Rapid, non-destructive determination of ginseng seed moisture content by near infrared spectroscopy technology

Ginseng seed moisture content (SMC) determination and monitoring are of great importance during seed storage and in trading. The traditional oven-drying method for SMC measurement is accurate but takes both time and labour. The objective of this study was to develop a rapid and non-destructive method for ginseng SMC determination using near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. Eighteen freshly harvested seed lots stored for different periods (days) were used for NIR model development and 12 commercial seed lots were used for validation of the model. The model developed in the present work had an R-2 of 0.9913, residual prediction deviation (RPD) of 11.3 and low root mean square errors assessed by cross-validation (RMSECV; 0.387%). For commercial seed lot measurement, the predicted values of SMC were nearly the same as measured ones, with the relative differences less than 2.96%. In conclusion, NIR spectroscopy suitable for rapid and nondestructive determination of ginseng SMC.