Rapid and non-destructive seed viability prediction using near-infrared hyperspectral imaging coupled with a deep learning approach

Seeds are the basis of the agricultural food industry, greater insights into seed viability before sowing could improve storage management and field performance. In the present study, we aimed to address this issue by using highly cost-efficient near-infrared hyperspectral imaging (NIR-HSI) and a convolutional neural network (CNN) deep learning approach. An NIR-HSI camera was used because it can recognize both molecular vibration information (i.e. chemical component differences) and its spatial distribution in each seed sample; this camera is much more informative than a regular RGB digital camera. Using this technology, the emphasis of this study was firstly to provide a methodology for enhancing the interpretability of viable and non-viable seeds via principal component analysis (PCA) and support vector machine (SVM) viability classification analysis of NIR-HSI data. A CNN was then constructed to“cognize” the differences in viable and non-inviable seeds and classify them automatically. Experimental results indicate that the methodology produces a ~90% classification accuracy for both a five-fold cross-validation set and a test set of naturally aged Japanese mustard spinach seeds. Therefore, this study provides a new strategy for effective and practical seed viability prediction.