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What is SeedCount?

1. Figure A 1 Filled Tube 57 Figure A 2 Tube Ready to Invert and Fill Sample Cup 58 Appendix B Standard Cup Volumes Rice Wheat and Barley Cup Sizes un E N e Volume ml 120 85 122 98 25 39 28 03 30 92 134 22 137 81 nd d dd 59 Appendix C Crease Detection and Virtual Seeds Detection of Seed Creases SeedCount determines the crease position for each seed except for rice grains as they have no significant creases When calculating screening equivalents the seeds need to lie flat in the width section and on edge in the thickness sections For seeds lying flat in the width section the crease should be either centrally located or not seen Conversely kernels in the thickness section should be laying on edge so the crease should be either unseen or near the edge of the seed image The crease information is used for the generation of the blackpoint aspect ratio roundness and virtual seed data Generation of Virtual Seeds Screening equivalent data is calculated on the basis of 3D virtual seeds Virtual seeds are generated by combining all of the whole single seeds that are properly orientated in the width and thickness sections of the tray The seeds are matched by ascending area 60 Appendix D Data Files Long Grain Rice Sample ID Tray Number This will only be greater than one if the Multiple Trays option has been selected Number of Whole Seeds TKW As
2. When you begin running SeedCount the Registration screen will appear showing a serial number that is unique for your computer To register the program email us at register seedcount com au and provide us with your serial number To ensure that it is accurate we strongly recommend that you copy and paste the serial number into the email Once we have received your email we will provide you with a zipped licence zip file which contains your grain module licence file and an installation procedure file containing your registration code Unzip the licence zip file and copy the extracted SeedCount lic file to the Windows directory of the new SeedCount computer Start SeedCount and copy the registration code from the RegoNum txt file and paste it into the registration window You will have a grace period of 30 days from the date that SeedCount was first installed on your computer during which SeedCount will run without being registered After that time SeedCount must be registered for it to continue working We recommend that you register SeedCount well before the the grace period ends to avoid inactivation while waiting for the registration files After the registration process is completed the program will run indefinitely The SeedCount software can be copied for backup and archival purposes but the registered copy will work only in the computer that it is registered for SeedCount can be transferred to another computer or reinstalled after refo
3. We have also supplied a Tutorial on the CD The Tutorial is somewhat brief but comprehensive information is provided in the printed manual and in the online help files Sample images are in the Grain Images folder on the CD or can be downloaded from our website Scanner Cabinet SC3 systems only fe 5 6 Remove the cabinet from its package The scanner carriage is locked during transport to prevent damage The carriage must be unlocked before the scanner can be used To unlock the scanner loosen the two screws on the back of the cabinet by about one full turn each and slide the cover plate across allowing it to swing down Screw the lock lever tool into the hole in the lock lever about three full turns then pull the lever back Unscrew the lever tool and replace the cover If the scanner system needs shipping at a later date open the cover and push in the lock lever to relock the scanner head before shipping If you are installing the computer software yourself you must install the Epson 2480 scanner driver from the SeedCount software CD before connecting up the scanner cabinet Attach the scanner USB and power supply cables securely to the back of the cabinet Attach the USB cable to the USB2 port on the back of the computer Plug the scanner cabinet power cable into a power outlet Turn the power on to use the SeedCount system NOTE Retain the packaging in case you need to return the Scanner Cabinet for upgrades
4. 45 an accurate count Then simply add or remove the small number of seeds needed to give you the required one hundred seeds Analyzing Small Samples SeedCount can analyse samples down to about 40 seeds Such small samples must be spread almost evenly in both the width and thickness sections of the tray to analyze correctly If all the seeds are placed in only one section of the tray the analysis will fail Remember that as the sample size decreases the accuracy of the SeedCount results will also decrease especially for complex calculations like Screening Equivalents For accurate blackpoint assessments most of the tray indents should be filled Navigating in the Scan Window Use the scroll bars and the zoom buttons to display any portion of the scan window You can also left click and hold in the scan window to drag the image SHORTCUT Simultaneously press Alt I or Alt O or Alt or Alt to zoom in or out Examining individual Seeds Individual seeds can be examined in detail by zooming in to expand the seed You can display most of the data for a seed by clicking on it after the sample analysis is complete This data appears in a window at the right side of the Main Screen Object Number e Length in mm e Width or Thickness mm e Area mm e X position Horizontal center of the rectangle containing seed in pixels from the left of the image e Y position Vertical center of the rectangle containing of seed in pi
5. t Communicate with Scanner This error is usually due to the lock still being engaged on the scanner in SC3 systems Refer to the instructions on the back of the scanner cabinet to release the lock If the lock is not engaged check that the USB cable to the scanner is securely plugged in at both ends and that the power cable is plugged into the scanner and the mains cable is plugged into the power pack fully and into a live power outlet If this is all correct and there is still a communication problem try restarting the scanner and computer and or replacing the USB cable Accuracy seems to be Poor Use the correct grain type setting grain standard and tray for the cereal you are analysing This also applies to brown and white rice brown long grain rice and white long grain rice are NOT interchangable as their analysis settings are completely different Make sure that the tray is fully but gently inserted into the slot If the black and white calibration strips do not run across the entire width of the image the tray has not been inserted correctly and must be reinserted If the strips still do not reach the right edge of the image check inside the cabinet for grain or other objects on the slides for the tray Ensure that you are not placing too much material in the tray There should be some empty indents even when all the seeds are separated 51 4 The seeds should all be in the indents and all large clusters of seeds must be se
6. SeedCount will produce erroneous results Please select the correct grain type 15 2 The Main SeedCount screen Figure 3 appears NOTE This image shows its appearance after scanning and analyzing a sample rd Figure 3 The Main SeedCount Screen Options The Options Screen can be shown by clicking Options on the Menu Bar at the top of the main screen SeedCount has a number of choices You can turn off some of the calculation or result functions select what happens when you analyze each tray choose which Grain Type is used when analyzing the scans and even tell SeedCount to automatically save the sample data for each image 16 Options r xl Main Data Control Grain Standards Colour Adjustments Damaged Adjustments Chalk Security Main Default Sample Volume EES Tray Background Color O T Multiple Trays per sample Graphing Display az I Percentage of Count W Blackpoint W Automatically Highlight k Chalk hd Automatically Highlight a Functions JW Screenings Cancel d Figure 4a Main SeedCount Options Screen Default Sample Volume Each time you scan a new sample the Sample Volume will be reset To save time you can set the default sample volume to match your typical cup size eg Q Background colour of tray Click Pick to select the background colour of the tray This will allow you to select a colour that makes it easier to identify defects When you click the Sh
7. Bias Green Bias Normal Bias Immature Seeds Count Immature Seeds 96 by Mass Aspect Ratio Roundness Brokens Count Brokens by Mass Moisture Protein 96 66 Initial Wght Clean Wght Volume Length Mean Length StdDev Width Mean Width StdDev Thickns Mean Thickns StdDev Avg Seed Area Total Area sq mm 22 8 Screen 2 8 2 5 Screen 2 5 2 2 Screen 2 2 2 0 Screen 2 0 Screen 22 8 count 2 8 2 5 count 2 5 2 2 count 2 2 2 0 count 2 0 count 2 5 count Grain Type Grain Standard SiteID OperatorID SeedCount ver Date Time 67 Summary Page Below is a sample summary file for a Rice sample SeedCount xxxx results Created with SeedCount v2 3 10 Sample Details 25 Jan 08 Time 3 04 39 PM Sample ID Xxx Tray Number 1 Grain Type Rice SS ee Long Grain Standard Thai Whole Kernel Measurements Length Mean 6 45 mm Length StdDev 10 49 Width Mean 2 15 mm Width StdDev 0 10 Thickns Mean 1 78 mm Thickns StdDev 0 10 General Results Sample Distribution Coloured Kernels Red Red C3 Kernels Short Kernels Immature Green Yellow Black Initial Weight l Black Clean Weight Specked Other Discolored Normal N A N A Total rud Ah kon Glutinous D 0 096 N A Brown in White 1 0 1 N A 68 Average C
8. Mobile 0428 457 363 barmstrong seedcount com au Help Desk The Help Desk is available via email or phone If you request information by email you should get a response within one working day Online Help Our latest software updates troubleshooting hints and information is always available at http www seedcount com au 56 Appendix A Using the Sampling Tube The SeedCount Sampling Tube is designed for use with small samples for example a 10 liter bucket containing pooled sample tube cores from a truckload of grain or a small sack of grain from a cereal breeding trial It produces representative sub samples that are ideal for filling a SeedCount sample cup and thus a tray To use the Tube E Open the bag or bucket from which the sample is to be taken Hold the Tube by the open uncut end of the tube with the filling cutouts facing down Push the tube diagonally down to the bottom of the bag or bucket Rotate the tube a half turn so the cutouts now face up Shake the tube gently three or four times to fill the tube See Figure A 1 The tube needs to be approximately half full when removed from the bag as shown in Figure A 2 7 Invert the tube and pour the contents into the Sample Cup as explained in the Obtaining a Sample and Filling the Tray section of Common Procedures m QNUM dx C9 NOTE Do NOT pour the tube contents directly into the tray The Sample Cup must be used to control the sub sample volume
9. analyze a sample of grain and determine its principal characteristics It generates detailed data tables that can be exported to any spreadsheet or database program It provides this detailed information without damaging the grain sample SeedCount is currently offered for barley wheat rice and corn analysis Future versions will include additional trays and calibrations for other grains and cereals SeedCount is essential for anyone who grows sells buys or uses grain and or assesses its quality Potential users are breeders brewers dealers growers food processors maltsters millers etc NOTE There is a separate Corn interface and manual please refer to the manual for more information WARNING Before running the program users should read the user s Guide supplied on the installation CD How Does SeedCount Work This section presents a brief overview of how SeedCount works More detailed information is given in Chapter 4 How SeedCount Works SeedCount uses a modified flatbed desktop scanner and a Microsoft Windows based personal computer to create a digital image of a sample of grain and then analyse the image The scanner operates facing down inside the instrument cabinet See Figure 1 SeedCount E Pee ee eee AAA bM Ce HACK DCK A Figure 1 SeedCount Tray in Scanner Cabinet A sub sample of the grain is obtained with the sampling tube See Appendix A The tube collects a sample core from all level
