Developing multifruit global near-infrared model to predict dry matter based on just-in-time modeling

Modeling near-infrared (NIR) spectral data to predict fresh fruit properties is a challenging task. The difficulty lies in creating generalized models that can work on fruits of different cultivars, seasons, and even multiple commodities of fruit. Due to intrinsic differences in spectral properties, NIR models often fail in testing, resulting in high bias and prediction errors. One current solution for achieving generalized models is to use large calibration sets measured over multiple cultivars and harvest seasons. However, current practice primarily focuses on calibration sets for single fruit commodities, disregarding the rich information available from other fruit commodities. This study aims to demonstrate the potential of locally weighted partial least-squares an example of just-in-time (JIT) modeling to develop real-time models based on calibration sets consisting of multiple fruit commodities. The study also explores JIT modeling for leveraging relevant information from other fruit commodities or adapting the model based on new samples. The application demonstrated here predicts the dry matter in fresh fruit using portable NIR spectroscopy. The results show that JIT modeling is particularly effective for multiple fruit commodities in a single calibration set. The JIT models achieved a root mean squared error of prediction (RMSEP) of 0.69% fresh weight (FW), while the traditional partial least squares (PLS) modeling RMSEP was 0.93% FW. JIT modeling can be particularly beneficial when the user has multiple fruit datasets and wants to combine them into a single dataset to utilize all the relevant information available.