Assessment of nitrate levels in greenhouse-grown spinaches by Raman spectroscopy: A tool for sustainable agriculture and food security

Excessive use of nitrogen-based fertilizers in vegetable cultivation has raised significant environmental and health concerns, driving the need for sustainable fertilization practices. Spinach, known for its propensity to accumulate nitrates, demands precise monitoring tools. This study investigates...

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Main Authors: Paolo Matteini, Carmelo Distefano, Marella de Angelis, Giovanni Agati
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:Journal of Agriculture and Food Research
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154325002108
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author Paolo Matteini
Carmelo Distefano
Marella de Angelis
Giovanni Agati
author_facet Paolo Matteini
Carmelo Distefano
Marella de Angelis
Giovanni Agati
author_sort Paolo Matteini
collection DOAJ
description Excessive use of nitrogen-based fertilizers in vegetable cultivation has raised significant environmental and health concerns, driving the need for sustainable fertilization practices. Spinach, known for its propensity to accumulate nitrates, demands precise monitoring tools. This study investigates the potential of Raman spectroscopy for quantifying nitrate levels in greenhouse-grown spinach, utilizing multiple linear regression (MLR) and partial least squares regression (PLSR) models. Both models exhibit strong predictive performance, with R2 exceeding 0.8. Furthermore, integrating Raman spectroscopy with optical sensors like the Dualex can further enhance nitrate prediction accuracy. These findings underscore the feasibility of this non-destructive, scalable approach, offering a promising solution for sustainable agriculture, food security, and environmental protection.
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publishDate 2025-06-01
publisher Elsevier
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series Journal of Agriculture and Food Research
spelling doaj-art-8affc3905d134eb6b0011e73116bed912025-08-20T02:05:10ZengElsevierJournal of Agriculture and Food Research2666-15432025-06-012110183910.1016/j.jafr.2025.101839Assessment of nitrate levels in greenhouse-grown spinaches by Raman spectroscopy: A tool for sustainable agriculture and food securityPaolo Matteini0Carmelo Distefano1Marella de Angelis2Giovanni Agati3“Nello Carrara” Institute of Applied Physics (IFAC) of the Italian National Research Council (CNR), Via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Italy; University of Florence, Department of Agri-Food Production and Environmental Sciences (DAGRI), Via delle Idee 30, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Florence, Italy; Corresponding author. “Nello Carrara” Institute of Applied Physics (IFAC) of the Italian National Research Council (CNR), Via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Italy.“Nello Carrara” Institute of Applied Physics (IFAC) of the Italian National Research Council (CNR), Via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Italy“Nello Carrara” Institute of Applied Physics (IFAC) of the Italian National Research Council (CNR), Via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Italy“Nello Carrara” Institute of Applied Physics (IFAC) of the Italian National Research Council (CNR), Via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, ItalyExcessive use of nitrogen-based fertilizers in vegetable cultivation has raised significant environmental and health concerns, driving the need for sustainable fertilization practices. Spinach, known for its propensity to accumulate nitrates, demands precise monitoring tools. This study investigates the potential of Raman spectroscopy for quantifying nitrate levels in greenhouse-grown spinach, utilizing multiple linear regression (MLR) and partial least squares regression (PLSR) models. Both models exhibit strong predictive performance, with R2 exceeding 0.8. Furthermore, integrating Raman spectroscopy with optical sensors like the Dualex can further enhance nitrate prediction accuracy. These findings underscore the feasibility of this non-destructive, scalable approach, offering a promising solution for sustainable agriculture, food security, and environmental protection.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154325002108Raman spectroscopyDualexOptical sensorsNBINitrogenMultivariate data analysis
spellingShingle Paolo Matteini
Carmelo Distefano
Marella de Angelis
Giovanni Agati
Assessment of nitrate levels in greenhouse-grown spinaches by Raman spectroscopy: A tool for sustainable agriculture and food security
Journal of Agriculture and Food Research
Raman spectroscopy
Dualex
Optical sensors
NBI
Nitrogen
Multivariate data analysis
title Assessment of nitrate levels in greenhouse-grown spinaches by Raman spectroscopy: A tool for sustainable agriculture and food security
title_full Assessment of nitrate levels in greenhouse-grown spinaches by Raman spectroscopy: A tool for sustainable agriculture and food security
title_fullStr Assessment of nitrate levels in greenhouse-grown spinaches by Raman spectroscopy: A tool for sustainable agriculture and food security
title_full_unstemmed Assessment of nitrate levels in greenhouse-grown spinaches by Raman spectroscopy: A tool for sustainable agriculture and food security
title_short Assessment of nitrate levels in greenhouse-grown spinaches by Raman spectroscopy: A tool for sustainable agriculture and food security
title_sort assessment of nitrate levels in greenhouse grown spinaches by raman spectroscopy a tool for sustainable agriculture and food security
topic Raman spectroscopy
Dualex
Optical sensors
NBI
Nitrogen
Multivariate data analysis
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154325002108
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AT marelladeangelis assessmentofnitratelevelsingreenhousegrownspinachesbyramanspectroscopyatoolforsustainableagricultureandfoodsecurity
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