Development of a model to estimate moisture contents based on physical properties and capacitance of seeds

The moisture content of seeds is an important factor that affects harvesting, storage, processing, and marketing. Estimating the moisture content of the seeds requires the development of a practical device. In this case, a cylindrical capacitor with an oscillator circuit was developed to measure the capacitance of the seeds. The samples were provided considering five types of seeds (capsular bean, corn, lentil, wheat, and rice). The moisture content levels of each type of seed were between 5% and 21% on a dry basis. An oscillator was built up using a NE555 chip, which estimated a capacitance by measuring a frequency. As an initial step in the modeling, the linear regressions between capacitance and moisture content were examined, in which the R-2 values were greater than 0.98. Finally, based on the physical properties of each type of seed (porosity, density and dielectric constant) and capacitance, a model was developed to estimate the moisture content. The coefficient of determination (0.99) and accuracy (97%) indicate that the model for estimating the water content of the seeds has been successfully developed. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study developed a device using a cylindrical capacitor and oscillator circuit to measure the moisture content of seeds, successfully estimating the moisture content of different types of seeds through modeling. The high accuracy of the model provides an effective tool for estimating the water content of seeds.