Robustness of calibration model for prediction of lignin content in different batches of snow pears based on NIR spectroscopy

Snow pear is very popular in southwest China thanks to its fruit texture and potential medicinal value. Lignin content (LC) plays a direct and negative role (higher concentration and larger size of stone cells lead to thicker pulp and deterioration of the taste) in determining the fruit texture of snow pears as well as consumer purchasing decisions of fresh pears. In this study, we assessed the robustness of a calibration model for predicting LC in different batches of snow pears using a portable near-infrared (NIR) spectrometer, with the range of 1033–2300 nm. The average NIR spectra at nine different measurement positions of snow pear samples purchased at four different periods (batch A, B, C and D) were collected. We developed a standard normal variate transformation (SNV)-genetic algorithm (GA) -the partial least square regression (PLSR) model (master model A) - to predict LC in batch A of snow pear samples based on 80 selected effective wavelengths, with a higher correlation coefficient of prediction set (Rp) of 0.854 and a lower root mean square error of prediction set (RMSEP) of 0.624, which we used as the prediction model to detect LC in three other batches of snow pear samples. The performance of detecting the LC of batch B, C, and D samples by the master model A directly was poor, with lower Rp and higher RMSEP. The independent semi-supervision free parameter model enhancement (SS-FPME) method and the sequential SS-FPME method were used and compared to update master model A to predict the LC of snow pears. For the batch B samples, the predictive ability of the updated model (Ind-model AB) was improved, with an Rp of 0.837 and an RMSEP of 0.614. For the batch C samples, the performance of the Seq-model ABC was improved greatly, with an Rp of 0.952 and an RMSEP of 0.383. For the batch D samples, the performance of the Seq-model ABCD was also improved, with an Rp of 0.831 and an RMSEP of 0.309. Therefore, the updated model based on supervision and learning of new batch samples by the sequential SS-FPME method could improve the robustness and migration ability of the model used to detect the LC of snow pears and provide technical support for the development and practical application of portable detection device.