REAL TIME MODEL FOR QUALITY DETECTION

OF VEGETABLES USING SENSOR

PROJECT REPORT
Submitted by
A.ANJUM YASMINE (16UEF005)

M. DEVA (16UEF008)

K.S.PRATHYUSHA (16UEF029)

S.REYA SHRUTI (16UEF031)

C.D.SOWNDARYA (16UEF041)

Under the guidance of

Ms. A.CAROLINE, M.Tech

In partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of the Degree of

Bachelor of Engineering

In

DEPARTMENT OF FOOD PROCESSING AND

PRESERVATION TECHNOLOGY

Accredited by NBA- Tier 1

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

AVINASHILINGAM INSTITUTE FOR HOME SCIENCE AND

HIGHER EDUCATION FOR WOMEN

(Establishment under section 3 of UGC act 1956)

COIMBATORE -641108

APRIL- 2020
Certificate
 CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the project report entitled
“REAL TIME MODEL FOR QUALITY DETECTION
OF VEGETABLES USING SENSOR”
This is to certify that the project report entitled “ REAL TIME
MODEL FOR QUALITY DETECTION OF VEGETABLES
USING SENSOR” is being submitted by

A.ANJUM YASMINE (16UEF005)

M. DEVA (16UEF008)
K.S.PRATHYUSHA (16UEF029)
S.REYA SHRUTI (16UEF031)
C.D.SOWNDARYA (16UEF041)

In partial fulfilment of the required for the award of degree of Bachelor of

Engineering in food Processing and Preservation Technology, faculty of Engineering,
Avinashilingam University for women, Coimbatore.

This is the record of bonafide work carried out by the above students
under the supervision and guidance. The results embodied in this project
report have not been submitted to any other University or Institute for the
award of any Degree or Diploma.

Place: Coimbatore

Date : Project guide

Internal examiner External examiner

Head of the Department Dean

Acknowledgement
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First and foremost, we thank God Almighty for endowing His blessings
abundantly upon us that helped us in each step of progress towards the
successful completion of the project.

We ascribe the success of our project to the late Rev Chancellor,

Avinashilingam University, Dr. (Mrs.) Rajammal P.Devadas, M.A, M.Sc.
Ph.D (Ohio State), Hon D.sc (University of Ulster, North Ireland); for
providing us with the required facilities. We offer our respectful homage to
our great Amma avargal who sincerely labored for the welfare of women in
India.

We express our sincere thanks to the Chancellor, Padmashri

Dr.P.R.Krishnakumar Avinashilingam University for providing us with the
golden opportunity to work on this project.

Our heartfelt and sincere thanks to our Dean, Faculty of Engineering

Dr. (Mrs.) S.Maragatham, B.E. (Chennai), M.E., Ph.D (Bharathiar
University), FIE, C Eng (I), MISTE for her valuable suggestion in all our
endeavors.

We extend our hearty thanks to our Head of the Department, Dr. (Mrs.)
A.Lovelin Jerald,M.E.,Ph.D for having been with us in the ups and downs
of our project.

We also thank our guide (Ms) A.Caroline, M.Tech., for her guidance
and encouragement provided throughout the successful completion of the
project.

We extend our warm thanks to all the staff members, lab technicians
and all our friends of Food Processing and Preservation Technology
Department for the painstaking help rendered to us in every possible way.
Dedication
DEDICATED TO OUR
BELOVED TEACHERS AND
PARENTS
Synopsis
 SYNOPSIS

