Evaluation of a low-cost multispectral imaging system for rapid estimation of chemical composition in tropical grasses

Autores/as

  • Julián Arroyave-Jaramillo Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán
  • Daniel M. Pineda-Tobón Universidad Nacional de Colombia
  • Luis A. Giraldo-Valderrama Universidad Nacional de Colombia
  • Juan C. Pérez-Naranjo Universidad Nacional de Colombia
  • Luis A. Chel-Guerrero Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán
  • David Betancur-Ancona Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán

Palabras clave:

Multispectral spectroscopy, chemical compounds, livestock forage, Urochloa, Megathyrsus

Resumen

The evaluation of tropical forage nutritional quality using conventional analytical methods is costly and time-consuming, limiting its application in livestock systems. The objective of this work was to develop and validate a low-cost multispectral image spectroscopy system (AFT camera), to estimate the chemical composition of tropical grasses. A total of 332 forage samples, including 293 Urochloa spp. and 39 Megathyrsus maximus (Jacq.) B.K.Simon & S.W.L.Jacobs, were analyzed using standard laboratory methods and multispectral image regression analysis. Calibration models showed coefficients of determination (R²) ranging from 0.36 to 0.98, while validation models exceeded 0.60 for neutral detergent fiber and 0.70 for crude protein and digestibility. No significant differences (p > 0.05) were detected between observed and predicted values. The AFT system demonstrated potential as a rapid and low-cost tool for forage quality assessment, although calibration performance varied according to forage species and chemical component evaluated.

Biografía del autor/a

  • Julián Arroyave-Jaramillo, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán
    https://orcid.org/0009-0002-9223-3882
  • Daniel M. Pineda-Tobón, Universidad Nacional de Colombia
    https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7216-7016
  • Luis A. Giraldo-Valderrama, Universidad Nacional de Colombia
    https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9279-1465
  • Luis A. Chel-Guerrero, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán
    https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9748-3704
  • David Betancur-Ancona, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán
    https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9206-3222

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2026-06-22

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Artículos Científicos