Infratec™ has ready-to-use analytics packages from a broad range of sample types, including wheat, corn, and other cereals, oilseeds, beans, and pulses. The calibrations are built on reliable analysis of even the most unusual samples anywhere in the world. Speaking with our in-house specialist, Tomas Nilsson, he explains the importance of covering both natural variations, and regional and seasonal characteristics of the samples.
“First of all, it is important to differentiate between the sizes of different crops. The analytics packages for the Infratec cover a large portfolio of samples and there is a natural difference between analyzing barley grains that require a pathlength of 18 mm. and rapeseeds that need 6-7 mm,” he explains and continues: “There is also the natural homogeneity in the crops to consider. Wheat is very homogeneous by nature, barley less and field beans are for example very inhomogeneous both in size and color. This stresses the need for a large data sample pool.”
Changing performance across regions and harvests.
The Infratec calibrations are built on a rich pool of data in which analytics packages convert the spectrum measured by the instrumentation into a usable value for the operator. The data is sourced from both laboratory reference, chemical analysis, and near infrared (NIR) measurements made with Infratec. The most well-established analytics packages are based on as many as 50.000 samples, representing over 35 years of seasonal variation.
“The extensive pool of samples is important for multiple reasons,” Tomas says and elaborates: “Corn is a good example, demonstrating the natural variation in characteristics and the importance of covering a variety of regions and sample types in the data pool.” He says: “For corn, the moisture level varies from region to region. In Northern Europe, the crop contains much more moisture than in South Africa for example.”
Seasonal variations and the impact of climate change is another factor that makes it important to continue to update the data pool. Tomas explains: “We can see the impact of climate changes when looking at data covering the past 35 years,” and continues: “Rapeseed oil is a great example of a crop that has changed over time. Previously, the oil content was typically below 50 percent, but now the oil levels can reach 55 percent. And also, in barley, the industry has seen a trend towards lower protein levels - a shift in quality that might be connected to a change in climate.”
With this in mind, the need for collecting data is more important than ever. “We are working very closely with the industry and constantly extending the pool of data to support our customers and be at the forefront of trends and needs in the grain industry. Our big sample pool is what makes our calibrations reliable no matter the external factors. This is what makes the Infratec unique compared with other analytics solutions for the industry,” Tomas concludes.
The Infratec is constantly updated to support new sample types. Learn more about the sample types and the analytics packages for the Infratec grain analyzer.