Quality detector is a hardware which determines the physical and chemical parameters of
the specifically selected vegetables. The aim of this project is to develop quality detection
for vegetables using sensors. Due to commercialization of agriculture in India, the focus is
now on high yield than in high nutrients. So in need of high yield, food gets adulterated to
gain more quantity in short period of time. Moreover, pesticides in vegetables are using
above the legal maximum residue limit by farmers to gain more profit in lesser time.
Although pesticide is highly effective on pests but they can reside in the environment.
Among the OP group, Dimethoate is widely used in brinjal and okra. Dimethoate is an
acetylcholinesterase inhibitor which disables cholinesterase, an enzyme essential for
central nervous system function. In this fabrication, the moisture and color sensor is used to
identify the quality of the vegetables, the pesticide sensor is used to determine the level of
pesticide sprayed during off-field and on-field. In the quality detection system, it has been
found that the percentage value of organic samples and the contaminated pesticide samples
of brinjal and okra and also between fresh produce of farm samples and locally available
market samples respectively. The variation among these samples shows the high
contamination of pesticide residue in vegetables. Hence, the system can be successfully
used for the detection of pesticide residues in vegetables. The suggest sensor system is
easy, rapid and time undemanding method.
Contents
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE
CHAPTER TITLE
NO.
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 FRUITS AND VEGETABLE
PRODUCTION IN INDIA
1.2 PESTICIDE USAGE
1.3 MONITORING OF PESTICIDES IN
FOODS
1.4 EGG PLANT
1.4.1 SPRAY OF INSECTICIDE DURING
BRINJAL GROWTH
1.5 OKRA
1.5.1 SPRAY OF INSECTICIDE DURING
OKRA GROWTH
1.6 CURRENT METHODS OF QUALITY
DETECTION IN VEGETABLES
OBJECTIVES
2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE
2.1 QUALITY OF VEGETABLES
2.2 STATISTICS OF VEGETABLES
2.3 INTRODUCTION ON VEGETABLES
2.4 BRINJAL
2.5 OKRA
2.6 WORLD SCENARIO
2.7 INDIAN SCENARIO
2.8 NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION OF
BRINJAL (SOLANUM MELONGENA L)
2.9 NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION OF
OKRA (ABELMOSCHUS ESCULENTUS)
2.10 PESTICIDE USE SCENARIO
2.11 PESTICIDE SPRAY RANGE IN
FOLLOWING VEGETABLES
2.11.1 BRINJAL
2.11.2 OKRA
2.12 MOISTURE
2.13 COLOUR
2.13.1 COLOUR MEASUREMENT AND
ANALYSIS IN FRESH FOODS
2.13.2 COLOUR MEASUREMENT IN FOODS
2.13.3 COLOUR SCALE
2.13.4 MACHINE VISION
 2.14 CURRENT METHODS
2.14.1 CHROMATOGRAPHIC METHODS
2.14.2 CHROMATOGRAPHY-MASS
SPECTROSCOPY (GC-MS ANALYSIS)
2.14.3 LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY-
TANDEM MASS SPECTROSCOPY (LC-
MS/MS ANALYSIS)
2.14.4 DETECTION OF PESTICIDE IN
FRUITS USING AN ELECTRONIC NOSE
3 MATERIALS AND METHODOLOGY
3.1 RAW MATERIALS
3.1.1 OKRA
3.1.2 BRINJAL
3.2 COMPONENTS USED
3.2.1 ARDUINO UNO
3.2.1.1 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
3.2.1.2 POWER
3.2.1.3 INPUT AND OUTPUT
3.2.2 COLOUR SENSOR
3.2.2.1 SPECIFICATION
3.2.2.2 WORKING
3.2.2.3 FILTER SELECTION
3.2.2.4 FREQUENCY SCALING
3.2.3 SOIL MOISTURE SENSOR
3.2.3.1 SPECIFICATION
3.2.3.2 PIN OUT – SOIL MOISTURE SENSOR
3.2.3.3 ANALOG MODE-
INTERFACING SOIL MOISTURE SENSOR
AND ARDUINO
3.2.3.3 CIRCUIT DIAGRAM
3.2.3.4 WORKING OF SENSOR
3.2.5 LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY
3.2.6 LIGHT EMITTING DIODE
3.7 METHODOLOGY
3.7.1 MANUAL PROCESSING
3.7.1.1 PESTICIDE
3.7.1.2 MOISTURE
3.8 MECHANICAL PROCESSING
4 RESULTS & DISCUSSIONS
5 SUMMARY & CONCLUSION
6 BIBLIOGRAPHY
List of Tables
 LIST OF TABLES

Title List of Tables Page

No. No.

3.1 Materials used for fabrication 44

3.2 I/O STRUCTURE OF AT-89C52 50

Manual peeling RATE efficiency of Ginger

4.1 57
and Beetroot

4.2 Mechanical peeling rate efficiency of Ginger 58

and Beetroot

4.3 Manual drying characteristics of ginger 59

4.4 Manual drying characteristics of Beetroot 62

4.5 Drying characteristics of ginger using 62

machine drying at 110⁰C

4.6 Drying characteristics of beetroot using 64

machine drying at 110⁰C
List of Figures
 LIST OF FIGURES

Title List of Figures Page

No. No.

1.1 3
Comparison of food wastage among different
commodities globally

1.2 4
Comparison of food wastage among different
commodities in India

1.3 5
Comparison of tuber producers Globally

1.4 7
Comparison of beetroot producers Globally

1.5 9
Nutritive value of beetroot

1.6 12
Comparison of ginger producers Globally

1.7 15
Nutritive value of Ginger

1.8 18
Comparison of global percentage loss in tubers

3.1 42
Block diagram of Zero Wastage Model
3.2 49
Map of the AT-89C52-program memory

3.3 50
Data Memory

3.4 52
Lead acid battery

3.5 54
Heating process using a heating element

4.1 61
Manual drying characteristics of ginger

4.2 61
Manual drying characteristics of beetroot

63
Mechanical drying characteristics of Ginger
4.3

64
Mechanical drying characteristics of beetroot
4.4

4.5 65
Manually Peeled Ginger

4.6 65
Skin of manually peeled Ginger

4.7 66
Sun Dried skin of Ginger

4.8 66
Manually peeled beetroot
4.9
67
Skin of manually peeled Beetroot
4.10 67
Sun dried peel of Beetroot