10. away any dust and loose husks Reweigh the tray and sample and enter the mass minus the tray mass as the Clean Weight Check the cup size which is engraved underneath the cup and enter its letter code into the Sample Volume box When you move to another entry box the cup volume will automatically be inserted If this is the cup you usually require it s volume or letter can be entered in the Options Cup Volume setting and it will become the default cup volume Standard Cup volumes are given in Appendix B If you are not using a standard cup type the volume into the Sample Volume box If available the sample protein moisture and standard test weight can be entered at this time 26 Scanning Samples 1 Holding the tray by its handle slide it into the slot in the scanner cabinet Ensure that the tray is fully but gently pushed back into the slot Figure 1 shows a partially inserted tray 2 Click on the Scan button The scanner will activate scan the tray and transfer the image to SeedCount After a few seconds a portion of the sample image will appear in the SeedCount Main Screen WARNING Ensure that SeedCount isn t using the WIA driver because it has been found to produce poor quality scans See the Software Installation section to remove the WIA drivers 3 If you wish to save a copy of the scan click the Save Image button or select File gt Save Image As and name and save the image to the directory you choose The ima
11. in White Count Aspect Ratio Roundness All Whole by Mass Paddy Count Head Rice Count Large Brokens Count Medium Brokens Count Small Brokens Count Chips Count Paddy by Mass Head Rice by Mass Large Brokens by Mass Medium Brokens by Mass Small Brokens by Mass Chips by Mass Moisture Protein 96 Initial Wght Clean Wght Volume Length Mean Length StdDev Width Mean Width StdDev Thickns Mean Thickns StdDev Avg Seed Area Total Area sq mm gt 2 8 Screen 2 8 2 5 Screen 2 5 2 2 Screen 2 2 2 0 Screen 2 0 1 6 Screen lt 1 6 Screen gt 2 8 Count 2 8 2 5 Count 2 5 2 2 Count 2 2 2 0 Count 2 0 1 6 Count lt 1 6 Count Grain Type Grain Standard SiteID OperatorID SeedCount ver Date Time 65 Wheat and Barley The list of data in the order they appear in the record for wheat and barley is as follows Sample ID Tray No Whole Seeds TKW As is TKW Dry Std TW Mini TW Dockage 96 Avg CIEL Avg CIE a Avg CIE b BP Mild Count BP Wid Scale Factor BP Nar Scale Factor BP Severe Count BP Wid Severity Scale Factor BP Nar Severity Scale Factor BP Total Count Discolored Count Dark Count White Count BP Test Num BP Impact BP Mild by Count BP Severe 96 by Count BP Total by Count BP Manl Total by Count Discolored 96 by Count Dark by Count White 96 by Count Red Seeds Count Green Seeds Count Red Seeds 46 Green Seeds Red
12. it is best to remember the password Obtaining a Sample and Filling the Tray 24 1 Select the appropriate tray for the grain that is being analyzed and weigh it while still empty to the nearest 0 01g on a balance If possible tare the balance to this weight 2 Obtain a representative sub sample of the grain using the sampling tube as detailed in Appendix A At least one third of the tube should be full of seeds Please note that SeedCount requires at least 40 whole grains in the sample to be able to identify whole kernels accurately Samples of almost entirely broken kernels will not analyse correctly 3 Transfer the tube contents to a volumetric cup The cup must initially be overfilled 4 Hold the leveller flat against the top of the cup and use a horizontal sawing action to level the grain with the top lip of the cup as shown in Figure 5 NOTE Select a cup that holds enough grain to fill eighty to ninety five percent of the tray indents Each cup in the series is ten percent larger than the previous cup Figure 5 Levelling the Cup 5 Distribute the sample from the cup as shown in Figure 6 Figure 6 Filling the Tray 6 Shake the tray gently using a circular action while slowly lowering and raising the bottom end of the tray to distribute the grain 25 7 Brush the tray with your fingertips or with a one or two inch soft nylon brush to separate most of the doubles and level kernels standing on their ends s
13. lossless JPEG images A CD will hold about 65 images DVDs should be generated regularly Exactly how often depends on the frequency of use the requirement for accountability in assessments and how much work you are willing to lose if the hard drive fails A busy lab or receivals depot should make a backup DVD at the end of each workday After verifying the data on the DVD the scans can be deleted from the SeedCount computer when it seems unlikely they will need to be re run or more storage space is required The data files are small and can be copied to a DVD or CD The data files should be retained on the computer as an extra back up 48 Glossary of Terms Aspect Ratio The ratio of seed length to width for whole seeds in the Width section of the tray only Blackpoint Dark discoloration around the embryo of a kernel In severe cases the discoloration can also extend down the kernel crease BMP Bitmap A standard raster image file format Cleaning The removal of debris from a grain sample Dockage Undesirable material such as leaves stems broken seeds weed seeds insects etc dpi Dots per Inch which is the linear number of pixels in an inch Hectoliter One Hundred liters Hectoliter Weight HW Also known as Test Weight This is a measure of grain density It is the weight of 100 liters of grain in kilograms Test weight in the USA uses units of pounds per bushel Head Rice Rice that has been broken but is at least 80 of t
14. measurement of interest Then click the Show Range button The seeds that fall within that range are displayed You can zoom in to examine a seed in greater detail and you can double click on it to display its properties in a table as discussed above To display a range of object sizes 1 In the Minimum and Maximum fields enter the numbers indicating the minimum and maximum value in millimeters for length or width or square millimeters for area NOTE The default settings will display all objects against the current background colour initially a uniform blue background You can choose a custom background colour on the Options screen 2 Click on the Area Length or Width selection 3 Click on Show Range 4 he screen will display all those objects that fall inside these limits 5 The Status Bar will display the parameters in pixels Display guidelines e At 300 dots per inch there are 11 8 pixels per lineal millimeter and 133 pixels per square millimeter e By choosing a range from zero to a value below the minimum size of a whole single seed you can see small debris split parts of seeds grains of sand etc 47 e By choosing a range above the average seed area only the larger kernels and clumps will be displayed To display overlapping clumps of two or more seeds To determine the number of cases in which more than one seed occupy an indent or cases where one or more seeds are in a clump use the Alt M key combination to
15. or servicing Scanner Cabinet SC4 systems only 1 Remove the cabinet from its package The scanner carriage is locked during transport to prevent damage The carriage must be unlocked before the scanner can be used Locate the lock lever through the opening in the end of the cabinet and slide it to the open position If the scanner system needs shipping at a later date unplug the USB cable and slide the lock lever across the USB socket to relock the scanner head before shipping If you are installing the computer software yourself you must install the Epson 4490 scanner driver from the SeedCount software CD before connecting up the scanner cabinet Attach the scanner USB and power supply cables securely to the connectors at the end of the cabinet Note that the USB cable is inserted with the USB symbol facing down Attach the USB cable to the USB2 port on the back of the computer Plug the scanner cabinet power cable into a power outlet 12 6 Turn the power on to use the SeedCount system NOTE Retain the packaging in case you need to return the Scanner Cabinet for upgrades or servicing Operating Environment To prevent malfunction of SeedCount the cabinet must be operated in the following conditions Operating temperature 15 C 60 F to 32 C 90 F Operating humidity E to 80 non condensing Storage temperature 10 C 14 F to 35 C 95 F Storage humidity 5 to 90 non condensing Registration
16. see the Multiples as assessed by SeedCount The cursor must be in the scan image region while doing this The Multiples option helps determine if the tray has been overfilled or if the seeds have been carefully loaded in the indents of the tray A few multiples are acceptable Large numbers of multiples more than ten clumps indicates that the sample needs redistribution If there are too few empty indents to easily separate the clumps the tray has been overfilled and needs to be emptied and refilled using a smaller sample cup Large numbers of multiples more than ten clumps indicates that the sample needs redistribution or that the tray has been overfilled and needs to be refilled using a smaller sample Sample reduction must be achieved by emptying the tray and resampling with a smaller sample cup To Display Dockage Dockage is objects that are outside the normal seed range of length width area shape or color The dockage display includes broken kernels that are less than 80 to 70 of a whole kernel depending on the grain type and standard in use Dust is not displayed Click on the Show Dockage button to see the dockage Note that large objects such as stems twigs leaves etc should be removed manually in the cleaning process Backing up Scanned Images and Data files Scanned Images and the data files can be backed up by burning them onto a DVD R disk using the DVD RW Burner in the computer A 4 3 gigabyte DVD R will hold about 330
17. seeds detected by SeedCount as having damaged seed defects Damaged seeds particularly affecting brown rice are seeds that have a discoloration that is expected to go so deep into the kernel that it cannot be removed by polishing Increasing the value for example Damaged Red by moving the slider to the right will increase the number of Seeds marked as Damaged Red Moving the slider to the left will reduce the number of Damaged Red seeds detected Chalk 21 Main Data Control Grain Standards Colour Adjustments Damaged Adjustments Chalk Security Brown Short Grain Rice i edium Grain Rice ng Grain Rice T rborio Rice 0 A 5 Chalky Kernels Minimum Impact score for SeedCount to classify the seed as being affected by Chalk Short Grain Rice j edium Grain Rice n i Long Grain Rice 50 Arborio Rice DU Reset Defaults Figure 4f SeedCount Chalk Options Screen Cancel The number is the minimum score approximately the percent of the seed identified as chalk required for a seed to be marked as Chalky Blackpoint Adjustments 22 Options xl Main Data Control Grain Standards Colour Adjustments Blacktip Security Blacktip Barley Wide Minimum o0 ee Wide Severity 100 eer UD ee LEE Narrow Severity 100 Reset Defaults j Cancel Figure 4g SeedCount Blackpoint tip Options Screen The user can manually adjust the number of seeds detected by S
