Abstract
This study was conducted to analyze chemical components in flue-cured tobacco using near infrared spectroscopy(NIRS). Samples were collected in '96 and '97 crop year and were scanned in the wavelengths of 400 ～ 2500 nm by near infrared analyzer(NIRSystem Co., Model 6500). Calibration equations were developed and then analyzed flue-cured samples by NIRS. The standard error of calibration(SEC) and performance (SEP) of '96 crop year samples between NIRS and standard laboratory analysis(SLA) were 0.18% and 0.24% for nicotine, 1.60% and 1.77% for total sugar, 0.13% and 0.15% for total nitrogen, 0.58% and 0.68% for crude ash, 0.23% and 0.28% for ether extracts, and 0.09% and 0.08% for chlorine, respectively. The coefficient of determination($R^2$) of calibration and prediction samples between NIRS and SLA of '96 crop year samples was 0.94～0.99 and 0.83～0.97 depending on chemical components, respectively. The SEC and SEP of '97 crop year samples were similar to those of '96 crop year samples. The SEP of '97 crop year samples which were analyzed using '96 calibration equation was 0.32 % for nicotine, 2.72% for total sugar, 0.14 % for total nitrogen, 1.00 % for crude ash, 0.48 for ether extracts and 0.17% for chlorine, respectively. The prediction result was more accurate when calibration and prediction samples were produced in the same crop year than those of the different crop year. The SEP of '96 and '97 crop year samples using calibration equation which was developed '96 plus '97 crop year samples was similar to that of '96 crop year samples using 96 calibration equation and that of '97 crop year samples using '97 calibration equation, respectively. The SEP of '97 crop year samples using calibration equation which was developed '96 plus '97 crop year samples was lower than that of '97 crop year samples analyzed by '96 calibration equation. To improve the analytical inaccuracy caused by the difference of crop year between calibration and prediction samples, we need to include the prediction sample spectra which are different from calibration sample spectra in recalibration sample spectra, and then develop recalibration equation. Although the analytical result using NIR is not as good as SLA, the chemical component analysis using NIR can apply to tobacco leaves, leaf process or tobacco manufacturing process which demand the rapid analytical result.