4.11 68
Mechanically Peeled Ginger

4.12 68
Ginger peel

4.13 69
Mechanically dried peel of Ginger

4.14 69
Mechanically dried Peel of Ginger

4.15 70
Mechanically dried skin Beetroot

4.16 Comparison of Manual and Mechanical process 71

List of Symbols and
Abbreviations
 LIST OF SYMBOLS AND ABBREVIATIONS

% - Percent

⁰C - Degree

Celsius T -

Temperature

g - Gram

m - Meter

min - Minute

d.b - Dry basis

w.b - Wet basis

rpm - Revolutions per

min m/s - Meter per second

Rw - Raw Weight

Hp - Horse Power
Objective
OBJECTIVE:

 To determine the percentage of moisture, the color of the produce and the amount
of pesticide in the produce.
 To examine the quality parameters of the product through sensors.
 To check the real-time working efficiency of the quality detector.
Introduction
 CHAPTER 1

With the globalization of world trade as well as the increasing demand of high-quality and
safe agricultural products and food by consumers, many countries pay close attention to a
more stringent food safety and quality standards. Food safety is defined as assurance that
food will not cause harm to the consumer when it is consumed according to its intended
use. According to International Organization for Standardization (ISO), quality is defined
as the totality of features and characteristics of a product that bear on its ability to satisfy
stated or implied needs. It is obvious that food safety is an essential component of food
quality. Compared with the quality parameters such as size, color, and sugar content, safety
is sometimes more difficult to detect by naked eyes or tongue. A product might be of high
quality since it appears attractive and yet be unsafe, in case of fruits and vegetables it is
contaminated with high level of pesticide that are hard to detect straightaway. Usually, the
decision-making of a consumer to purchase vegetable products is based on the combined
evaluation of external and internal quality as well as safety. The assessment of physical,
chemical, and microbiological changes in fresh produce including whole or fresh-cut
vegetable products is very important for quality and safety control in vegetable industry.
(Wenqian Huang et al., 2018)
1.1 FRUITS AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTION IN INDIA:
India ranks second in the world in the combined production of fruits and vegetables. Out of
654 million tons of fruit production in the world, India accounts for about 89 million tons
sharing about 13.6% of world’s production. Of the 1160 million tons of vegetables
produced in the world, India produces as much as 163 million tons and so India's share in
the world's vegetable market is about 14 per cent. During 2015-16, India exported fruits
and vegetables worth Rs. 8,391.41 crores which comprised of fruits worth Rs. 3,524.50
crores and vegetables worth Rs. 4,866.91 crores. Eggplant, onions, okra, bitter gourd, green
chilli and potatoes contribute largely to the vegetable export basket. (Neeraj et al., 2017)
1.2 PESTICIDE USAGE:
Vegetables are the major source of vital nutrients. Instead of fulfilling the nutritional
requirements, these fruits and vegetables carry pesticide residue, and harm the health of the
consumers. Main reasons of finding the pesticide residues in these produce may be
because of providing shiny and fresh appearance and good color. This leads to usage of
synthetic chemicals beyond the safe limits. Due to the persistent nature of some of the
highly toxic pesticides, or may be due to illegal use of prohibited /banned pesticides, these
compounds have been detected in the environment worldwide (Rajendran and
Subramanian, 1999). So, usage of restricted pesticides is a matter of concern especially in
case of vegetables. There is a general belief that these produce are much harmful if
impregnated with pesticides in comparison to other food stuffs, because they are generally
consumed raw or semi cooked. In India, 51% of the food commodities have been detected
with pesticide residues (Gupta, 2004). A study conducted by Charan et al. in 2010,
revealed that 35.62% of total contaminated samples exceeded the maximum residue limit
(MRL) values recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)/ World
Health Organization (WHO). (N. Nishanth et al.,2016)
The presence of pesticide residues in foods has always been a concern, particularly fruits
and vegetables consumed fresh. Exposure to pesticide residues through the diet is assumed
to be up more harmful. Pesticides can be classified by their use and chemical structure.
The six main categories based on use are: insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, rodenticides,
fumigants and insect repellents. There are four main groups of insecticides based on
chemical functions: organophosphates, pyrethroids, carbamates, and organochlorines.
Pesticides are known to be a public health issue and pesticides used in agriculture should
have established residue limits and be frequently monitored. Typically, surveillance of
pesticides focuses on proper use and compliance with Maximum Residue Limits (MRL).
Maximum residue levels are based on the proper application of pesticides according to
good agricultural practices in controlled field experiments. In order to evaluate food
safety, the observed levels of pesticides on foods need to be compared to health safety
limits or toxicological endpoint values such as the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) and the
Acute Reference Dose (ARfD), and consumption patterns of different foods. ADI and
ARfD are measures for the chronic and acute toxicity of a pesticide. The exposure to or
consumption of a particular pesticide below the health safety limit is considered “safe” but
this concentration may be above the established MRL. Pesticides have been linked with a
wide variety of health effects, ranging from headaches and nausea to cancer. Long term
exposure to pesticides is a known health risk and it is increasingly being linked to cancer,
neurotoxic effects, etc.
1.3 Monitoring of pesticides in foods:
Monitoring pesticide residues is the only way to effectively control the concentrations of
pesticides on foods. Recently more programs have been established to monitor pesticides,
with surveillance focusing on proper use of pesticides with regards to application rates and
compliance with MRLs. Allowable residue limits for a given pesticide vary between food
products and the country where they use. Different countries have different standards to
which their pesticide residues are held, and have different methods for monitoring their
presence. Certain pesticides, although known to be harmful when consumed, do not have
maximum residue levels in certain countries. In the United States (US) the US Department
of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has been regularly
monitoring the U.S food supply for pesticide residues since May of 1991 through the
Pesticide Data Program (PDP). Monitoring of pesticide levels needs to be equal across
all food commodities regardless of intended distribution location in order to protect
consumers. (A. Fothergill & A. Abdelghani)

