Kiwifruit, known as the king of fruits, is originally from China and is cultivated in regions such as Shaanxi, Sichuan, Hunan, Guangdong and Guangxi. Kiwi fruit is rich in vitamins, dietary fiber, amino acids, organic acids, and other beneficial nutrients and active substances. It also has various health promoting properties such as antioxidant, anti-tumor, immune regulation, fatigue relief, weight loss, and constipation relief. [1].
With its abundant and sweet-tasting juice, kiwifruit has gained popularity among consumers. In recent years, both domestic and international production and sales of kiwifruit have been steadily increasing[2]. The sugar content of kiwifruit is a crucial factor influencing its marketability, and grading kiwifruit based on sugar content could contribute to the development of the kiwifruit market.
The sugar content of kiwifruit is calculated by converting the refractive index of kiwifruit juice to a specific concentration of sucrose solution[3]. Traditional methods for measuring kiwifruit sugar content are destructive, involving the extraction of kiwifruit juice followed by the use of a sugar content analyser. This approach not only requires substantial manual labour and is time-consuming but also involves sampling, which limits the ability to test each individual kiwifruit.
Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) is a widely utilized analytical technique in the field of fruit detection, offering rapid, accurate, and non-destructive characteristics. The wavelength distribution of near-infrared light ranges from 780 to 2530 nm, where molecular vibrations related to hydrogen-containing groups such as O-H, C-H, and N-H produce detectable overtones and combinations[4] [5]. By analyzing the position and intensity of the obtained near-infrared absorption spectra, the sugar content of kiwifruit can be determined. Compared with traditional machine learning algorithms, deep learning algorithms demonstrate enhanced feature extraction capabilities and better model generalization, effectively handling NIR data.
Deep learning classification networks possess robust modeling capabilities, addressing the issue of underfitting commonly observed in traditional machine learning algorithms when dealing with large sample sizes[6] [7]. Furthermore, they have automatic feature extraction function, eliminating the need for the step of extracting feature wavelengths and effectively capturing valuable spectral information[8].
Mishra et al. [9] provided a critical and comprehensive review of the main advantages and potential pitfalls of deep learning techniques for spectral data modeling, but did not analyze specific data using deep learning network models. Rong et al. [10] constructed a VIS-NIR spectral database containing multiple peach varieties and achieved multi-identification of peach varieties by building a one-dimensional convolutional neural network, but the deep learning network model they used is relatively simple and its accuracy is not enough. Chen et al. [11] identified cumin and fennel varieties based on the difference in near-infrared spectral signal intensity, combined with an improved multiscale fusion convolutional neural network and a near-infrared spectral-based bidirectional long short-term memory network. Abasi et al. [12] utilized wavelet transform for apple spectral processing and established a well-performing PLSR soluble solid prediction model through comparative analysis, but they did not integrate deep learning into their approach, relying solely on traditional machine learning methods. Cortés et al. [13] utilized diffuse reflectance in combination with partial least squares regression (PLSR) to build a prediction model, effectively extracting mango sample features using near-infrared spectral technology to meet the real-time monitoring demand for mango ripeness, albeit with a complex data preprocessing procedure. Based on existing research, it is evident that there is significant potential for kiwifruit classification detection using near-infrared spectroscopy combined with deep learning [14][15].
This study focuses on Xuxiang kiwifruit from Shaanxi as the research subject, collecting spectra of kiwifruits with different sugar contents. Upon processing the spectral data, various deep learning network models are employed to build NIR models, and the optimal sugar content classification model is obtained by comparing the accuracy of kiwifruit sugar content classification under different network models. This study achieves kiwifruit grading based on sugar content, providing a rapid and accurate method for kiwifruit quality classification.