ASSESSING SEED-COAT COLOR IN A WHEAT BREEDING PROGRAM WITH A NIR VIS INSTRUMENT

Red seed-coat can be distinguished from white seed-coat of unground wh eat (Triticum spp.) by measurement of the first-derivative of the refl ectance spectra at approximately 516 nm. Values around 450 nm distingu ish durum (T. turgidum L. var. durum) from common (T. aestivum) white types. Classification accuracy is sufficient for screening purposes to reduce the number of samples requiring further examination. For breed ing programs currently using combination near-infrared/visible (NIR/VI S) instruments, the additional time and costs to process the seed-coat information are minimal.