Applications and Developments on the Use of Vibrational Spectroscopy Imaging for the Analysis, Monitoring and Characterisation of Crops and Plants.

The adaptation and use of advanced technologies is an effective and encouraging way to efficiently and reliably characterise crops and plants. Additionally advances in these technologies will improve the information available for agronomists, breeders and plant physiologists in order to develop best management practices in the process and commercialization of agricultural products and commodities. Methods based on vibrational spectroscopy such as near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy using either single spot or hyperspectral measurements are now more available and ready to use than ever before. The main characteristics of these methodologies (high-throughput, non-destructive) have determined a growth in basic and applied research using NIR spectroscopy in many disciplines related with crop and plant sciences. A wide range of studies have demonstrated the ability of NIR spectroscopy to analyse different parameters in crops. Recently the use of hyperspectral imaging techniques have expanded the range of applications in crop and plant sciences. This article provides an overview of applications and developments of NIR hyperspectral image for the analysis, monitoring and characterisation of crops and plants.