Soon-Jung Hong

Nondestructive Evaluation for the Viability of Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) Seeds Using Fourier Transform Near Infrared Spectroscopy

th , 2013; Revised: November 4 th , 2013; Accepted: November 4 th , 2013 Purpose: Conventional methods used to evaluate seeds viability are destructive, time consuming, and require the use of chemicals, which are not feasible to implement to process plant in seed industry. In this study, the effectiveness of Fourier transform near infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy to differentiate between viable and nonviable watermelon seeds was investigated. Methods: FT-NIR reflectance spectra of both viable and non-viable (aging) seeds were collected in the range of 4,000 – 10,000 cm -1 (1,000 – 2,500 nm). To differentiate between viable and non-viable seeds, a multivariate classification model was developed with partial least square discrimination analysis (PLS-DA). Results: The calibration and validation set derived from the PLS-DA model classified viable and non-viable seeds with 100% accuracy. The beta coefficient of PLS-DA, which represented spectral difference between viable and non-viable seeds, showed that change in the chemical component of the seed membrane (such as lipids and proteins) might be res ponsible for the germination ability of the seeds. Conclusions: The results demonstrate the possibility of using FT-NIR spectr oscopy to separate seeds based on viability, which could be used in the development of an online sorting technique.

Research Trends for Performance, Safety, and Comfort Evaluation of Agricultural Tractors: A Review

Department of Biosystems Machinery Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea Machinery Technology Group, Advanced RD Revised: January 28th, 2014; Accepted: January 28th, 2014 Background: Significant technological development and changes happened in the tractor industries. Contrariwise, the test procedures of the major standard development organizations (SDO’s) remained unchanged or with a little modification over the years, demanding new tractor test standards or improvement of existing ones for tractor performance, safety, and comfort. Purpose: This study focuses on reviewing the research trends regarding performance, safety and comfort evaluation of agricultural tractors. Based on this review, few recommendations were proposed to revise or improve the current test standards. Review: Tractor power take-off power test using the DC electric dynamometer reduced human error in the testing process and increased the accuracy of the test results. GPS signals were used to determine acceleration and converted into torque. High capacity double extended octagonal ring dynamometer has been designed to measure drawbar forces. Numerical optimization methodology has been used to design three-point hitch. Numerous technologies, driving strategies, and transmission characteristics are being considered for reducing emissions of gaseous and particulate pollutants. Engine emission control technology standards need to be revised to meet the exhaust regulations for agricultural tractors. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) program has been used to design Roll-Over Protective Structures (ROPS). Program and methodology has been presented for testing tractor brake systems. Whole-body vibration emission levels have been found to be very dependent upon the nature of field operation performed, and the test track techniques required development/adaptation to improve their suitability during standardized assessment. Emphasizes should be given to improve visibility and thermal environment inside the cab for tractor operator. Tractors need to be evaluated under electromagnetic compatibility test conditions due to large growing of electronic devices. Research trends reviewed in this paper can be considered for possible revision or improvement of tractor performance, safety, and comfort test standards.

Physicochemical Quality Changes in Chinese Cabbage with Storage Period and Temperature: A Review

and Temperature: A Review Joon-Yong Shim, Do-Gyun Kim, Jong-Tae Park, Lalit Mohan Kandpal, Soon-jung Hong, Byoung-Kwan Cho, Wang-Hee Lee* Department of Biosystems Machinery Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 34134, Korea Department of Food Science and Technology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 34134, Korea Rural Human Resource Development Center, Rural Development Administration, Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do, 54874, Korea Received: November 10th, 2016; Revised: November 21st, 2016; Accepted: November 25th, 2016 Background: Recent inquiries into high-quality foods have discussed the importance of the functional aspects of foods, in addition to traditional quality indicators such as color, firmness, weight, trimming loss, respiration rate, texture, and soluble solid content. Recently, functional Chinese cabbage, which makes up a large portion of the vegetables consumed in Korea, has been identified as an anticancer treatment. However, the investigation of practical issues, such as the effects of storage conditions on quality indicators (including functional compounds), is still limited. Purpose: We reviewed various studies on variations in the quality indicators and functional compounds of Chinese cabbage in response to different storage environments, focusing on storage temperature and storage period. In particular, we emphasized the effect of storage temperature and storage period on glucosinolate (GSL) levels, in order to provide guidelines for optimizing storage environments to maximize GSLs. Additionally, we used response surface methodology to propose experimental designs for future studies exploring the optimal storage conditions for enhancing GSL contents. Review: Large variations in quality indicators were observed depending on the cultivar, the type of storage, the storage conditions, and the harvest time. In particular, GSL content varied with storage conditions, indicating that either low temperatures or adequate air composition by controlled atmospheric storage may preserve GSL levels, as well as prolonging shelf life. Even though genetic and biochemical approaches are preferred for developing functional Chinese cabbage, it is important to establish a practical method for preserving quality for marketability; a prospective study into optimal storage conditions for preserving functional compounds (which can be applied in farms), is required. This may be achievable with the comprehensive meta-analysis of currently published data introduced in this review, or by conducting newly designed experiments investigating the relationship between storage conditions and the levels of functional compounds.

