Project Number: 5430-44000-015-23
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Sep 20, 2008
End Date: Sep 30, 2009

Objective:
The objectives of this proposal are: 1. Augment the GIPSA database for corn and soybeans for the officially approved NIRT analyzer (Infratec). 2. Provide ARS and GIPSA with data on other technologies and quality factors of potential value to the Official system. 3. Assist GIPSA and ARS in the development and application of new NIRS calibration methods. 4. Supply 25-30 high moisture corn samples for use in developing and validating moisture calibrations. 5. Supply single seed corn and soybean samples drawn from well characterized bulks samples, for use by ARS in calibrating technologies for single seed NIRS analysis.

Approach:
Provide to GIPSA and ARS the Iowa State Infratec corn and soybean proximate analysis databases current through the 2007 crop by September 30, 2008. ISU will collect data for 2008 crop year samples and provide to GIPSA. GIPSA will have unrestricted use of the Iowa State database. Provide 25-30 samples of high moisture corn (25% and above) to GIPSA at harvest for use in calibration programs. Provide 10-20 seed samples of 50 or more that are well characterized (for the above listed factors) bulk samples per grain. ISU will review with ARS and GIPSA ongoing results relative to calibration for corn and soybean subunit factors (e.g., amino acids, fatty acids) and other factors of potential interest to GIPSA. We will provide to ARS and GIPSA the Iowa State databases for the corn and soybean specialty factors. We will develop potential NIRS calibrations or calibration validations that could be used if these factors become Official criteria or services. We will review the technologies, NIR and other, from the viewpoint of the requirements of the Official Inspection System. ISU will work with ARS and GIPSA to share knowledge and develop calibrations using techniques not used in the Official system: Support Vector Machines, Locally weighted regression, transfer of bulk grain calibrations to single seed spectra.