18. severe blackpoint will be circled with red as shown in Figure 17 Dark Kernel Figure 17 Highlighted Defects of Wheat Kernels Bin burn and Fungal Staining Some seeds are dark for reasons other than blackpoint such as mold or bin burn SeedCount marks generally dark kernels as Dark and displays them with a white border to indicate that they are not blackpoint but are overall discolored These are typically seeds that have been bin burnt Seeds that are extremely affected by blackpoint will appear to be mostly dark and may fall into the generally discoloured group Fungal staining and other kernel damage tend to produce dark patches on various regions of the kernel These seeds are marked with a Purple border and assessed as being Discoloured Examples of these seeds can be seen in Figure 17 Manual Editing of Blackpoint Seeds The operator can edit the computer s automatic assessment of discoloured and blackpoint affected seeds when required This can be performed quite simply by right clicking on a seed The seed will cycle through the series of no blackpoint no highlight mild green severe red dark white or discoloured purple This method can be used to alter the assessment of a seed SeedCount will automatically alter its assessment for the seed and sample to reflect the operator s assessment Both the original and the operator assessments will be saved in the data file While Show Blackpoint is selected
19. standard 500 ml chondrometer NOTE The PageUp and PageDown keys can be used to move through the text boxes and main command buttons 7 Click Calculate to process the extra parameters and display the results onscreen 8 Save the data to a permanent data file as described below in Saving Data Files 27 9 If you are moving to a new sample the Grain Type can be changed when required by clicking on the Grain button on the Menu Bar or by pressing Alt G WARNING Different grain types and standards produce different data It is therefore important to ensure that a new Data file is created for each grain type and standard Opening Grain Images Images previously made and saved with SeedCount can be reopened and analyzed To open an image click on the Open Image button or the menu option File Open Image You will need to re enter that sample s volume and mass to get accurate results Multi Tray Mode The multi tray mode allows the results of several subsets of a grain sample to be aggregated to increase accuracy when required Click the Multi Tray mode button in Options section to turn it on The number of trays in the sample set will be indicated on the main screen When you are ready to begin a new sample set make sure you click on the Start New Sample Set button You must also create or open a data file to record the overall results of each sample set The grain type cannot be changed without starting a new sample set T
20. tee tree e tU erae tte en iro ee Per tr ete AEN 33 Analvsis ACCUTACy ee heresi e in daga eerte Ore Eee tare e ler ee etes 54 SeedCount Precision Estimates esses eene ener nennen 54 Get ng Help nmt DU emeret et ipe Re au 56 Contact Information 4 5 DEENEN ek E Hees eee 56 Help Desks eet Ee 56 Online Help s eee Ee Ee SE EE EE 56 Appendix A Using the Sampling Tube 57 TO Use the TUDE EEN 57 Appendix B Standard Cup Volumes eene 59 Rice Wheat and Barley Cup zeg 59 Appendix C Crease Detection and Virtual Seeds sees 60 Detection of Seed Creases sssssssssseseeseeeeeeee eene enne eene 60 Generation of Virtual Seeds eene eene nennen 60 Appendix D Data les 61 Long Grait RICE MM HE 61 Medium and Arborio Rice eee eeeeeesseceeeseececeesceeecssnececesssaececesseeeceessaeeseesnaeeees 64 Wheatand Barley sac ie eto e E a ese oe AT a 66 SUMIMATY Paden o e oe RE Id ete et e AEE E eee ea 68 SeedCount xxxx results A eee encore rerien ieser eea dedesini E Eas r ER EEES 68 Sample Details eege pa ai eines Maia nana 68 RE 68 TMe E 68 Appendix F Typical Grain Images 70 EN 70 WY CAD EEN 71 D S 12 Introduction to SeedCount Contents of this Chapter e How Does SeedCount Work e What Does SeedCount Test What is SeedCount SeedCount is a digital imaging system specifically designed for the grain industry It uses software and scanner technology to rapidly and accurately
21. to automatically save and if needed print a Summary Page For more information on how to setup the Data File saving see Saving Data Files Grain Standards Main Data Control Grain Standards Colour Adjustments Damaged Adjustments Chalk Security Cancel Figure 4c SeedCount Grain Standards Screen Select the correct grain standard for each grain type being analyzed Color Adjustments 19 Options Main Data Control Grain Standards Colour Adjustments Damaged Adjustments Chalk Security Reset Defaults Figure 4d SeedCount Color Adjustments Options Screen The user can manually adjust the number of seeds detected by SeedCount as having color defects Increasing the value for example Red by moving the slider to the right will increase the number of Seeds identified as Red Moving the slider left will reduce the number of Red seeds detected The biasing used in each analysis will be recorded in the Data and Summary files under the Bias column Often changing the bias of one color parameter will affect other similar color assessments Note that the color adjustments will only affect subsequent analysis not any analysis that has already been completed Prior images will need to be rerun to see the changes 20 Damaged Adjustments Options Main Data Control Grain Standards Colour Adjustmer Chalk Security Figure 4e SeedCount Damaged Adjustments Options Screen The user is able to manually adjust the number of
22. wrong format It is occasionally possible to reclaim the faulty image by loading it into an image editing program like Microsoft Photo Editor and re saving the image in the correct format 300 dpi 24 bit 16 8 million colors saved as a bitmap or highest quality jpeg If possible it is much better to make a new scan using SeedCount s inbuilt TWAIN This fault can also occur within SeedCount if your scanner settings have been altered Contact us for replacement settings if this has occurred Opening the Image makes SeedCount crash This problem is usually due to using a WIA scanner driver They must not be used Refer to the installation section to see which scanner drivers to use and how to remove the WIA drivers 52 Too Numerous to Count There are too many seeds in your sample or your scanner settings are wrong There should only be a few doubles and all the seeds should be in an indent Samples with mostly large grains will not fill many of the smallest indents Empty the tray and use a smaller sample cup to remove some of the kernels reload the tray reweigh the sample reset the sample volume and analyse it again Occasionally faulty images due to incorrect scanner settings repaired as detailed above in Image Format is Wrong Selection of the wrong grain type can also cause this error check that the correct module is active it is shown in the bottom status line This Tray has an Unbalanced Distribution of Grain This error me
23. E aii 9 Contents of this Chapters ENEE 9 Hardware Package ic heot mter eee eR REI RAE ider 9 Sottware Provided RE 9 PROCOSSONICS aTa e a Er E RE Uu tae N a a en Melissa Sin a tists 9 IDCM iiio M 10 Pre Configured Computer 10 Software Installation for User Supplied Computers 10 Scanner Cabinet SC3 systems only 12 Scanner Cabinet SCA systems only 12 Operating Environment 5 eet tee Rec sess sabauacadebedsnacssbutedeaceens 13 Registration oot e ete dai 13 Authorised Modul s enrere usina eiit treo tee Rhe reet Eee e eR ere ERE seed 13 Basic Procedures PE 15 Contents of this Chapter cene ERE eri e E r ae N ESS 15 Startins ee EE 15 DtUOnS ctt t cer re eI dee eg 16 Obtaining a Sample and Filling the Tra 24 Scanrnmeg Samples 235 decer terree hg ere ente e e e tee ee ee apraidi 27 Opening Grain mages e uet e Frente ee eite teer et bera p de 28 Mu ulti Tray Mode dete ere ERU E ERE ERI erre ERIS ati oes 28 Contents of the Data Analysis blei 28 Wheatand Barley sisi eer eere rp ori ei ten EEE ce Fe re urne eed 28 Medium and Arborio Rice sees eene nenne enne 29 LONG Grain RACE eee tree esten teer eet ee ne e edi tente 29 Savin Data Piles E 29 Importing a Data File into Beef 3 Results Summary Pages eoo aeaa entente nta tn nea A sait s ann 3 Matint fiarice eee eed e e oret eee Ate Me ROI inea oett etes 32 How SeedCount WOtks resres anaiei eter eer
24. IEL 72 3 Average CIE a 18 0 Average CEB V Percent Countby e Percent Percent Screening seon Distribution by by Count Mass 498 gt 2 8 Screen 0 0 96 0 0 96 Sg 0 0 0 0 Ge PK 0 0 0 0 96 Screen L8 SE e 0695 Screen ps 98 0 198 3 Screen 50 1 6 Screen 1 6 90 1 1 96 69 Appendix F Typical Grain Images Barley 71 72
25. Is or wet TKW Dry Standard Test Weight The standard 500ml test weight Mini Test Weight The test weight calculated from the small SeedCount cup Dockage pct Average CIEL Average CIE a Average CIE b Seeds Tested for Chalk Chalky Seeds Count of number tested Chalky Seeds of number tested Chalk Manual Total user adjusted of total tested Chalk Impact Chalk Threshold by Area Red Count Red Streak Count Red Speck Count Immature Green Count Yellow Count Black Count Black Speck Count Other Discolored Count Glutinous Count Disc Total Red by mass of whole seeds Red Streak by mass of whole seeds Red Speck 46 by mass of whole seeds Immature Green by mass of whole seeds Yellow Seeds by mass of whole seeds Black Seeds 96 by mass of whole seeds Black Speck 96 by mass of whole seeds Other Discolored Seeds by mass of whole seeds Glutinous Seeds by mass of whole seeds Disc Total by mass of whole seeds Red Bias Red Streak Bias Red Speck Bias Immature Green Bias Yellow Bias Black Bias Black Speck Bias 61 Other Discolored Bias Normal Bias White in Brown Count Brown in White Count Undeveloped Count Undeveloped by mass of whole seeds Aspect Ratio of the Wide Section seed length to seed width ratio Average Seed Roundness of the Virtual Seeds a measure of the average seed sphericity Thai Standard only o Cl Kernels C2 Kernels C3 Kernels Sho
26. SeedCount User s Guide Digital Image Analysis System for Grain Version 2 4 0 Weiss Enterprises SeedCount Australasia Pty Ltd SeedCount Trade Mark of Weiss Enterprises United States Office Marvin Weiss Weiss Enterprises Marvin Weiss 51 Turtle Bay Dr Branford CT USA 06405 Ph 203 488 6930 Australian Office Bruce Armstrong SeedCount Australasia Pty Ltd 289 Stag Rd Kingston Vic Australia 3364 Ph 03 5345 7367 Mobile 0428 457 363 barmstrong seedcount com au Website http www seedcount com au Please go to the Website for the contact details of our Distributors Copyright 1999 2008 The SeedCount system has been developed by Weiss Enterprises and SeedCount Australasia in conjunction with The University of Ballarat Mt Helen Victoria Australia Wrightson Research Christchurch New Zealand Sustainable Rice Cooperative Research Center Yanco New South Wales Australia SeedCount has been submitted for classification as a Registered Trademark SeedCount US Patent 6 418 180 is based on ColonyCount US Patent 6 381 353 SeedCount Tray US Patent 7 184 575 Table of Contents SeedCount EE 1 Table of Contents i Ma ae BA e tee ee Nad is Bae oes 3 Introduction to Seed oun 6 Contents of this Chapter ederent tree reete rn Faden eei ke Tenn rete ids 6 What IS SCCUC EE 6 How Does SeedCount Work AA 6 What Does SeedCount Test oet ertt Re dr Htec es 7 Unpacking and Installation tisini i E
27. a Blackpoint Display button appears in the menu bar When clicked the first selection in the drop down window is Highlight Blackpoint This will turn the coloured highlighting on or off for the current image The next image viewed will use the settings in the Options menu 41 If the operator decides to revert to the original SeedCount assessment they can select Blackpoint Display gt Remove Manual BP Changes NOTE At this time it is also possible to right click on hidden seeds that have not been assessed for blackpoint The hidden seed will then be outlined in green or red Deselect such seeds by right clicking the seed area until the highlighting disappears Kernel Brightness and White Seeds NOTE Clicking on a seed will show its kernel brightness in the data information box The brightness of all the seeds in an image will be averaged to produce the overall sample brightness that is saved in the Data File When analysing barley or wheat very bright seeds will be marked as white seeds and shown with a black border in the Show Blackpoint display These seeds may either be broken open and displaying some white endosperm or they may be generally white which often signifies fusarium infection When analysing rice very white seeds can often be glutinous rice which is indicated by a blue ring around the seed when in the Show Discoloured display mode Chalk Module Chalk is a white patch in rice that is due to open packing of the star
