Using field spectroscopy and quickbird imagery for the assessment of peanut crop maturity and aflatoxin

Hyperspectral reflectance (350nm ‐ 2500nm) measurements of growing peanut leaves were used to predict the kernel maturation stage as well as the incidence of aflatoxin within peanut pods. For the prediction of harvest date, explanations of variance of > 95 percent were obtained while explanations of variance of > 81 percent were achieved when differentiating plants with pods contaminated with aflatoxin from those with uncontaminated pods. An explanation of variance of 85 percent was also identified in the prediction of actual aflatoxin concentration within the pod via the spectral properties of a growing leaf. Multispectral satellite imagery also proved accurate in identifying maturity variations across a peanut crop as well as regions of high aflatoxin risk.