1.4 BRINJAL (Solanum melongena)

Brinjal (Solanum melongena) has been cultivated in India for the last 4,000 years. The
global area under cultivation has been estimated at 1.85 million ha with a total production
of 32 million MTs. India accounts for about 8.7 million MTs with an area of 0.53 million
ha under cultivation. Brinjal cultivation in India is estimated to cover about 8.14%
vegetable area with a contribution of 9% to total vegetable production. The major brinjal
producing states are West Bengal, Orissa, Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar
Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.
 FIGURE 1.4.1-Production of brinjal in India (APEDA)

1.4.1 Spray of Insecticide during Brinjal Growth

Brinjal is very vulnerable vegetable to be attacked by various insects. Therefore,
recommended insecticides spray is necessary to control insect to get better production of
brinjal. These insecticides spray started from before brinjal flower (bud) until brinjal
harvest. The brinjal growers frequently spray insecticides in different stages of brinjal
maturation without following any standard recommendations. (Md. Salim Raza et al.,
2018).
 Figure-1.4.2 spraying of insecticide. (Md. Salim Raza et al., 2018)
1.5 OKRA (ABELMOSCHUS ESCULENTUS):

The total area and production under okra is reported to be 1148.0 thousand ha and
7896.3 thousand tons. It is mainly grown in India, Nigeria, Sudan, Pakistan, Ghana, Egypt,
Benin, Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Cameroon. Largest area and production is in India
followed by Nigeria. Highest productivity is reported from Egypt (12.5 tons/ha) followed
by Saudi Arabia (13.3 tons/ha). Andhra Pradesh is the leading okra producing state which
has production of around 1184.2 thousand tons followed by West Bengal (862.1 thousand
tons). Then comes Bihar (788.3 thousand tons).In India, a number of superior cultivars and
even hybrids are available for cultivation, with a productivity ranging between 15-20
tons/ha. Okra is available in India throughout the year and production can be tailored
according to demand. There is excellent research support for okra, because IIHR,
Bangalore, IARI, New Delhi IIVR, Varanasi and SAUs are located in different regions of
the country to provide solutions to various problems in its cultivation. (APEDA)
 Figure-1.4.1 Indian production of okra (APEDA)

1.5.1 Spray of Insecticide

Okra is cultivated throughout India over an area of 5.32 lakh hectares area with a
total annual production of 63.46 lakh metric tonnes and a productivity of 11.9 t/ha (Anon.,
2014) [1]. In Karnataka bhendi providing a continuous and good source of income to the
farmers. Okra growers frequently complain yield losses due to insect pests. The important
pests affecting the yield of okra are jassid (Amrasca biguttula Ishida), aphid (Aphis
gossypii Glover), whitefly (Bemisia tabaci Genn,), mite (Tetranychus spp.) and shoot and
fruit borer (Earias vittella Fab) (T. Hemadri et al., 2018)

