Prediction of Soluble Solid and Firmness in Apple by Visible/Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

가시광선/근적외선 분광분석법을 이용한 사과의 당도 및 경도 측정

The objectives of this study were to examine the ability to predict soluble solid and firmness in intact apples based on the visible/near-infrared spectroscopic technique. Two cultivars of apples, Delicious and Gala, were handled, tested and analyzed separately. Reflectance spectra, Magness-Tayor (MT) firmness, and soluble solids in apples were measured sequentially. Maximum and minimum diameters, height, and weight of apples were recorded before the MT firmness tests. A spectrophotometer was used to collect reflectance spectra of intact apples over a wavelength range of 400 to 2, 498 nm. The W firmness tests were conducted using a standard 11.1mm (7/16 in.) MT probe mounted in an Instron universal testing machine. A digital refractormeter was used to measure soluble solid contents in the apples. Apple samples were divided into a calibration set and a prediction set. The calibration set was used during model development, and the prediction set was used to predict soluble solids and firmness from unknown spectra. The method of partial least square (PLS) analysis was used. An unique set of PLS loading vectors (factors) was developed for soluble solid content and firmness. The PLS model showed good correlations between predicted and measured soluble solids of intact apples in 860～1078 nm of the wavelengths. However, the PLS analysis was not good enough to predict the apple firmness.