An assessment of mechanical and stink bug damage in soybean seed using X-ray analysis test

The X-ray image analysis technique is a precise method that enables examination of regions that are damaged and/or altered in seed and their location and extension. It is a non-destructive method allowing the X-ray treated seed to be submitted to quality physiological tests. The objective of this study was to use X-ray image analysis technique to identify mechanical and stink bug damages in soybean seed. Seeds from different batches of the BRS184 cultivar were sorted by X-ray test and then were tested for germination with the aim to relate the damage with possible seed viability loss. Alternatively, the tetrazolium test was carried out to be compared with the X-ray test. Damage severity and location were considered for the interpretive analysis of X-ray images. The results showed that the X-ray image analysis technique was effective in detecting mechanical and stink bug damage in soybean seed.