1.6 CURRENT METHODS OF QUALITY DETECTION IN

VEGETABLES:
An economic and safe way is used to analyze the vegetable quality which is based
on colour, shape and size. Since vegetables are delicate they need to be tested via non-
destructive techniques. The most important physical property is vegetable size while colour
resembles visual property. It is also helpful in planning, packaging, transportation and
marketing operations. If the classification and grading is done through manual techniques,
the process will be too slow and sometimes it will be error prone. Fruits and vegetables are
sorted on the basis of colour, size, shape etc. This quality measures can be intended to be
mapped into automated system with suitable programming knowledge to be error free and
faster.
In recent years, computer machine vision and image processing techniques have
been found increasingly useful in the fruit industry, especially for applications in quality
inspection and shape sorting. Colour and shape characteristics of vegetables are decisive
for visual inspection. There are several techniques which can be used to extract the
morphological features from a9n image. An efficient autonomous system for vegetable
sorting must be able to adequately identify both parameters. Shape of vegetables can easily
be obtained from a digital image using classical techniques for image processing. However,
colour identification involves many physical and psychological concepts, there are wide
varieties of colour systems present for the grading of vegetables based on colours, like
Fuzzy logic, Neural Network. Based on Colour Histogram, Genetic algorithm etc. Software
development is highly important in this colour classification system. This system is over
mat lab software to inspect the colour and size of the vegetable. Colour of the vegetable is
very important in classification but since due to the similarity of colours between some
vegetables, the size also helps in solving this kind of problems. The colour and size based
classification involves extracting the useful information from the vegetable surface and
classify it to the respective type. Artificial neural network (ANN) is used to detect shape,
size and colour of vegetable samples.( Mandeep Kaur et al.,2015)
Electronic nose consists of chemical and electronic sensors which try to stimulate
the functioning of olfactory system. An electronic nose consists of a sensor, data
processing unit, software with digital pattern-recognising algorithms and reference library.
Organic polymers, metal oxides, quartz crystal microbalance and gas chromatography
(GC) are the various sensors used. Sometimes, GC is combined with mass spectroscopy
(MS). The sensors interact with volatile compounds/odours non-selectively to produce
chemical or physical changes which produces signal and the signals produced are read by
the computer. The response given by the sensors to each sample is called as ‘electronic
finger print’ of a compound or mixture. The sensors recognise the odour depending on the
response pattern of a compound to sensors with reference to the known standard finger
print. (Lakshmi S et al., 2017).
Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIR) covers the range of 780- 2500 nm in the
electromagnetic spectrum. It is more suitable to practical application and helpful in sorting
and grading of fruits. This method helps to evaluate fruit maturity by measuring the skin
colour of fruits such as banana, apple, tomato and mango. Skin colour of fruits depends on
the quantity of chlorophyll present in the skin. The changes in pigments present in fruits
help to determine the maturity. Chlorophyll content decreases with the fruit ripening. NIR
method has been successfully used in fruit firmness measurement and detection of visible
blemishes. Soluble solid content, dry matter, hygroscopicity, firmness, sugar content,
acidity etc., are measured using this method and it does not require sample preparation.
Estimation of soluble solid content (SSC) by using NIR is satisfactory and consistent,
whereas, the results for firmness and acidity were found to be more variable. (Lakshmi et
al., 2017)
High Performance Thin Layer Chromatographic Analysis (HPTLC): Pre-coated
silica gel 60 glass plate (each measuring 20 x 20 cm with 0.25 mm layer thickness) was
activated at 105degree C for 30 minutes in oven. The plate was spotted with sample along
with marker compounds and developed in pre-saturated tank of ethyl acetate. After
developed the plate, the extra solvent was evaporated in fume hood, and again developed
the plate in other pre saturated tank with bromine vapors (8g KMnO4 + 10mL) for 30
seconds. The excess bromine was removed in fume hood for about 45 minutes and the
plate was sprayed with solution of acetylcholine esterase enzyme. Blue spots with white
background were appeared on silica gel plates. The distance traveled by solvent and eluted
compounds was noted. Rf values of each pesticide was calculated and compared with the
marker compound. The concentration of each pesticide was calculated by comparing the
average spot diameter. (Iqbal et al., 2007).
HPTLC Residual Analysis method: Brinjal samples were extracted by ethyl acetate
and analyzed by HPTLC with enzyme inhibition horse blood serum method (acetylcholine
esterase enzyme) which was very sensitive for the detection of insecticide residues. The
extract was spotted on silica gel plate, which was developed in mobile phase (ethyl acetate)
and spot visibility was determined after spraying with acetylcholine esterase enzyme and
tris-buffer solution. Rf value and average spot diameter was measured and imidachloprid,
carbofuran, acephate, dichlorovos and chlorpyriphos residue concentration in ppm was
calculated comparing the standard reagent spot diameter. (Iqbal et al., 2007).
Color and appearance attract the consumer to a product and can help in impulse
purchases. At the point of purchase the consumer uses appearance factors to provide an
indication of freshness and flavor quality. External appearance of a whole fruit is used as
an indicator of ripeness, although it can be a misleading one. Consumers have a preferred
color for a specific item. Colors that are not appropriate for the item, indicative of loss of
freshness or suggestive of a lack of ripeness can turn away willing consumers. Color
sensors and sensor based setups were used in the food industry in various applications
recently (Diane M. Barrett, 2010).

The color aspect of visual appearance of the skin can be measured nondestructively
using three types of sensors: colorimeters, spectrophotometers, and color machine vision
systems. Colorimeters are instruments designed to quantify color in terms of human
perception. Colorimeters are broadband instruments that generally divide the information
in the visible spectrum into three components similar to the red, green and blue cone cells
in the human eye. Spectrophotometers are designed to provide more detailed information
about the optical properties of the sample, typically dividing the information in the visible
spectrum into fifteen or more components (D.C.Slaughter, 2009)

Moisture picks up or loss depending on the relative humidity (RH) is another

change that significantly affects the quality. Many foods undergo staling on storage. The
presence of moisture can allow mould growth and the development of mycotoxins which
are potentially hazardous, maintaining the fruit and vegetable in the right condition under
appropriate storage, is necessary to prevent mould growth and the formation of mycotoxins
(Rekha S Singhal, 2005)

A sensor is a device that converts a physical phenomenon into an electrical signal.