28. arley tray with precision indents that position the barley kernels for digital imaging measurements Wheat tray with precision indents e Rice tray with precision indents Long and medium grain rice trays are available Corn Tray transmitted and incident light versions Additional accessories supplied e Printed Manual Bucket Sampling Tube for obtaining a uniform sample of grain e Volumetric Cups and leveller e Collection tub e Lock Lever Tool for SC3 systems e Brush for tray e Duster for scanner e Bamboo Skewer to dislodge stuck kernels The following are not provided e Instrument for measuring moisture e Instrument for measuring protein e Balance accurate to 0 01 gram and able to weigh at least 1 000 grams e Standard 500 ml chondrometer e Fan Installation Pre Configured Computer The computer is supplied with all software loaded and ready to operate Unpack the computer monitor keyboard and mouse and connect them together Connect the computer power cord to a power outlet but leave the computer off until the scanner has been attached WARNING Ensure that the computer s power supply located in the top at the rear of the case and the Scanner Cabinet s power supply are both compatible with your country s supply voltage Software Installation for User Supplied Computers WARNING Install all software including the scanner driver and unlock the scanner head see for SC3 or SC4 for instructions before
29. be cleaned with a soft cloth moistened with a mild detergent solution The interior of the cabinet should be cleaned fortnightly by turning the cabinet upside down and removing the scanner access plate The dust and debris that has accumulated in this area can be brushed or blown out The scanner glass should then be cleaned with a nonabrasive glass cleaner and a soft lint free cloth and the access plate replaced In a high dust environment it may be necessary to clean the glass more frequently 3 Scanner Maintenance The scanner itself will need occasional specialist maintenance to achieve excellent performance We recommend that scanner cabinets are returned to SeedCount or a SeedCount authorised service center for maintenance every 30 000 scans 4 Software Maintenance Software can be maintained by online updates that will be posted to the SeedCount website If you are having any SeedCount software issues please contact us 5 Annual Calibration Your regional distributor will provide annual calibration testing and certification of your scanner trays and cups 32 How SeedCount Works Introduction This chapter explains how SeedCount performs its various tasks and provides further information about tray design and the Blackpoint Module Contents of this Chapter Mini Test Weight Hectoliter Weight Detection of Dockage Counting Seeds Calculating the Kernel Weight Tray Design Aspect Ratio Roundness S
30. black ring In the white rice modules the red and immature kernels are displayed in a similar manner to the wheat module As white kernels in rice are usually chalky they are not displayed in the Show Discoloured window for rice The rice modules also identify yellow black and generally discoloured kernels The discoloured kernels are those that are discoloured but do not fit into the other categories of discolouration Kernels with Red streaks and red or black spots are also identified Brown rice has the groupings listed for white rice but also has a number of Damaged versions of these discolorations The Damaged Red for example is a kernel with a red discoloration that has characteristics which make it likely that the endosperm will be affected so the discoloration will not be polished off when producing white rice SeedCount also identifies glutinous rice marking it with a blue ring As it is nota discoloration it is quantified separately to the discoloured rice Likewise white rice kernels in a brown rice sample and brown rice kernels in a white rice sample are also identified but quantified separately Samples with large numbers of these out of type kernels should be checked to ensure that they are being analysed under the correct module ie is a white rice sample being analysed as a brown rice sample by mistake The rice kernels have the following identification Discolo tation Ident
31. can be most easily and accurately seen in seeds lying embryo up in the Width section indents and therefore have no crease showing The Blackpoint test finds dark patches near the end of the kernel The blackness and area of discoloration is assessed as the Blackpoint Impact The BP Impact fits into one of three groups resulting in the kernel being marked as having None Mild or Severe blackpoint SeedCount reports the percentage of tested seeds that have blackpoint This report is equivalent to the current subjective blackpoint tests Positioning the mouse pointer over the Blackpoint text box will show you how many seeds were found to have blackpoint and also how many seeds were tested for blackpoint The overall Blackpoint Impact for the sample is displayed below that box The total number of tested seeds is included in the Data File Using the Multi Tray mode will increase the number of seeds tested for Blackpoint The Show Blackpoint button on the Main Screen is also useful in assessing the blackpoint Clicking on this button will show all the seeds that have been tested for blackpoint Left clicking on the seeds shown in the image will bring up a box indicating the blackpoint severity on that seed 40 If the Automatically Highlight option is turned on in the Blackpoint section of the Options menu all seeds assessed as having blackpoint will be highlighted Seeds with mild blackpoint will be circled with green and seeds assessed as having
32. ch granules in the endosperm It can be seen in both brown and white polished rice The amount of chalk is assessed on the basis of the whiteness and the area of chalk producing a Chalk Impact number similar to the Blackpoint Impact number Chalk with an Impact greater than 50 is generally regarded as having chalk as it roughly corresponds with 50 of the kernel area being chalky The amount of chalk required to mark a seed as chalky can be varied from 30 to 100 using the Chalk section of the Options menu The value is use is shown in the data files Chalk in rice is assessed on individual kernels using reflected light Only kernels in the wide area of the tray are assessed The procedure and display is similar to blackpoint Click on the Show Chalk button to examine these seeds Those assessed as having a chalk impact above the minimium threshold selected have a red ring The Chalk graph shows a more detailed kernel by kernel assessment of the sample Discoloured Kernels and Paddy Rice Various discoloured kernels are identified in different modules The barley and wheat modules identify red and immature green kernels The red kernels tend to be infected material in barley but can often simply be red wheat varieties in wheat They can be viewed in the Show Discoloured window where the 42 red kernels have a green ring and the immature kernels a red ring Kernels identified as white mentioned above also display on this screen with a
33. creening Equivalents Graphs Blackpoint Module Bin burn and Fungal Staining Manual Editing Kernel Brightness and White Seeds Chalk Mini Test Weight Hectoliter Weight The Mini Test Weight is calculated from the volume and sample mass in the cups supplied with your system The cups are sized for preparation of SeedCount samples so the results are not as accurate as the standard 500 ml chondrometer results The Standard Test Weight can also be performed and the results entered into SeedCount Both the Mini Test Weight and the Standard Test Weight appear in the data output file if both are entered into SeedCount Detection of Dockage SeedCount automatically detects small dockage items including broken seeds awns and some weed and foreign seeds The mass of this dockage material is calculated as a percentage of the entire sample mass If an Initial Weight is entered the dockage generated by the difference between the Initial and Clean masses is added to this calculated dockage to give the total dockage The dockage can be examined by clicking on the button after the scan has been analysed Broken kernels of rice are not included in the rice dockage but instead are listed separately in the data files 33 Counting Seeds SeedCount can recognize multiple seeds using our patented counting method A few doubles will not affect Seed ount s accuracy But combinations of more than two seeds should not occur and in
34. ct us and we will try to solve your problem Record the process you were using and the error you had If possible restart SeedCount and save the image causing the problem as that may be necessary for diagnosing the situation 53 Analysis Accuracy SeedCount s accuracy and precision has been tested for the following modules and grains and yielded the following estimates It is expected that continuing development of SeedCount and further testing will modify these figures Unless otherwise stated the SeedCount results given are the Standard Errors for its measurements compared to industry standard non digital Image analysis methods such as the American Association of Cereal Chemists or the Institute of Brewing methods Standard SeedCount samples prepared according to the method outlined in our User s Manual were used for the DIA images The minimum number of scan images used to prepare these tables was 30 Note also that the Standard Errors are expressed in the units used in the original data Thus the wheat count error of 6 2 means that the user can be confident that 95 of the SeedCount counts will be within six seeds of the correct seed count As the average wheat sample used contained 750 RES 0 8 seeds the 6 2 standard error converts to a 750 error on a percentage basis That is SeedCount is accurate to less than one seed in a hundred This accuracy compares well with hand counting SeedCount Precision Estimates Average Values a
35. dicate insufficient care in distributing the kernels in the tray or overloading the tray Rectify this by separating most of the multiples present or reloading the tray with a smaller sample if it is overfilled and then rescan the tray SeedCount can also detect and separate seeds joined by an awn SeedCount uses all of the above data to count the whole seeds When counting whole seeds SeedCount ignores all of the broken seeds and dockage material This Whole Seed count is displayed onscreen and saved in the Number of Seeds column in the Data File The Whole Seed count is not the sum of the counts displayed in the various screenings groups as the screening counts are percentages of counts based on the calculated virtual seeds and also include the broken seeds and dockage material Calculating the Kernel Weight The kernel weight is calculated from the whole kernels only The kernel weight is the total whole kernel mass divided by the whole seed count SeedCount removes the mass of the broken and dockage material as well as not counting it This procedure conforms to the standard kernel weight methods The As is results are the kernel weight on a wet weight basis If the sample s moisture content has been given a dry basis kernel weight is also calculated The kernel weight can by merely changing the units be regarded as being either the average kernel mass in milligrams or the mass of a thousand kernels in grams Tray Design The SeedCo
