Publication Date
1989
Description
Agriculture produces the food and fiber needed for human existence. In the past 100 years, it becames apparent that nutrient content and quantity measurements of feed were necessary in livestock feeding programs. During this 100 year period, scientists developed and refined laboratory reference methods for the industry. However, nutritional evaluation of these products was and still is expensive and time consuming. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) analysis offered the promise of rapid low cost analysis of nutrient composition. This analytical method has the potential to overcome the analytical problems facing world agriculture. First reports of NIRS in the literature occured as early as 1939 (Gordy and Martin, 1939). Further work by Karl Norris and co-workers led to protein and moisture analysis of gain. In 1976, Norris and co-workers added a new dimension to NIRS analysis of forage (Norris et al., 1976). This work demonstrated that NIRS can predict sheep digestibility and intake. In 1977 additional evidence was presented that NIRS could provide rapid and accurate analysis of forage (Shenk et al., 1977). In 1978 they developed a portable instrument for use in a mobile van. A second outgrowth of Shenk and coworkers' efforts was the USDA NIRS Forage Network. This network of seven laboratories presented a summary of their research findings in USDA Agriculture Handbook 643, (Marten et al .. 1985). Commercial companies began to market NIRS instrumentation and software for forage and feed analysis in 1983. This paper provides information on some of the current research effort of the forage network. The areas presented are instrument standardization, global calibrations, monitoring analysis results and system management.
Citation
Shenk, J S., "Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy as an Analytical Tool for World Agriculture" (2025). IGC Proceedings (1989-2023). 64.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1989/session7/64
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy as an Analytical Tool for World Agriculture
Agriculture produces the food and fiber needed for human existence. In the past 100 years, it becames apparent that nutrient content and quantity measurements of feed were necessary in livestock feeding programs. During this 100 year period, scientists developed and refined laboratory reference methods for the industry. However, nutritional evaluation of these products was and still is expensive and time consuming. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) analysis offered the promise of rapid low cost analysis of nutrient composition. This analytical method has the potential to overcome the analytical problems facing world agriculture. First reports of NIRS in the literature occured as early as 1939 (Gordy and Martin, 1939). Further work by Karl Norris and co-workers led to protein and moisture analysis of gain. In 1976, Norris and co-workers added a new dimension to NIRS analysis of forage (Norris et al., 1976). This work demonstrated that NIRS can predict sheep digestibility and intake. In 1977 additional evidence was presented that NIRS could provide rapid and accurate analysis of forage (Shenk et al., 1977). In 1978 they developed a portable instrument for use in a mobile van. A second outgrowth of Shenk and coworkers' efforts was the USDA NIRS Forage Network. This network of seven laboratories presented a summary of their research findings in USDA Agriculture Handbook 643, (Marten et al .. 1985). Commercial companies began to market NIRS instrumentation and software for forage and feed analysis in 1983. This paper provides information on some of the current research effort of the forage network. The areas presented are instrument standardization, global calibrations, monitoring analysis results and system management.
