Near infrared reflectance as a rapid and inexpensive surrogate measure for fatty acid composition and oil content of peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.)

The fatty acid composition of ground nuts (Arachis hypogaea L.), commonly known as peanuts, is an important consideration when a new variety is being released. The composition impacts on nutrition and, importantly, shelf-life of peanut products. To select for suitable breeding material, it was necessary to develop a rapid, non-destructive and cost efficient method. Near infrared spectroscopy was chosen as that methodology. Calibrations were developed for two major fatty acid components, oleic and linoleic acids and two minor components, palmitic and stearic acids, as well as total oil content. Partial least squares models indicated a high level (if precision with a squared multiple correlation coefficient greater than 0.90 for each constituent. Standard errors of prediction for oleic, linoleic, palmitic, stearic acids and total oil content were 6.4%, 4.5%, 0.8%, 0.9% and 1.3%, respectively. The results demonstrated that suitable calibrations could be developed to predict the oil composition and content of peanuts for a breeding programme.