Computer-Assisted Color Classification of Peanut Pods¹

Mesocarp color classification in the Hull Scrape Maturity Method is the most important step in determining peanut maturity and optimum harvest date. This research involved the development of an image acquisition system and a software procedure for color classification. Images of peanut pods that had been sorted manually into color classes and subclasses were used in computer training. After training with sorted color classes, the computer-assisted procedure correctly identified and classified the peanut pods, with a 99% precision for the same sample in different alignment, and with a 95% precision for different size samples taken from the same population. Pod size measurement with a resolution of 0.1 mm was also performed using image processing techniques.