36. e le eei tbe eene da niea niii 45 Counting Out a Fixed Number of Seeds essere 45 Analyzing Small Samples 46 Navigating in the Scan Window essere enne enne ener 46 Examining individual Seeds esssseeeeeeeeeeeeen enne 46 Varietal Identification unt ERI teret D EE Zeg ier 47 Displaying Ranges of Seed Measurements 47 To display a range of object sizes sseeeeeeeeeeneeeeeenn nnne 47 Display guidelines iuueni tette ee eto tee tn ER Ro eden Ee ee 47 To display overlapping clumps of two or more sees 48 GES RE ER 48 Backing up Scanned Images and Data files esee 48 Glossary of Derms z e e had set ch ath a re eed Tee deed ERAN 49 Troubl shootng do eI e e lege npe ede deca 51 Contents of this Chapter iicet hee eet teo hne nn en RR conne Eten 51 Can t Communicate with Scanner enne 51 Accuracy seems to be Boot 51 Data was Cleared from my Input Boxes 52 Hull less barley results seem wrong 52 Image won t open in my Image Editor 52 Image Format is Wrong eer peer iere rre enti ee eae R Rae aded 52 Opening the Image makes SeedCount crash eee 52 Too Numerous to Count eene enne en enne ehnnnnesetennnn tenente 53 This Tray has an Unbalanced Distribution of Grain eeeeeeee 53 Vertical Colored Stripes in the Image 53 Tray is too Tight to Fit into Cabinet Cradle eene 53 Error Not Listed ADOVe
37. e the number of severity levels may be increased m Figure 13 Blackpoint Severity Kernel Weight Distribution by count The Kernel Weight distribution graph has a resolution of 1 milligram Virtual seeds are used in this graph 38 NE ROT ERE 7 Figure 14 Kernel Weight Distribution Length Width and Thickness Distributions by count This graph is a combination of the Length Width and Thickness Distribution graphs giving a quick overview of the sample distributions Mn Figure 15 Length Width and T hickness Distributions Broken Distributions by actual length or percentage of average length These two graphs give a breakdown of the broken kernels in the Rice sample The graph either shows the count of kernels by raw length in mm or as a percentage of the length of an average whole kernel 39 Figure 16 Broken Distributions Blackpoint Module SeedCount includes a function for measuring the blackpoint defect in wheat or barley It must be turned on in the Options menu of the Main Menu bar before analysing the sample Once turned on the blackpoint Bp module will remain active until turned off The Blackpoint test adds several seconds to your analysis time The blackpoint module searches for blackpoint in wheat or its equivalent in barley blacktip Blackpoint is usually a darkening of the embryo area of the kernel which is on the opposite side of the kernel to the crease Thus blackpoint
38. ed in the Options menu a results summary page will be automatically created by SeedCount The information contained in the summary file is very similar to the Data File except the data is stored and displayed in a manner suitable for viewing or printing out as a single page summary for an individual sample The summary pages are in HTML format and can be displayed and printed with any Web Browser 31 The result summary page can also be automatically printed selectable under the Options menu There is a sample Summary File in Appendix E Maintenance 1 Tray Maintenance The tray needs regular cleaning to produce good results Dust and debris needs to be brushed or blown out of the tray whenever it accumulates A 38 mm brush is supplied for this purpose This applies especially to the calibration strips across the top of the tray as debris or seeds on the strips will affect the color correction of the grain in the columns beneath the artefact The calibration strips should also be cleaned at least twice a week with a nonabrasive glass cleaner and a soft lint free cloth Daily when the system is under heavy use The tray should be handled with care to avoid scratching of the indent surface and stored on a flat surface when not in use Damaged trays can be returned to SeedCount for assessment and where possible the tray will be repaired and the calibration strips replaced 2 System cleaning The exterior of the scanner cabinet can
39. ee Figure 7 No seeds can be left on the calibration strips or along the edges of the tray outside of the indented areas If you have excess seeds you will need to resample with a smaller volumetric cup Figure 8 shows a rice tray filled and ready for scanning Various sample scans are shown in Appendix D Figure 7 Separating Doubles Figure 8 Ready to Scan 8 10 11 12 SeedCount requires the tray to contain similar numbers of grain in both the wide left and narrow right sections of the tray This can be controlled while emptying the cup into the tray and by tilting the tray while shaking it Weigh the tray and sample to 0 01 gm and enter the sample mass minus the tray mass in the Initial Weight textbox NOTE If the sample has been pre cleaned weights can be taken directly from the cup rather than the tray The sample weight can be entered as the Clean Weight and the Initial Weight box can be left blank SeedCount will assume that the Initial and Clean weights are the same The following hand cleaning step can also be skipped Remove any large pieces of debris from the tray such as stalks backbone sticks intact heads stones etc During analysis SeedCount will identify broken seeds and small items of dockage such as small weed seeds and bits of awn and will add this additional dockage to the total dockage There is no need to remove this fine material by hand Hold the tray in front of a medium sized fan to blow
40. eedCount as having blackpoint and also the severity rating of the blackpoint Increasing the Minimum value for the Wide Indent or Narrow Indent region by moving the slider to the right will increase the number of Seeds identified as having Blackpoint Moving the slider left will reduce the number of Blackpoint seeds detected The user can also manually adjust the number of seeds detected by SeedCount as having severe blackpoint by moving the Severity slider to the right left to decrease number The biasing used in each analysis will be recorded in the Data and Summary files under the Bias column Often changing the bias of one color parameter will affect other similar color assessments 23 Note that the color adjustments will only affect subsequent analysis not any analysis that has already been completed Prior images will need to be rerun to see the changes Options Security Options x Main Data Control Grain Standards Colour Adjustments Damaged Adjustments Chalk Security SeedCount Options Security Enter Password wm Confirm Password Figure 4h SeedCount Options Security Screen If no Password is set all users can access the Options menu The master user can lock the Options menu to prevent unauthorised changes in the various thresholds used Simply type in and remember the Password that allows access SeedCount technicians may be able to recover lost Option menu passwords but a fee is required so
41. ge can be saved in a lossless JPEG format or in bmp format SeedCount will automatically place this name into the Sample ID text box If necessary the Sample ID can be changed SHORTCUT If you are using a common incremented scan file name or Sample ID you can click and drag to select the repeated portion of the ID right click the selection and Copy it to the clipboard Then you can paste this section into the file name or sample ID for the following scans by clicking on the File Name or Sample ID box and pressing Control V ie hold down the Control key and press V 4 Click on the Analyse button or press the ENTER key SeedCount will analyze the image and display all the results possible with the data you have already entered 5 Empty the tray by tipping the tray contents into the supplied collection tub and tapping the sample tray against it A bamboo skewer can be used to dislodge the occasional seed that becomes wedged into an indent 6 When Analysis is completed additional optional data can be entered such as o Protein obtained with an approved method such as a calibrated NIR spectrophotometer or LECO nitrogen analyser if available This value is used only to save the sample protein with the other values as shown below o Grain Moisture obtained with an approved method such as a calibrated NIR spectrophotometer if available This will allow the dry KW to be calculated and the moisture to be stored o Test Weight if using a
42. he Mass and Volume text boxes will not automatically clear so these values can be retained if needed again When running SeedCount in single tray mode no tray numbers will appear and you will not be able to click the Start New Sample Set button as it will be grayed out If Multi Tray mode is on and you wish to return to single tray mode click the Multi Tray checkbox in the Options menu again to unselect it Help can be accessed at any time by clicking on the Help menu bar button or typing Alt H Additional help will be available at our Website or by phone or email as detailed later in the manual Contents of the Data Analysis File The data file contains a header line that identifies the various fields Some of the data saved includes average colour values of the seeds average seed sizes screenings blackpoint or blacktip chalk and the version of SeedCount used Wheat and Barley For an explanation of the contents of the Wheat or Barley Data File see Appendix D Wheat and Barley 28 NOTE When analysing barley blacktip substitutes for blackpoint Medium and Arborio Rice Head rice is broken rice that is more than 75 percent of the length of the whole kernel For an explanation of the contents of the Medium and Arborio Rice Data File see Appendix D Medium and Arborio Rice Long Grain Rice Long Grain rice reporting is similar to the Medium grain rice but is more complex Current Long Rice Standards available see
43. he length of a whole kernel Hull less Barley Barley that has a loose outer hull like wheat Most of the hulls are removed during threshing SeedCount is not calibrated for hull less barley and will not produce accurate results with it Initial Weight Sample mass before cleaning JPEG A method of compressing bitmap images SeedCount uses loseless jpg images that lose no information but require about 1 2 the storage space of the original bitmap bmp KW As Is Kernel Weight in milligrams including moisture KW Dry Kernel Weight in milligrams of dry matter only Mini Test Weight This is a scaled down test weight method using our small volume sample cups It is of lower accuracy than the standard test weights due to the restricted sample size Multi Tray Mode An option that allows the results of 2 or more trayfuls of seed taken from the same grain lot to be aggregated together Malted Barley 49 Barley that has been germinated and kilned for use in brewing or producing malt extract SeedCount currently uses the standard barley module for malted barley Pixel A single image point In SeedCount each pixel has a 24 bit value specifying up to 16 8 million colors Roundness Sphericity of the grain Defined in the How SeedCount Works section Screening Distribution or Assortment The separation of the grain by a series of screens of decreasing slot width placed one beneath the other The material retained on each screen is weighed a