Outdoor Applications of Hyperspectral Imaging Technology for Monitoring Agricultural Crops: A Review

Department of Biosystems Machinery Engineering, College of Agricultural and Life Science, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Korea National Academy of Agricultural Science, Rural Development Administration, 310 Nongsaengmyeong-ro, Wansan-gu, Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do 54875, Korea Environmental Microbiology and Food Safety Laboratory, BARC-East, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, 10300 Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA Rural Human Resource Development Center, 420 Nongsaengmyeong-ro, Wansan-gu, Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do 54874, Korea Received: August 9th, 2016; Revised: October 28th, 2016; Accepted: November 10th, 2016 Background: Although hyperspectral imaging was originally introduced for military, remote sensing, and astrophysics applications, the use of analytical hyperspectral imaging techniques has been expanded to include monitoring of agricultural crops and commodities due to the broad range and highly specific and sensitive spectral information that can be acquired. Combining hyperspectral imaging with remote sensing expands the range of targets that can be analyzed. Results: Hyperspectral imaging technology can rapidly provide data suitable for monitoring a wide range of plant conditions such as plant stress, nitrogen status, infections, maturity index, and weed discrimination very rapidly, and its use in remote sensing allows for fast spatial coverage. Conclusions: This paper reviews current research on and potential applications of hyperspectral imaging and remote sensing for outdoor field monitoring of agricultural crops. The instrumentation and the fundamental concepts and approaches of hyperspectral imaging and remote sensing for agriculture are presented, along with more recent developments in agricultural monitoring applications. Also discussed are the challenges and limitations of outdoor applications of hyperspectral imaging technology such as illumination conditions and variations due to leaf and plant orientation.

Spatial, Vertical, and Temporal Variability of Ambient Environments in Strawberry and Tomato Greenhouses in Winter

Strawberry and Tomato Greenhouses in Winter Myong-Jin Ryu, Dong-Ki Ryu, Sun-Ok Chung*, Yun-Kun Hur, Seung-Oh Hur, Soon-Jung Hong, Je-Hoon Sung, Hak-Hun Kim Department of Biosystems Machinery Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea Rural Development Administration, Gyeonggi-do, Korea Chungnam Agriculture Research & Extension Services, Chungcheongnam-do, Korea Received: November 18th, 2013; Revised: February 8th, 2014; Accepted: February 19th, 2014 Purpose: In protected crop production facilities such as greenhouse and plant factory, farmers should be present and/or visit frequently to the production site for maintaining optimum environmental conditions and better production, which is time and labor consuming. Monitoring of environmental condition is highly important for optimum control of the conditions, and the condition is not uniform within the facility. Objectives of the paper were to investigate spatial and vertical variability in ambient environmental variables and to provide useful information for sensing and control of the environments. Methods: Experiments were conducted in a strawberry-growing greenhouse (greenhouse 1) and a cherry tomato-growing greenhouse (greenhouse 2). Selected ambient environmental variables for experiment in greenhouse 1 were air temperature and humidity, and in greenhouse 2, they were air temperature, humidity, PPFD (Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density), and CO2 concentration. Results: Considerable spatial, vertical, and temporal variability of the ambient environments were observed. In greenhouse 1, overall temperature increased from 12:00 to 14:00 and increased after that, while RH increased continuously during the experiments. Differences between the maximum and minimum temperature and RH values were greater when one of the side windows were open than those when both of the windows were closed. The location and height of the maximum and minimum measurements were also different. In greenhouse 2, differences between the maximum and minimum air temperatures at noon and sunset were greater when both windows were open. The maximum PPFD were observed at a 3-m height, close to the lighting source, and CO2 concentration in the crop growing regions. Conclusions: In this study, spatial, vertical, and temporal variability of ambient crop growing conditions in greenhouses was evaluated. And also the variability was affected by operation conditions such as window opening and heating. Results of the study would provide information for optimum monitoring and control of ambient greenhouse environments.

