Feasibility of the application of electronic nose technology to detect insect infestation in wheat

Abstract

The Alpha MOS FOX-3000 electronic nose sensors were shown to be sensitive to the volatile compound, especially moisture. When wheat moisture was low (14% and 16%), sensors were sensitive to the volatiles and metabolites from red flour beetle (RFB), whereas, when wheat moisture was high (18%), the sensor could not differentiate insect volatiles from other volatiles. Discriminant Factorial Analysis and Partial Least Squares algorithms were effective in the application of e-nose to predict wheat moisture content. 2. The e-nose used in this research could detect the presence of red flour beetle (RFB) in wheat with a high infestation level of 20 insects/kg at 14% and 16% moisture content. However, it did not detect the presence of RFB in wheat at 18% moisture content. 3. The e-nose did not detect the presence of rusty grain beetle (RGB) in wheat. 4. The e-nose was able to differentiate 1 RFB/kg infestation level from 20 RFBs/kg infestation level in wheat at 14% and 16% moisture content.