples include the potential of NIR (NIR microscope and NIR hyperspectral
imaging devices) for detection of animal protein in feed ingredients and compound
feeds [24–26], detection of plant contaminants [21, 27], the detection of chemical
contaminants such as melamine [28, 21], paper and plastic residues coming from
packaging, assessment of the origin of feed ingredients [28–30] and the presence of