COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY ENABLES “VIRTUAL SHELLING” FOR PEANUT CROPS For the first time in India, radiographic testing (RT) has been established as an efficient method to quantify commercially important traits in unshelled peanuts. The study, led by a team of researchers from the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and the Fraunhofer Development Center for X-ray Technology (EZRT), demonstrated the potential of RT for a rapid and nondestructive determination of key market-related traits from X-ray scans of peanuts while still inside the hull. As a result, the peanut pods evaluation process has become more time and labor efficient. What took three to five skilled workers 30 minutes can now be done by a single technician in two minutes. The computed tomography (CT) system enabling such analysis is available at ICRISAT headquarters in Hyderabad, India. ICRISAT crop scientist Dr. Sunita Choudhary said that the use of X-ray based technology can revolu- tionize agriculture research, which has been relying on age-old manual methods or time-consuming laboratory testing methods for determining crop post-harvest traits such as kernel weight or shelling percentage. As part of the study, novel AI-based algorithms were developed to extract an accurate estimate of the physical traits from X-rays of whole peanut pods. Due to its success, the RT-based methods are being integrated into groundnut breeding pipelines. Groundnut breeders at ICRISAT now spend a fraction of the usual time taken and can scan up to 100 samples in a day to pick the best variety for the season. Dr. Janila Pasupuleti, Cluster Leader – Crop Breeding, ICRISAT, said currently advanced image-processing algorithms for “virtual shelling” are standardized for estimating shelling percentage, kernel numbers, and mass. “We are expanding these algorithms for estimating the seed size SCANNER Groundnut breeders at ICRISAT now can scan up to 100 samples in a day, a fraction of the usual time taken, using computed tomography and advanced image- processing algorithms. Dr. Sunita Choudhary, a crop scientist at ICRISAT, demonstrates how the use of X-ray based technology can revolutionize agriculture research. 8 M AT E R I A L S E V A L U AT I O N • N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 2

distribution and others. So, one X-ray scan used for determining multiple traits is more cost and time-efficient than the manual process we have been following,” she said. The image-processing algorithms are also being explored for feature evaluation of various other crops such as rice, oats, barley, and pigeon peas for estimation of other commercially significant traits like milling recovery. “We are also exploring the usage of X-ray radiography and tomography– based methods for testing seed embryo viability. In gene banks, a large number of precious seed samples need to undergo germination tests to check the seed viability every few years,” said Dr. Sunita Choudhary, Scientist, Crop Physiology and Modelling, Accelerated Crop Improvement Program, ICRISAT. This study has shown that X-ray radi- ography has the potential to be the right technology for in-field evaluation of farmers’ produce, which the International Committee for Food Value and Safety calls for. A portable X-ray imaging system will be especially useful in grain value chains where the time needed to assess the economic value of grain by threshing or milling is a significant barrier. ICRISAT and EZRT will work together to facilitate the necessary tech transformation of such grain value chains in the near future. TWO LOS ALAMOS NDE PROJECTS RECOGNIZED Nine Los Alamos National Laboratory technologies, including two focused on nondestructive evaluation (NDE), were recently recognized by the 2022 R&D 100 Awards. The prestigious “Oscars of Invention” honor the latest and best inno- vations and identify the top technology products of the past year. The R&D 100 Awards span industry, academia, and government-sponsored research organizations. “These R&D 100 awards reflect the innovative capabilities of the Los Alamos National Laboratory workforce,” said Laboratory Director Thomas Mason. “Advances such as these help both the US and global economies, improve public safety, and expand our computing capabilities. Congratulations to the staff members and collaborators who worked to bring these projects to fruition.” The first NDE technology to be recog- nized is ALArM: Acoustic Large Area Monitoring, which also won a Bronze Medal Special Recognition Award for Market Disruptor – Products, which high- lights any product from any category that has changed the game in any industry. ALArM is a highly scalable safety system that quickly detects damage and defects in large structures in the oil and INDUSTRYNEWS | SCANNER Acoustic Steady-State Excitation Spatial Spectroscopy (ASSESS), a full-structure, three-dimensional nondestructive evaluation tool, rapidly identifies subtle, hidden material defects, such as corrosion, cracking, and delamination, which can undermine structural integrity. DATAFACTS | GLOBAL MARKET FOR HIGH-SPEED CAMERAS The global high-speed camera market size was estimated at US$543.42 million in 2021, expected to reach US$592.88 million in 2022, and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 9.35% to reach US$929.33 million by 2027. Source: "High-Speed Camera Market Research Report by Usage, Resolution, Component, Spectrum, Frame Rate, Throughput, Application, Region - Global Forecast to 2027 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" - https://www. reportlinker.com/p06303593 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 North America Europe Asia Pacific South America Middle East and Africa N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 2 • M AT E R I A L S E V A L U AT I O N 9 USD (in millions)