44. his error will give you high tray numbers and only one line of average values for your entire sessions work not a result for each grain lot Importing a Data File into Excel M SeedCount can produce two different text based Data Files that can be imported into Excel The procedure below will work with them both One of them is the standard data file that generates a single line summary of each sample analysed in a session The second text file is a large table with extensive data for every object in one image This file can be turned on or off in the Options menu It is saved in the same directory as the other data files and uses a similar filename format to the HTML summary file it contains the image name the date and time of the analysis followed by objects txt To import these files 1 Open Excel and click on the Open File icon 2 Inthe Files of type box at the bottom of the Open File window select Text files Then select the directory and file you wish to import The Text Import Wizard window will then appear 3 Ensure the Delimited fields and Tabs options are selected and click on Finish 4 The data can be saved as an Excel file if desired by selecting the File gt Save As option in Excel Click on the Save as Type box and select Microsoft Excel workbook from the dropdown list 5 Essentially the same procedures are available in other spreadsheet programs such as Quattro Pro etc Results Summary Pages If enabl
45. hole seeds in the Wide section of the tray e Average Kernel Thickness using whole seeds in the Narrow section of the tray Average Area area in sq mm of whole seeds in the Wide section of the tray Aspect Ratio Roundness Number of whole seeds Kernel Weight o As is basis weight of 1000 seeds in grams o Dry basis weight of 1000 seeds in grams Test Weight in kilograms per hectoliter or pounds per bushel e Dockage Percentage e Discolored Kernels o Seeds that are either generally dark or moldy o Seeds that are red or marked with red o Seeds that are green o Seeds that are yellow e Blackpoint or Blacktip if enabled by the user o Number and percentage of seeds with the defect o Blackpoint Manual Editing The operator can manually edit the automatic assessment e Chalk if enabled by the user o Percentage of seeds with the defect o Number of seeds with the defect o A score for each seed tested to help determine its Chalkiness e White Seeds generally due to exposed endosperm or fusarium infection e CIE L a b average L a and b values and standard deviation for the sample e Screening Distribution Percent mass corresponding to slotted screen sieving measurements e Kernel classifications for medium long grain arborio rice Some of the Rice specific classifications include o Paddy Immature green grains Red seeds Red streaked seeds Red specked seeds Yellow seeds Black seeds Black specked seeds Discol
46. ification Ring Colour Red Green Red Streaked Light Green i Identification Ring Red Specks Dark Green Discolouration Colour Yellow Purple Damaged Red Green ees Spots Darker Geen Black White Damaged Red Darkest Green Black Specks Darkest Grey Damaged Yellow Dark Purple Discoloured Darker Yellow Damaged Black Light Grey General Damaged Black Grey Glutinous Blue Spots White in Brown Yellow Damaged Brown Dark Yellow Brown in White Darkest Yellow White Black Paddy Blue Paddy is rice that still has the husk on the kernel Paddy can occur often in brown cargo rice but is rare in polished rice The husk is generally an opaque yellow colour The paddy is counted and its mass calculated This information is presented in both the data file and summary sheet The paddy can be seen in Show Discoloured window where it is highlighted with a blue ring 43 44 Additional Procedures Contents of this Chapter Setting up the Scanner Counting Out a Fixed Number of Seeds Analyzing Small Samples Navigating in the Scan Window Examining individual Seeds Varietal Identification Displaying Ranges of Seed Measurements To display a range of object sizes Display guidelines To display overlapping clumps of two or more seeds To Display Dockage Backing up Scanned Images and Data Files Setting up the Scanner The scanner currently being used for SeedCount is a specially modified high speed USB2 commercial qual
47. in the lt 2 8 to 2 5 mm Screenings group Percent of Total Count Count of whole and broken seeds in the lt 2 5 to 2 2 mm Screenings group Percent of Total Count Count of whole and broken seeds in the lt 2 2 to 2 0 mm Screenings group Percent of Total Count Count of whole and broken seeds in the lt 2 0 to 1 6 mm Screenings group Percent of Total Count Count of whole and broken seeds in the lt 1 6 mm Screenings group Percent of Total Count Grain type Grain standard used to analyse the sample Site ID Operator ID Version of SeedCount that created the data file Date Time 63 Medium and Arborio Rice SampleID Tray No Whole Seeds TKW_As is TKW_Dry Std TW Mini TW Dockage Avg CIEL Avg CIE a Avg CIE b Seeds Tested for Chalk Chalky Seeds Count Chalky Seeds 96 Chalk Manual Total 96 Chalk Impact Chalk Threshold 96 by Area Red Count Red Streak Count Red Speck Count Green Count Yellow Count Black Count Black Speck Count Other Disc Count Glutinous Count Disc Total Red by Mass Red Streak 96 by Mass Red Speck by Mass Green by Mass Yellow 96 by Mass Black 96 by Mass Black Speck 96 by Mass Other Disc by Mass Glutinous 96 by Mass Disc Total by Mass Red Bias Red Streak Bias Red Speck Bias Green Bias Yellow Bias Black Bias Black Speck Bias Other Disc Bias Normal Bias Black Speck Bias Other Disc Bias 64 White in Brown Count Brown
48. ity scanner The scanner is controlled with our built in TWAIN software This software controls the area resolution and output format among other options For SeedCount processing the images must have a resolution of 300 pixels or dots per inch dpi and have 24 bits of color information per pixel The scanner is preconfigured for SeedCount use and none of the scanner settings should be altered The scan is cropped to include only the interior of the tray If your scanner configuration becomes corrupted please contact us for assistance SeedCount can save the scanned images as either lossless JPEGs or bitmaps bmp files Lossless JPEG files are about one half the size of the bitmap files and are the preferred save option Bmp files can be viewed by most image editing software JPEG images can be made transferable by opening them in SeedCount and saving them as bitmaps NOTE The SeedCount scanner is modified for use with our trays and should only be used for that purpose It will not make normal scans Counting Out a Fixed Number of Seeds Sometimes it is necessary to count out a fixed number of seeds For example a germination test may require the use of exactly one hundred seeds If the sample s as is Thousand Kernel Weight TKW is already known weigh out one tenth of the TKW and distribute the kernels evenly in both sections of the tray minimizing the number of doubles and run SeedCount If the sample is well distributed you will get
49. lent correlations between seeds in different locations and on different scans The corrected colours can be traced back to recognized international colour standards The corrected images can be viewed in SeedCount using the range function Aspect Ratio The Aspect Ratio is a measure of seed shape The sample s Aspect Ratio is the average of the seed length divided by the seed width for all of the single seeds in the Wide seed section of the tray A circular seed would have an Aspect Ratio of 1 0 while a long thin grass seed may have an Aspect Ratio of 5 0 Roundness SeedCount measures roundness which is a more useful measure of kernel shape than the 2D Aspect Ratio Roundness is a three dimensional assessment of a seed s sphericity using our Virtual Seed function see Appendix C Roundness is a useful measure of kernel quality Kernel size and shape influence the endosperm percentage of a kernel More endosperm equates to a larger yield of white flour or malt extract Mathematical modelling shows that long thin kernels have up to 25 more husk and bran than short plump kernels of the same volume Because of this relationship purchasers maltsters and millers prefer plump kernels This encourages breeders and farmers to select for plumper varieties But plumpness determined by measuring only kernel length and width does not compensate for kernel thickness differences between varieties The equation is simple and dimensionless le
50. nd Standard Errors of SeedCount Tests Grain Count TKW As Is TKW Dry Test Weight Blackpoint Barley Avg 484 143 7 38 8 167 6 12 8 StdError 5 6 0 58 10 63 2 4 23 Malted Barley Avg473 36 4 134 4 Na NA StdError 5 8 0 65 10 62 IN A N A Wheat Avg an 313 27 8 80 0 4 5 StdError 62 0 30 10 34 be jis Table 1 Average Values and Standard Errors of SeedCount Tests compared with hand counting with trays and standard 500 ml test weight hectoliter weight determinations Blackpoint Blacktip values were compared with visual examination of blackpoint affected samples The counts shown in Table are for whole seeds only Thus SeedCount s accuracy also shows that it can effectively isolate broken seeds and other dockage in the sample The counts are of course used in the kernel weight calculations The micro test weight sampling in SeedCount is sufficiently accurate for use by breeders with small samples The SeedCount blackpoint module is under intense development and it is expected that the accuracy of the blackpoint assessment will improve dramatically Table 2 deals with the match between SeedCount s Screening Equivalents and actual mechanical screening results At this time there is insufficient data to include the malted barley results though they appear to be similar to the barley results 54 SeedCount Screening Equivalent Tests compared with Mechanical Screenings Grain gt 2 8 2 8
51. ngth 4 length width width thickness thickness Roundness 35 The roundness of a perfect sphere is 1 0 and that of a grass seed is 4 9 Barley has an average roundness of 2 5 with a standard deviation of 0 4 Wheat has an average roundness of 1 93 with a standard deviation of 0 25 Screening Equivalents The screening equivalent results are created from the Virtual Seed data but the broken kernel and dockage material is added to this data in keeping with standard screening protocols The calculated virtual seed s thickness is used to assign the seed to a screening group Once all of the seeds are allocated to the various groups the Percentage Mass for each group is calculated These equivalents are useful for indicating the size distribution in a grain sample and for comparisons between different cultivars and samples However at this time they are not accurate enough to be used for commercial quality assessments such as determining the percentage of a wheat sample in the less than 2 0 mm screen group The Analysis Accuracy section indicates how closely these equivalents match actual mechanical screenings Graphs The graphs are only available once the sample has been analyzed The graphs are displayed by selecting View from the Main Menu bar and then selecting the type of graph you wish to view Graph data can be viewed by clicking the Display Data button above the graph It can also be saved by clicking the Save Data As bu
52. oured seeds Qc o 59 500 9 790 76 gt The program can save all of this data and more in a convenient form for use in a spreadsheet or database Unpacking and Installation Contents of this Chapter Hardware Package Software Provided Accessories Installation Operating Environment Registration Authorised Modules Hardware Package Your SeedCount hardware package contains the following IBM compatible computer with a minimum configuration of a Core 2 Duo processor running at 1 86 GHz 2 Gb of Memory at least two USB2 ports a DVD RW drive and a 250 Gb hard drive SeedCount Scanning Cabinet containing a scanner specially modified for SeedCount operation Power supply for the scanner USB2 cable to connect the scanner to the computer The corn module requires an additional desktop scanner and a separate tray for transmitted light measurements Software Provided Your SeedCount software package contains the following SeedCount program installed and ready for use Scanner TWAIN drivers Windows XP Pro Tutorial program for getting started rapidly PDF copy of the manual located in the installed directory Scientific papers relating to DIA of grain are available on the CD NOTE The SeedCount program is copy protected See the Registration section below for important information Accessories Your package comes with one of more of the following grain sampling trays depending on the grain modules purchased B
