Description
The use of near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) as an analytical technique has evolved greatly since it was first demonstrated to be a viable method of obtaining molecular compositional information from the “scanning” of a sample. Potential applications of the technology envisioned by early pioneers in the field have been realized or exceeded time after time, and it has now become a very broadly applied means of instrumental analysis. It is worth recalling the historical progression of the technology and the fact that the earliest applications were developed to meet the challenges of agricultural product analysis. In particular, forage analysis is one of the areas where the advantages and possibilities made development of systems dedicated to overcoming the challenges well worth the effort, and helped usher in innovations that could be more widely used in other areas. Various attributes of the technology combine or individually lend themselves to development of systems that can be routinely used for rapid multiconsitiuent analysis, with either limited or no sample preparation. When developed to their ultimate potential, such systems can be utilized with littleto-no understanding of the underlying principles. In many cases a user can simply “scan” a sample using the NIRS “black box” and obtain results on a computer screen or in a printout in less time than it would take to write them down in a notebook. However, an understanding of how NIRS works, and the inherent theoretical capabilities and limitations of what it can do, will give the user a deeper appreciation for the technology and a basis for ensuring that it is operating properly and being optimally utilized.
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
History and Theory of Near-Infrared Spectroscopic Analysis (NIRS)
The use of near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) as an analytical technique has evolved greatly since it was first demonstrated to be a viable method of obtaining molecular compositional information from the “scanning” of a sample. Potential applications of the technology envisioned by early pioneers in the field have been realized or exceeded time after time, and it has now become a very broadly applied means of instrumental analysis. It is worth recalling the historical progression of the technology and the fact that the earliest applications were developed to meet the challenges of agricultural product analysis. In particular, forage analysis is one of the areas where the advantages and possibilities made development of systems dedicated to overcoming the challenges well worth the effort, and helped usher in innovations that could be more widely used in other areas. Various attributes of the technology combine or individually lend themselves to development of systems that can be routinely used for rapid multiconsitiuent analysis, with either limited or no sample preparation. When developed to their ultimate potential, such systems can be utilized with littleto-no understanding of the underlying principles. In many cases a user can simply “scan” a sample using the NIRS “black box” and obtain results on a computer screen or in a printout in less time than it would take to write them down in a notebook. However, an understanding of how NIRS works, and the inherent theoretical capabilities and limitations of what it can do, will give the user a deeper appreciation for the technology and a basis for ensuring that it is operating properly and being optimally utilized.