Sensors may be classified in a number of ways. From a signal conditioning view point it is
useful to classify sensors as either active or passive. An active sensor requires an external
source of excitation. On the other hand, passive (or self-generating) sensors generate their
own electrical output signal without requiring external voltages or currents. The sensors
used in food industries are mainly used to determine the quality of the food materials. (Jon
S.Wilson, 2004).
Review of Literature
 CHAPTER 2

2.1 QUALITY OF VEGETABLES:

Quality is a term which exhibits the degree of excellence, a high standard or value.
Quality of food may be defined as the composite of those characteristics that differentiate
individual units of a product, and have significance in determining the degree of acceptability the
user. Quality of fruits and vegetables is based on its sensory properties, nutritional value, safety
and defects. Vegetables with superior sensory and nutritional qualities are highly economical.
(Chauhan, 2017) The quality is mostly based on the evaluation of various external and internal
factors. Size, shape, colour, gloss, firmness, texture, taste and freedom from external defects such
as visible blemishes, dullness, etc., are various external quality factors of importance.

Internal quality evaluation of fruits and vegetables highly affects Post-harvest period. The colour
and firmness of fruits and vegetables affect the product appearance and consumer acceptability.
Hence, they are important quality to growers and processors. Subjective and visual inspection
helps to study the maturity and ripeness and quality of fruits and vegetables. This in turn helps to
decide the harvesting time. Majority of the method used to assess fruit quality are destructive, time
consuming, labour intensive, cost intensive and biased. (Sharma, 2017)

2.2 STATISTICS OF VEGETABLES:

India’s diverse climate ensures availability of all varieties of fresh fruits and
vegetables. It ranks second in fruits and vegetable production in the world after china. As per
National Horticulture database published by National Horticulture Board, during 2018-2019, India
produced 1,87,474 metric tonnes of vegetables per hectare. The area under cultivation of
vegetables 10436 hectares. India is the largest producer of ginger and okra amongst vegetables and
ranks second in production of brinjal and other vegetables like potatoes, onions, cauliflower,
cabbages, etc.

India is also a prominent export of fresh vegetables in the world. The country has exported
720558.61 million tonnes of fresh vegetables in USD million during the year 2018-2019.
2.3 Introduction of vegetables:

India is the seventh largest country in the world in terms of its geographical size
and is having diverse agro climatic conditions representing tropical, subtropical and temperate
climate zones. Because of this reason, it is the home for richest flora and fauna in the world. A
majority of the world’s fruits, vegetables, cereals, pulses, oilseed crops, fiber crops, sugarcane,
spices and ornamentals are being cultivated in India. In India, nearly 65% of the population thrives
in rural areas, engaged in agriculture making the backbone of Indian economy. About 40% of
India’s geographical area is used for agricultural activity (Rishi, 2009).

Among the agricultural crops produced in India, vegetables are so common in Indian diet that a
meal without a vegetable is supposed to be incomplete. Thus vegetables are important crops,
playing a greater role in the food trade in India. The highly perishable nature of most of the
vegetables, along with the market demand for steady supply of high quality, disease-free produce,
makes vegetable production a challenge for the farmers in this part of the world (Sidhu, 1998).
India is the second largest producer of vegetables, next to China. In India, 7, 22, 000 hectares of
land is under brinjal cultivation with an annual production of 13,444 million tonnes. In Karnataka,
16,000 hectares of land is under cultivation with the annual production of 421 million tonnes
(Anon., 2012; 2014). About 40 different kinds of vegetables belonging to different families of
higher plants are being cultivated. These include solanaceous, cucurbitaceous, leguminous,
cruciferous, root crops and leafy vegetables. Among vegetables, tomato (S. lycopersicum), brinjal
(Solanum melongena) and red chilli (Capsicum annuum) are some of the important solanaceous
vegetables grown in India (Jayabalan and Rao, 1983; Anon., 1998a; Anon., 1998b; Anon., 2009).

2.3.1BRINJAL

Brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) is popularly known as eggplant and is widely grown vegetable of
Asia, parts of Europe and Africa. It is one of the most traditional vegetables in India. Brinjal is a
rather small plant growing up to 1.5 m height and hence, it is classified as medium herb. The
simple leaves are oblong to oval, slightly lobed, and have an under surface that is a paler green
than the upper surface. It is a perennial with fruits growing all year round. In its unripe form,
brinjal is a large greenish-whitish vegetable and when ripe, it turns a deep violet.

