Estimation of seed weight, oil content and fatty acid composition in intact single seeds of rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) by near-infrared reflectancespectroscopy

The potential of near-infrared re reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) for the s imultaneous analysis of seed weight, total oil content and its fatty acid c omposition in intact single seeds of rapeseed was studied. A calibration se t of 530 single seeds was analysed by both NIRS and gas-liquid chromatograp hy (GLC) and calibration equations for the major fatty acids were developed . External validation with a set of 75 seeds demonstrated a close relations hip between NIPS and GLC data for oleic (r = 0.92) and erucic acid (r = 0.9 4), but not for linoleic (r = 0.75) and linolenic acid (r = 0.73). Calibrat ion equations for seed weight and oil content were developed from a calibra tion set of 125 seeds. A gravimetric determination was used as reference me thod for oil content. External validation revealed a coefficient of correla tion between NIRS and reference methods of 0.92 for both traits. The perfor mance of the calibration equations for oleic and erucic acid was further st udied by analysing two segregating Fz seed populations not represented in t he calibration set. The results demonstrated that a reliable selection for both fatty acids in segregating populations can be made by using NIRS. We c oncluded that a reliable estimation of seed weight, oil content, oleic acid and erucic acid content in intact, single seeds of rapeseed is possible by using NIRS technique.