USE OF NEAR-INFRARED REFLECTANCE SPECTROSCOPY TO SCREEN ETHIOPIAN MUSTARD FOR SEED WEIGHT

Near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) provides a method for th e simultaneous measurement of multiple quality traits in oilseed Brass ica species, such as oil, protein, glucosinolate, and chlorophyll cont ent. The incorporation of new traits into NIRS analysis should increas e the information obtained from analyzed samples with little additiona l effort. The objective of this study was to determine the potential u se of NIRS to screen intact-seed samples of Ethiopian mustard (Brassic a carinata Braun) for 1000-seed weight. A calibration equation for thi s trait developed in 1992 using modified partial squares (MPLS) regres sion was successively expanded with new samples from the 1993 and 1994 crops. The 3-yr calibration showed an r(2) of 0.86 in external valida tion, indicating the reliability of NIRS for screening Ethiopian musta rd samples for seed weight. This method could be particularly useful i n large breeding programs, as it is less time consuming and more cost effective than conventional methods.