Brinjal has been cultivated in India for the last 4,000 years. The global area under cultivation has
been estimated at 1.85 million ha with a total production of 32 million MTs. India accounts for
about 8.7 million MTs with an area of 0.53 million ha under cultivation. Brinjal cultivation in
India is estimated to cover about 8.14% vegetable area with a contribution of 9% to total vegetable
production. The major brinjal producing states are West Bengal, Orissa, Bihar, Gujarat,
Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. . It is also popular in Egypt, France,
Italy and United States. In India, it is one of the most common, popular and principal vegetable
crops grown throughout the country except higher altitudes.

Top 10 States of Brinjal Production in The Year 2017-2018

3500

3000

2500

2000

1500
production (000 tonnes)
1000

500

0
al at sh rh a ra h na iss
a ar
ng jar de ga tak ht es ya Bih
be u a s
rn
a as
Pr
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we h ya Ch ah hra
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M An

2.3.2 OKRA

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) or ladies finger is important vegetable of the tropical

countries and most popular in India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Cameroon, Iraq and Ghana.
Though, it is virtually not grown in Europe and North America, yet, lot of people in these
countries have started liking this vegetable because of good amount of vitamin A and folic
acid, besides carbohydrates, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium.
2.4 World Scenario

PRODUCTION

7%
2% 1%
2%
3% INDIA
NIGERIA
SUDAN
12% IRAQ
COTE D IVORIE
PAKISTAN
OTHER COUNTRIES

73%

The total area and production under okra is reported to be 1148.0 thousand ha and 7896.3
thousand tons. It is mainly grown in India, Nigeria, Sudan, Pakistan, Ghana, Egypt, Benin, Saudi
Arabia, Mexico and Cameroon. Largest area and production is in India Followed by Nigeria.
Highest productivity is reported from Egypt (12.5 tons/ha) followed by Saudi Arabia (13.3
tons/ha).
2.5 INDIAN SCENARIO
YEARS AREA IN (000’ha) PRODUCTION in PRODUCTIVITY in
(000’mt) (mt/ha)
2006-07 396.00 4070.00 10.30

2007-08 407.00 4179.00 10.30

2008-09 432.00 4528.00 10.50

2009-10 452.00 4803.30 10.60

2010-11 498.00 5784.00 10.60

There is a slight increase in area and production from 2006-07 to 2010-11. The area has
increased from 396.0 thousand ha to 498.0 thousand ha and the production has increased
from 4070.0 thousand tons to 5784.0 thousand tons.
2.6 Nutritional Composition Of Brinjal (Solanum melongena L.)

