Identification of Fungus-infected Tomato Seeds Based on Full-Field Optical Coherence Tomography

Abstract

The morphological changes of anthracnose (fungus) -infected tomato seeds have been studied to identify the infection and characterize its effect. Full-field optical coherence tomography (FF-OCT) has been utilized as a nondestructive but efficient modality for visualizing the effects of fungal infection. The cross-sectional images extracted from a stack of en face FF-OCT images showed significant changes with infection in the seed structure. First of all, the seed coat disappeared with the infection. The thickness of the seed coat of a healthy seed was measured as 28.2 µm, with a standard deviation of 1.2 µm. However, for infected seeds the gap between surface and endosperm was not appreciably observed. In addition, the measurements confirmed that the dryness of seeds did not affect the internal seed structure. The reconstructed three-dimensional (3D) image revealed that the permeability of the seed coat, which plays the vital role of protecting the seed, is also affected by the infection. These results suggest that FF-OCT has good potential for the identification of fungus-infected tomato seeds, and for many other tasks in agriculture.