Non-contact assessment of the nutritional value of feed with optical technologies

The nutritional value of feed is assessed with optical instruments using infrared incandescent or halogen lamps as a source of excitation of the spectral signal of the feed. However, no use is still made of energy-efficient diode optics of the visible radiation range. The authors conducted research to identify the possibility of developing a portable feed value analyzer using a spectral analyzer based on diode optoelectronics. First, the Micran-3 infrared microscope was used to study the microstructure of concentrated feed components; then, measurement ranges were selected. The authors studied characteristic ranges of photoluminescence of corn grain, sunflower meal, grain stillage, and rapeseed meal. Excitation (absorption) spectra were measured at synchronous scanning by the SM 2203 spectrofluorimeter monochromators to analyze luminescence spectra of corn silage and concentrated mixed fodder. As a result, integral parameters of spectra were calculated: integral absorption capacity and the photoluminescence flux index. It has been established that the intensity of luminescence spectra of corn silage in the range between 360 and 370 nm and that of concentrated mixed fodder in the range between 420 and 440 nm differ in more than four times. The value of captured photovoltage of corn silage and concentrated mixed fodder differs in six times. The results of optical measurements have proved that the discrepancy of indicators characterizing the nutritional value of feed (dry matter content, total protein content, etc.) has a significant influence on the parameters of optical signals. The authors have proposed the functional design of a portable optical analyzer with diodes, which is capable of estimating the nutritional value of feed by the non-contact method for 12 hours running without additional recharging.

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