53. ow buttons this colour will be used Multiple Tray Mode SeedCount allows you to aggregate more than one trayful of grain when you need to test a larger sample of grain to increase the result accuracy for a particular grain lot Click the Multiple Trays per Sample check box Graphing Display as a percentage of the largest value instead of the percentage of the entire sum 17 Blackpoint Blacktip The blackpoint blacktip function can be turned on or off by selecting deselecting the Blackpoint check box You can also select to automatically draw the coloured highlights around the seeds when you click the Show Blackpoint button Chalk The chalk function can be turned on or off by selecting deselecting the Chalk check box You can also chose to automatically draw the coloured highlights around the seeds when you click the Show Chalk button Screenings Screening distributions can be turned on or off by selecting deselecting the Screenings check box Data File options Options xl Main Data Control Grain Standards Colour Adjustments Damaged Adjustments Chalk Security Data Control ei Automatically create and save Summary Page m Automatically print Summary Page Automatically create and P save Objects file v Automatically create and zave Screenings file E Cancel Figure 4b Data Control options for SeedCount 18 SeedCount will automatically save a Data File each time you analyze a sample You can also select
54. parated 5 No material should be on the calibration strips or outside the indented areas of the tray If the tray and calibration strips are covered in dust the tray should be emptied and brushed clean before refilling 6 Ensure that an accurate mass and volume have been entered for the sample Wrong input data can only produce wrong output data Data was Cleared from my Input Boxes SeedCount clears most of the input data boxes whenever a new image is scanned or opened to make data entry easier and to prevent unwanted carry over of data from previous samples Remember to save the data before scanning or opening another image if you want it for future reference SeedCount will automatically save your data with as much detail as you want if you set it up in the Data Control section of the Options menu Hull less barley results seem wrong The barley and malted barley selections are calibrated for the common hulled barley kernels If you are testing hull less barley you will need to use the barley selection but be aware that the results will not be as accurate as those for hulled barley Image won t open in my Image Editor SeedCount uses lossless Jpegs as its default image file format Most editors do not support that format Reopen the image in SeedCount and save it as a bitmap It can then be opened in an editor Image Format is Wrong This fault can occur if the scan is made independently of SeedCount and has been saved in the
55. plugging in the scanner cabinet You must use the following installation procedure The computer used must comply with the requirements given in the manual and have Windows XP 32 bit version installed 1 If you already have a version of SeedCount either the Full or Demo versions on your computer please uninstall it them first using the uninstall option in 10 Windows using the sequence Start All Programs SeedCount and or SeedCount Demo Uninstall 2 Install the SeedCount program using the Run Browse options in Windows Use browse to select the SeedCount installation CD and select SeedCount_Full_Installer then Run the file This will install the full version of SeedCount 3 If an old version of SeedCount was already on your computer replace the SeedCount dat file in your Windows directory or WINNT for Win2000 with the one in the SeedCount CD 4 Install the drivers for the scanner by using the Run feature of Windows again This time go into the EpsonDriver directory on the SeedCount CD and select the Setup file When requested choose the Epson Perfection 2480 2580 scanner for SC3 systems or the Epson Perfection 4490 for SC4 systems 5 This will give you the software you need to run SeedCount Registration is addressed above 6 The first time you scan an image you will need to select your scanner driver from a list using File Select Source from the main SeedCount screen The correct drivers using Windows XP are eithe
56. r o Epson Perfection 2480 2580 2 65 32 32 for SC3 systems o Epson Perfection 4490 2 73 32 32 for SC4 systems WARNING Sometimes Windows adds its default scanner driver to your scanner list It will not produce useable scans and should never be used It will have a WIA prefix looking like e WIA EPSON Perfection 2480 2580 1 0 32 32 e WIA EPSON Perfection 4490 1 0 32 32 Even if these drivers have not yet appeared in your Select Source list you must follow the procedure below to ensure that they will not appear later The WIA drivers must be disabled to prevent their use with SeedCount as they produce discoloured and unusable scans To Disable the WIA drivers in Windows XP 1 Open the Control Panel Open Administrative Tools you will need to have administrator status to do this or get someone who has that status to set this up for you Open Services Open Windows Image Aquisition WIA Under the General tab Click on the Stop Button Change the Startup Type to Disabled Click the Log On tab Click on the Profile s used example Profile1 Click on Disable 10 Click on Apply 11 Click on OK to save the changes n SO GOS ON DA Tm US These changes will still allow you to use the genuine Epson scanner drivers but will prevent the WIA drivers from becoming available for use If a new WIA device is 11 plugged into the computer it may sometimes override these settings and you will need to disable them again
57. rmatting the current computer but the new serial number must be sent to SeedCount and a new registration number and licence file must be obtained to activate it Authorised Modules SeedCount instruments come with one or more grain modules The modules that can be accessed with your installation are indicated by bold text in the grain selection screen The others are grayed out and cannot be accessed Contact your dealer to activate additional modules for your SeedCount instrument 13 14 Basic Procedures Contents of this Chapter Starting SeedCount Options Obtaining a Sample and Filling the Tray Scanning Samples Opening Grain Images Multi tray Mode Contents of Data Analysis File Saving Data Files Importing a Data File into Excel Results Summary Pages Maintenance Starting SeedCount NOTE It is recommended that you first view the tutorial that is included in the SeedCount directory 1 Open SeedCount and select the grain type you are testing from the Select Grain Type screen Figure 2 Grain types authorised for your SeedCount instrument display in bold Those not authorised are grayed out Select Grain Type E n x B Malted arley Barley Brown Brown Brown Brown Short Grain Medium Long Grain Arborio Rice Grain Rice Rice Rice White White White White Short Grain Medium Long Grain Arborio Rice Grain Rice Rice Rice Figure 2 Grain Selection Screen WARNING If the wrong grain type is selected
58. rt Kernels C1 Kernels by mass C2 Kernels by mass C3 Kernels by mass Short Kernels by mass All Whole Paddy Count Thai ISO Standards only o Head Rice Count o Large Brokens Count o Medium Brokens Count US and Australian Standards only o Brokens Count Small Brokens Count Thai ISO Standards only o Chips Count Paddy by mass Thai ISO Standards only o Head Rice 96 by mass o Large Brokens by mass o Medium Brokens 96 by mass US and Australian Standards only o Brokens by mass Small Brokens 96 by mass Thai ISO Standards only o Chips by mass Moisture Percentage on wet weight basis Protein Percentage Initial Sample weight of dirty initial sample Clean Sample weight after cleaning or pre cleaned Sample volume Seed Length Mean Seed Length Standard Deviation Seed Width Mean Seed Width Standard Deviation Seed Thickness Mean Seed Thickness Standard Deviation o OQ 7 e 04 0 OO 62 Average Seed area Wide Section Total area of all seeds Screenings gt 2 8 mm Percent by weight the thickest grains Screenings lt 2 8 mm to 2 5 Percent by weight Screenings lt 2 5 mm to 2 2 Percent by weight Screenings lt 2 2 mm to 2 0 Percent by weight Screenings lt 2 0 mm to 1 6 Percent by weight Screenings lt 1 6 mm Percent by weight Count of whole and broken seeds in the gt 2 8 mm Screenings group Percent of Total Count Count of whole and broken seeds
59. s in a bucket or small bag of grain The tube contents are transferred to a volumetric cup Up to 718 barley 1000 wheat 1300 rice or 316 corn kernels can be analyzed at once The sample is placed on a special indented tray visible in Figure 1 and shaken to distribute the seeds into the shaped indents The indents have varying shapes allowing some seeds to fall into wide shallow indents and lie on their back In this position the length width and area of the seeds can be measured Other seeds fall into narrower indents and are held on their edge When on their edge their thickness can be measured Some grains e g corn also use end on indents for viewing the crown directly The tray is placed in the scanner cabinet SeedCount then scans the sample at 300 dpi in 16 8 million colours The image can be saved to the computer s hard drive as a lossless JPEG image file or as a BMP file for future reference The user must enter the clean weight of the sample and can also enter the initial as is weight moisture percentage protein percentage and the volume of the sample The user and site identification can also be entered The grain is not damaged by the scanning process and can be retained for retesting or used for other purposes What Does SeedCount Test SeedCount analyses the image and calculates the following quantities e Average Kernel Length in mm using whole seeds in the Wide section of the tray e Average Kernel Width using w
60. s well as the material that passes through all the screens Results given as the Percentage of the Total Mass retained on each screen Screening Equivalents Screening Distribution calculated from Digital Image Analysis Oe SeedCount Screenings The material that passes through a screen with slots of a stated width Single Tray Mode Mode in which each trayful of seed represents the entire grain lot TKW As is Thousand Kernel Weight The weight of 1 000 whole seeds including moisture measured in grams TKW Dry The dry matter weight of 1 000 whole seeds TWAIN TWAIN is an acronym for a standard means for accessing devices such as scanners and digital cameras from within applications that accept and process digital images Each manufacturer of an imaging device such as a scanner which is TWAIN enabled supplies a driver that is installed into the computer 50 Troubleshooting Included below are some problems or error messages you may encounter and their suggested solutions Contents of this Chapter Can t Communicate with Scanner Accuracy seems to be Poor Data was Cleared from my Input Boxes Hull less Barley Results seem Wrong Image won t open in my Image Editor Image Format is Wrong Opening the Image makes SeedCount Crash Too Numerous to Count This Tray has an Unbalanced Distribution of Grain Colored Stripes in the Image Tray too Tight to Fit into Cabinet Cradle Error Not Listed Above Can
