Quality analysis of cotton seeds (Gossypium ssp.) with X-rays and DT-NMR

• Grant number: 25/08082-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2025
• End date: August 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Crop Science
• Principal Investigator: Tiago Bueno de Moraes
• Grantee: Yasmin Beckers
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In the agricultural sector, several chemical and/or physical analyses are used to assess seed quality. However, many of these processes are laborious, require specialized analysts, use chemical solvents or involve expensive and complex methods. Thus, the search for simpler and more innovative alternatives can bring significant productivity gains to the sector. Recently, low-field nuclear magnetic resonance and X-ray imaging equipment have been advancing rapidly in terms of resolution and cost reduction, which opens up new opportunities for the development of more accessible, easy-to-apply methods that do not require the use of chemical solvents. This project aims to create a new methodology to assess the physiological quality of cotton seeds, investigating the presence of mechanical damage and moisture-related damage through spectral and image analyses on benchtop Magnetic Resonance and X-ray equipment. The results obtained will be compared to traditional methods of seed quality assessment. (AU)