Visible wave spectrometric features of scots pine seeds: the basis for designing a rapid analyzer

Abstract

The study is intended for engineers and small-scale forestry farmers because it offers a simple solution for forest seeds quality improvement by selection before sowing (especially aerial sowing). For coniferous trees seeds VIS spectroscopy is a very important tool that determines the energy of radiation, indicating viability and origin. However, despite many suggestions of potential for practical use, there are no specific recommendations given. Visible diffuse reflectance spectra of single seeds were scanned with spectrometer USB 4000 (Ocean Optics Inc., USA) from 450 to 1000 nm at 1 nm intervals. It is found that in the range from 660 to 715 nm the spectral allocate of seed coat color classes has three non-intersecting characteristic groups differing in the magnitude of the diffuse reflection and forming a possible grading zone. The results of this study are limited to this specific sample and cannot be interpreted for seeds of all coniferous species. There is a need for design of a device for rapid analysis of seeds by spectrometric parameters, which will have a practical application and which will allow a comprehensive sequential studies following the “spectrogram - germination - growth in the nursery-growth in the field” path.