Lembe S. Magwaza

By Khayelihle Ncama, Lembe S. Magwaza, Asanda Mditshwa and Samson Z. Tesfay

The accuracy and robustness of prediction models are very important to the successful commercial application of visible to near-infrared spectroscopy (Vis-NIRS) on fruit. The difference in physiological characteristics of fruit is very wide, which necessitates variance in the type of spectrometers applied to collect spectral data, pre-processing of the collected data and chemometric techniques used to develop robust models. Relevant practices of data collection, processing and the development of models are a challenge because of the required knowledge of fruit physiology in addition to the Vis-NIRS expertise of a researcher. This chapter deals with the application of Vis-NIRS on fruit by discussing commonly used spectrometers, data chemometric treatment and common models developed for assessing quality of specific types of fruit. The chapter intends to create an overview of commonly used techniques for guiding general users of these techniques. Current status, gaps and future perspectives of the application of Vis-NIRS on fruit are also discussed for challenging researchers who are experts in this research field.

Part of the book: Infrared Spectroscopy

By Nkanyiso J. Sithole, Khayelihle Ncama, Lembe S. Magwaza, Nozipho M. Motsa and Jacob Mashilo

Issues surrounding water scarcity and malnutrition in the rural household of sub-Saharan Africa continue to be a problem and pose threat to food security. In such cases, traditional and underutilized crops have been proposed because of their likely suitability in these marginal areas of crop production characterized by abiotic (drought and heat) and biotic environmental stresses (pest and diseases). Bottle gourd is one such crop with multipurpose use and a huge potential to contribute to food security. The crop is grown for its leaves, fruits, and seeds from landraces providing important nutrition for both humans and livestock. A lot has been documented about its medical properties. The crop exhibits wide genetic variation for qualitative and quantitative traits, which can be used for cultivar development. The objective of this review was to provide information on why bottle gourd is an important food security crop in sub-Saharan Africa. The first section of the paper presents water scarcity, food production, and climate change. This is followed by the section on the neglected underutilized crops species. Then the section of drought tolerance of the crop is presented, and lastly, the section on potential contribution of the crop to food security is presented.

Part of the book: Landraces