Acta Scientiarum: Agronomy (Jun 2022)

Seed quality of Brachiaria brizantha by X-ray image analysis using a Bayesian approach

  • Alessandra Querino da Silva,
  • Luciano Antonio de Oliveira,
  • Carlos Pereira da Silva,
  • Cristian Tiago Erazo Mendes,
  • Ana Maria Oliveira Ferreira,
  • Thelma Sáfadi,
  • Maria Laene Moreira de Carvalho

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4025/actasciagron.v44i1.55960
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 44, no. 1

Abstract

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Brachiaria brizantha is the most economically important forage grass in Brazil and is propagated through sowing. Producing high-quality seeds has been a constant challenge due to their uneven maturation. The development and application of precise and non-destructive methods for identifying internal damages to seeds, such as the X-ray test, which quickly indicates the quality of the lots, is of fundamental importance for the seed industry. In this work, the quality of Brachiaria brizantha seeds was analyzed based on the morphological characteristics observed in X-ray images that were related to viability using a mixture model under a Bayesian approach, with the following objectives: i) verify the adequacy of the Bayesian modeling used in the data analysis; ii) associate the efficiency of using radiographs as a way to assess the viability of the seeds; and iii) relate the classifications carried out by evaluators with the probability of originating normal or abnormal seedlings. The methodology applied for the analysis proved to be adequate. Further, the Bayesian estimates for parameters related to internal morphology were established with associated levels of uncertainty, which represents an advantage over usual frequentist methods. Based on the model's estimates, seeds evaluated as potentially unviable by three evaluators had practically no probability of germination and did not germinate in the test applied later. Seeds classified as potentially viable had a high probability of developing into normal seedlings, while 73.27% showed this property in the germination test.

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