Feasibility study on the use of attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy as high throughput screening tool to phenotype single barley seeds (Hordeum vulgare L.)

•Mid infrared spectroscopy used to evaluate intact seeds and endosperm of barley.•Mid infrared ratios were identified and related to compositional characteristics.•The result showed that MIR spectroscopy can be used to measure intact barley.

Knowledge of the chemical and structural differences between barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) varieties and breeding lines might lead to an understanding of the reasons for these differences among genotypes in relation to their malting properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of attenuated total reflectance mid infrared (ATR-MIR) spectroscopy combined with univariate and multivariate methods as a high throughput screening tool to phenotype single seeds of barley. Varieties that yield high malting quality (hot water extract (HWE) > 80%) showed relatively high non-structural carbohydrates (e.g. starch) to protein and non-structural to structural (e.g. cellulose) carbohydrates ratios compared with those samples having moderate HWE (78% < HWE < 80%). The use of ATR-MIR spectroscopy and in particular the use of ratios at specific wavenumbers can provide useful information about the biophysical and chemical characteristics of the grain.