Sensing Technologies for Grain Crop Yield Monitoring Systems: A Review

Purpose: Yield monitoring systems are an essential component of precision agriculture. They indicate the spatial variability of crop yield in fields, and have become an important factor in modern harvesters. The objective of this paper was to review research trends related to yield monitoring sensors for grain crops. Methods: The literature was reviewed for research on the major sensing components of grain yield monitoring systems. These major components included grain flow sensors, moisture content sensors, and cutting width sensors. Sensors were classified by sensing principle and type, and their performance was also reviewed. Results: The main targeted harvesting grain crops were rice, wheat, corn, barley, and grain sorghum. Grain flow sensors were classified into mass flow and volume flow methods. Mass flow sensors were mounted primarily at the clean grain elevator head or under the grain tank, and volume flow sensors were mounted at the head or in the middle of the elevator. Mass flow methods used weighing, force impact, and radiometric approaches, some of which resulted in measurement error levels lower than 5% (R 2 = 0.99). Volume flow methods included paddle wheel type and optical type, and in the best cases produced error levels lower than 3%. Grain moisture content sensing was in many cases achieved using capacitive modules. In some cases, errors were lower than 1%. Cutting width was measured by ultrasonic distance sensors mounted at both sides of the header dividers, and the errors were in some cases lower than 5%. Conclusions: The design and fabrication of an integrated yield monitoring system for a target crop would be affected by the selection of a sensing approach, as well as the layout and mounting of the sensors. For accurate estimation of yield, signal processing and correction measures should be also implemented.

Drying Characteristics of Agricultural Products under Different Drying Methods: A Review

Department of Biosystems Machinery Engineering, Chungnam National University, 220 Gung-Dong, Yuseong-Gu, Daejeon, 34143, Korea Smart Farming Education Team, Rural Human Source Development Center, 420 Nongsaengmyeong-ro, Wansan-Gu, Jeonju, 54874, Korea Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA Received: November 13rd, 2016; Revised: November 24th, 2016; Accepted: November 25th, 2016 Purpose: Drying is one of the most widely used methods for preserving agricultural products or food. The main purpose of drying agricultural products is to reduce their water content for minimizing microbial spoilage and deterioration reaction during storage. Methods: Although numerous drying methods are successfully applied to dehydrate various agricultural products with little drying time, the final quality of dried samples in terms of appearance and shape cannot be guaranteed. Therefore, based on published literature, this review was conducted to study the drying characteristics of various agricultural products when different drying methods were applied. Results: An increase in the drying power of sources-for example, increase in hot air temperature or velocity, infrared or microwave power-and the combination of drying power levels can reduce the drying time of various agricultural products. In addition, energy efficiency in drying significantly relies on the compositions of the dried samples and drying conditions. Conclusions: The drying power source is the key factor to control entire drying process of different samples and final product quality. In addition, an appropriate drying method should be selected depending on the compositions of the agricultural products.

Development of Nondestructive Sorting Method for Brown Bloody Eggs Using VIS/NIR Spectroscopy

The aim of this study was the non-destructive evaluation of bloody eggs using VIS/NIR spectroscopy. The bloody egg samples used to develop the sorting mode were produced by injecting chicken blood into the edges of egg yolks. Blood amounts of 0.1, 0.7, 0.04, and 0.01 mL were used for the bloody egg samples. The wavelength range for the VIS/NIR spectroscopy was 471 to 1154 nm, and the spectral resolution was 1.5nm. For the measurement system, the position of the light source was set to , and the distance between the light source and samples was set to 100 mm. The minimum exposure time of the light source was set to 30 ms to ensure the fast sorting of bloody eggs and prevent heating damage of the egg samples. Partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was used for the spectral data obtained from VIS/NIR spectroscopy. The classification accuracies of the sorting models developed with blood samples of 0.1, 0.07, 0.04, and 0.01 mL were 97.9%, 98.9%, 94.8%, and 86.45%, respectively. In this study, a novel nondestructive sorting technique was developed to detect bloody brown eggs using spectral data obtained from VIS/NIR spectroscopy.