61. ssage is usually caused by an unbalanced distribution of seeds This means that there are too many seeds in either the width or Thickness sections of the tray This loading error has been found to greatly reduce SeedCount s accuracy The only solution is to refill the tray more evenly and create another scan This error message can also be caused by the user selecting the wrong grain type This will cause SeedCount to analyze the seeds based on the wrong criteria which will give very inaccurate results Check that you have selected the correct grain type and are using the correct tray for the grain you are analysing note that brown long rice and white long rice etc are NOT the same If these details are correct check that the tray kernel distribution isn t unbalanced as above Vertical Colored Stripes in the Image This error is most likely caused by the scanner overheating Ensure that the scanner cabinet is being operated under suitable conditions If the fault continues to occur even though the operating conditions are suitable then the scanner cabinet may need replacing Contact Us for further information Tray is too Tight to Fit into Cabinet Cradle Small variations in the cabinet and tray clearances can on rare occasions cause this problem It can be rectified by carefully using a file or sandpaper to remove enough material along the sides of the tray to allow it to slide in smoothly Error Not Listed Above Please conta
62. te REE e Re E ts 33 TPO GUC e 33 Contents of this Chapter eire tete e Een getto ie ere eo odes edd 33 Mini Test Weight Hectoliter Weight 33 Detection of Dockage neuer Tee rre tet nor eee ixi diva 33 Countin Seeds edere eee geret e e tue e pp red queo 34 Calculating the Kernel Weight sese enne nnne 34 Tray Designz edt RE ER e Rea 34 le EE 35 ee 35 Screening Equivalent cc cccccsessreeesenecoetsecnsecsesececesseneceeeounecessessuteccensaseneaues 36 Thickness Distribution by COUNL ccceceeeseseeneececeeeeesenneeeeeeeeseesntaeeeeeeess 36 Length Distribution by oun 37 Area Distribution Width section ssseeeeneneneeenneeenen nennen 37 Blackpoint Severity by count essere 38 Kernel Weight Distribution by oun 38 Length Width and Thickness Distributions by coumnt 39 Broken Distributions by actual length or percentage of average length 39 Blackpoint Module eI er ERI ee Der Hi bio t He Tope iode 40 Bin burn and Fungal Staining eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeneee nennen nennen nenne 41 Manual Editing of Blackpoint Seede esee 41 Kernel Brightness and White Seeds seeseeeeeeeeneen 42 Chalk Modal ruri beo rb gehen E Dr ac te putes 42 Discoloured Kernels and Paddy Rice eee 42 Additional Procedures AAA 45 Contents Of this Chapter ete d e er ii e e Iu e Mae geo 45 Setting Up the Scanner eerte er
63. the Options section to change the Standard are Thailand ISO United States of America India and Australian For an explanation of the contents of the Long Grain Rice Data File see Appendix D Long Grain Rice When using the Thai standards the whole kernels are classed by length as shown below and reported as both the actual count and the percent by count of the total counts for all whole kernels Thai Head rice also needs to be greater than 80 of the average kernel length Class Length mm Class 1 gt 7 0 Class 27 0 to gt 6 6 Class 36 6 to gt 6 2 Shorts 66 2 or shorter The entire sample is compared in various groups by percent of the total mass These groups are e Whole grains composed of all of the above classes e Head rice 28096 of the whole kernel length e Brokens composed of o Brokens 80 to gt 50 of the whole kernel length o Small Brokens 5046 or less of the whole kernel length but too large to fit through a 1 4 mm diameter screen hole Chips small enough to fit through 1 4 mm diameter screen holes Paddy rice is reported separately as counts Various discolourations are also detected including red yellow immature green black and generally discoloured kernels They are counted and their percentage by mass is estimated Saving Data Files 29 1 SeedCount automatically saves the results of each analysis to a data file You will be prompted to create a new data file on
64. the data Nan Jos EA Figure 9 Identification Screen When your analysis is complete SeedCount will automatically save the analysis results when you click on the Initial or Clean Weight data entry boxes or the or buttons change grain types grain standards or exit the program You can also click the Save Data button to force addition of the new data to the data file SeedCount will add a date and time stamp to the data and confirm that the data has been saved with a beep and a message in the Status Bar at the bottom of the screen If Automatically create and save Summary Page is turned on in the Options menu an HTML summary page will be saved 30 in the same directory as the data file If Automatically print Summary Page is turned on as well SeedCount will automatically print the Summary Page 4 To obtain scan and analyze another sample return to the top of the Obtaining and Scanning a Sample procedure In Multi Tray mode this will add another trayful of seed to the current sample set The on screen display will show you how many trayfuls are in your current sample set Click on Start New Sample when you are ready to begin a different sample set WARNING In Multi Tray mode most users will only want 2 to 4 trayfuls of seed in each sample set You must click Start New Sample Set for each different grain lot you are analyzing If you do not click Start New Sample Set the results for all of your runs will be aggregated together T
65. the first run for each grain type SeedCount will open a Data File dialog box that will allow you to either select an existing Data file or create a new file and directory if needed for your data file The extension txt will be automatically added to your new file The Data file location and name will appear in the window just above the image area of the main screen This data file will remain active until a new data file is specified the grain type is changed or SeedCount is closed If the Data File window is empty you do not have a valid data file open for use Each analysis is added as a separate line to the data file WARNING If you give your data file the name of an existing data file you can either choose to select another file or add your new data to the end of the existing data in the file If you only want your current work in the file you will need a new filename WARNING Different grain types and grain standards produce different data output It is essential that a valid Data file is used for each grain type and standard Clicking OK will bring up the Identification window Figure 9 Alter or accept the Site and Operator information and click OK This is required only once per session or when grain types or standards are changed The Identification Window can also be opened manually by clicking on Identification to change operators etc If necessary these text boxes can also be used to store notes that will be saved with
66. to 2 5 2 5 to 2 2 2 2 to 2 0 2 0 to 1 6 lt 1 6 Barley Avg 58 19 1 10 6 6 2 lt 2 0 N A 4 6 2 0 N A StdError 69 52 16 2 Malted Barley Avg StdError Wheat Avg 147 4 29 5 17 4 1 9 0 1 StdError 12 1 16 8 17 8 i ha 04 Table 2 SeedCount Screening Equivalent Tests compared with Mechanical Screenings ll ON It is also useful to look at the Screening Equivalents from the perspective of various commercial cut off points for Screenings as shown in Table 3 For these values the various size distributions above or below the cut off points are summed together and compared with the equivalent mechanical screenings groups The most useful increase in accuracy is in the grouping for barley retained on a 2 5 mm screen no 2 8 mm screen used which now has a standard error of 3 8 SeedCount s Standard Error for Various Aggregated Screenings Classifications Grain 22 5 2 5 2 2 2 0 Barley Avg 744 ps7 49 Ri StdError 3 8 3 9 7 1 An Malted Barley Avg StdError Wheat Avg 77 3 5 6 12 0 StdError 7 5 F5 24 1 3 Table 3 SeedCount s Standard Error for Various Aggregated Screenings Classifications 59 Getting Help Contact Information Marvin Weiss Weiss Enterprises Marvin Weiss 51 Turtle Bay Dr Branford CT USA 06405 Ph 203 488 6930 Bruce Armstrong SeedCount Australasia Pty Ltd PO Box 236 Creswick Vic Australia 3363 Ph 613 5345 7367
67. tton The saved graph data can be viewed in a spreadsheet or used to regenerate the graph You can find the value of each bar by positioning the cursor on it Its value displays in the bottom left of the window Examples of some of the available graphs follow Thickness Distribution by count The Thickness Distribution graph is generated from the same data used to produce the screening equivalents but resolves the groupings down to 0 1 mm Only seeds in the Thickness narrow indent section of the tray are used in this graph 36 Figure 10 Thickness Distribution Length Distribution by count The Length Distribution also resolves the groupings down to 0 1 mm The Width Distribution Graph is similar to this one but only uses seeds in the width Wide indent section of the tray Figure 11 Length Distribution Area Distribution Width section The Wide Area Distribution graph has a resolution of 1 mm Only seeds in width section of the tray are used in this graph The Area Distribution Thickness Graph is similar to this one but only uses seeds in the Thickness narrow section of the tray 37 Figure 12 Area Distribution wide section Blackpoint Severity by count The Blackpoint Severity graph displays the number of seeds that have been classed as having a specific level of blackpoint At this stage a severity level of 1 is for mild blackpoint and a severity level of 2 is for severe blackpoint At a later dat
68. unt trays patent pending have been designed to facilitate three dimensional measurements of the seeds This information is essential for calculating the screening equivalents and seed roundness data and includes length width and thickness The thickness is the smallest dimension of the seed and affects the screen openings that the seed can pass through This process determines which screening group the seed belongs to The tray is divided into two sections a Width section and a Thickness section The Width section contains wide shallow indents that allow the seeds to lie flat 34 The Thickness Narrow section has narrow deeper indents shaped to hold the seeds on their edges to allow thickness measurements The thickness measurements are used to allocate the seeds to different screening groups Within the Width and Thickness sections the indents are sometimes graduated in size with the smallest indents near the top of the tray and the largest indents near the bottom The sample is initially transferred onto the top of the tray This filling method traps the smaller seeds first and allows the larger seeds to be shaken down to the larger indents near the bottom of the tray Two colour calibration strips near the top of the tray enable SeedCount to standardize the colour and brightness of every pixel in every image from all of our scanner systems One of these is almost white and the other is dark gray These corrections permit excel
69. xels from the top of the image Type e g Single Double Broken Awn etc Crease Position zero top of seed to 100 bottom of seed Blackpoint N A not tested else None Mild or Severe Chalk N A not tested otherwise the Chalk Index score is displayed Discolorations These only appear if the discoloration was detected or manually set White Dark Green Yellow Red Red Streaked Red Specked Oo oo o oO 0 46 o Black o Black Specked e Brightness Information on the pixel at the point of the mouse pointer is displayed in the top right corner of the Main Screen The X and Y position is in pixels measured from the upper left corner of the scan The red green and blue colour values for that pixel are displayed beneath the location details More detailed information on every object seed or fragment found in the image can be stored as an objects txt file for later study as mentioned in the Options section Varietal Identification SeedCount s high resolution images and the Zoom buttons explained in the individual seed section above can help with difficult task of visual varietal identification At high magnification SeedCount functions like a magnifying glass Displaying Ranges of Seed Measurements It is possible to display only the seeds that fall inside a selected range of measurements This can be done for seed area seed length and seed width To do this set the minimum and maximum values and select the

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