Cereal Chem 66:432-435   |  VIEW ARTICLE

Changes in Maturing Wheat as Determined by Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy.

Z. Czuchajowska and Y. Pomeranz. Copyright 1989 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

Kernels of nine wheat varieties grown in 1986 in Kansas were harvested at 11 stages of maturity and kernels of seven wheat varieties grown in the state of Washington at nine stages of maturity (7-42 days after flowering). The wheats were freeze-dried, ground, equilibrated to about 12% moisture, and evaluated by near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy throughout the range of 1,100-2,400 nm at 4-nm steps. Peaks in four spectral regions were present in immature wheat and absent in mature wheat, and one peak was found in mature wheat only. The most consistent and conspicuous peak, which decreased gradually during maturation, was at 2,276-2,288 nm; it is probably associated with a nonstarchy polysaccharide.