2.7 Nutritional Composition of Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus)

2.8 Pesticide use scenario
Kavitha D (2016) Pesticides are chemical substances used to kill insects and pests in
agricultural, domestic and institutional settings. They can also create a negative impact on
human health and the ecosystem if their production and use are not properly managed.
Several reports have indicated the presence of different groups of pesticide residues in soils
from several parts of India and the world. Pesticides are considered hazardous chemicals
and no strict compliance of pesticide regulation particularly in developing countries,
remains a health risk. Pesticides have chemical classes such as organophosphates,
organochlorines, synthetic pyrethroids, carbamates, in which OP’s are said to have high
Lethal Dose (LD)-50.
In India, the production of pesticides started in 1952 with the establishment of a plant for
the production of BHC near Calcutta, and India is now the second largest manufacturer of
pesticides in Asia after China and ranks twelfth globally. The World Health Organization
reports every year that there are 3million pesticide poisonings, most of them were OP
related, and 200,000 deaths worldwide that are attributed to either self-poisoning or
occupational exposure. Globally 4.6 million tons of pesticide are annually sprayed into the
environment, out of which only 1% is effective to target plants and rest 99% is released in
non-targeted ecosystem like soil, water bodies and atmosphere (Global pesticide
pollution).A vast majority of the population in India is engaged in agriculture and is
therefore exposed to the pesticides used in agriculture. Although Indian average
consumption of pesticide is far lower than many other developed economies but the
problem of pesticide residue is very high in India. Pesticide use raises a number of
environmental concerns. The main groups of commonly used pesticides include herbicides,
insecticides, fungicides, fumigants and rodenticides. Organochlorine, organophosphate and
carbamate insecticides are of major concern because of their toxicity and persistence in the
environment5. Most of the pesticides used on the sample farms belonged to the moderate
risk (category II), followed by high risk (category I) and low risk (category III) groups as
classified based on acute dermal LD50 for Rabbits/Rat. Over 98% of sprayed insecticides
and pesticides reach a destination other than their target species, including non-target
species, air, water and soil. Sureshkumar M (2016)
2.9 Pesticide consumption in brinjal and okra
Sumitra Arora, (2008) Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench) and brinjal (Solenum
melongena L.) crops are extensively grown vegetables all over the country. Both the crops
are attacked by multitude of insect pests and diseases. The pests are documented for both
okra (Adiroubane and Letchoumanane 1998) and brinjal. 13–14% of total pesticides used
in the country are applied in vegetable crops. Since the produce is harvested at short
intervals and consumed fresh in many cases, the surveys of market samples show high
level of pesticide residues in vegetables. Thus for reducing the pesticide load, Integrated
Pest Management (IPM) strategies involving need based application of pesticides have
been developed for vegetable crops especially okra and brinjal.
2.9.1 Brinjal
Arora, (2009) reported the contamination of brinjal samples with Monocrotophos with an
average value of 1.25 mg/kg against recommended value of 0.2 mg/kg in Uttar Pradesh
region of India. Charan et. al, in (2010) found a total of 50% samples to be contaminated
with a number of pesticides. They reported that 15.21% samples exceeded the Methyl –
parathion residual limits while 08.69% and 04.34% samples exceeded the recommended
limits for Monocrotophos residues and Cypermethrin residues respectively. Ranga Rao et.
al., (2009) in their research in Andhra Pradesh observed the contamination of brinjal
samples with Monocrotophos, Chlorpyrifos, Endosulfan and Cypermethrin and found
residues with most of the samples within the range of recommended MRLs. Hence, it is
important to note that Endosulfan was not mentioned as a restricted chemical in their
research at that time. The Andaman Islands found Cypermethrin residues with 0.028 mg/kg
average value.
2.9.2 Okra
Arora, (2009) in Uttar Pradesh tested okra samples and found Chlorpyrifos and
Cypermethrin residues above the recommended MRL value which were 5.75 mg/kg and
0.63 mg/kg respectively, against 0.2 mg/kg (MRL). Charan et. al, (2010) in Central
Aravalli region, Rajasthan found 32% contaminated samples with 4% exceeding the
recommended MRL with Methyl parathion residues. A study by Essumang et. al, (2013)
on the levels of pesticide residue in the non-target okra crop, which was not meant to
receive pesticide application and was grown near the watermelon crop, found
contamination of samples with a number of pesticides. The main crop sprayed with the
pesticides was watermelon, but effects of pesticides were also observed in the non-target
okra crop. Some of the main pesticides found above the recommended MRL were
Methamedophos, Enthoprophos, Phorate, Diazinon, Dimethoate, Chlorpyrifos,
Fenitrothion, Parathion, Profenofos, Malathion, Lindane, Heptachlor, Aldrin, Endosulfan,
Dieldrin, DDT and Endrin. Major violation was found in case of Phorate, Dimethoate,
Chlorpyrifos, and Malathion residues with 19.40 mg/kg, 50.60 mg/kg, 1321.10 mg/kg, and
23.30 mg/kg respectively against the recommend values 0.7 mg/kg, 2.0 mg/kg, 10.0 mg/kg
and 3.0 mg/kg. Violations in case of Chlorpyrifos residues were also observed by
Mukherjee, (2003) in her research in Delhi. She found that 28.57% samples exceeded the
recommended MRL value. Ranga Rao et. al, (2009) and Swarnam and Velmurugan, (2013)
in Andhra Pradesh and the Andaman Islands respectively found contamination in the
samples of okra. Both of these researches show that samples were contaminated with
Endosulfan and Cypermethrin. Monocrotophos and Chlorpyrifos residues in the samples
found within the recommended range.
2.10 Moisture
Senthilkumar, T et al.,(2005) Discussed The moisture content values determined by the
microwave oven drying method were compared with the moisture content values
determined using the hot air convection oven drying method. The time required for
determining the moisture content using 270 W power level was 35 min for potato, onion,
and cucumber, and 30 min for banana. At 180W power level the time required was 85 min
for potato and onion and 70 min for cucumber and banana. Microwave method of
determining moisture content is a quick and easy. The time and energy required for
microwave drying was less when compared to hot air oven.

2.11Colour
José David Filoteo-Razo et al.,(2015) Designed and implementation of an optical sensor to
detect color changes in fruit by means of white light reflection to measure fruit ripeness in
industrial and agricultural applications. The system consists of a LED RGB array including
photo detectors, a power source and plastic optic fiber (POF). By means of Lab view
graphic interface we can control the power emission of the diodes digitally mixing the
colors at different intensities until we achieve white light to be used as a source for the
color sensor. We used an ATmega2560 microcontroller as a data collection device to
monitor the colors obtained and to show them as color models using Mat lab. The results
from tests conducted using two guava samples, observing the evolution of the color change
on the fruit skin until they became overripe.

Akshay Ramesh Amrutkar et al.,(2010) Developing a technique for identifying the

different ripening stages of Climacteric fruit like mango by utilizing an Arduino framework
which will  predict the quality of mango and show the total ripening  procedure as per the
color changing stages with the help of  MATLAB. The HSV color space is used to read the
color changes of mango and the information about the ripening is send to the user via GSM
module using Arduino.

2.11.1 Color measurement and analysis in fresh foods

Color is an important quality attributed in the food processing industry and it

mainly influences the customer’s choice and preferences. The food color is regulated by
the chemical, physical, biological and microbial changes which occur during the
cultivation, growth, harvesting, handling, processing and transportation. The color
measurement of food are used to detect the quality such as flavour and contents of
pigments because it is faster, simpler and combines well with other physicochemical
properties. This review is about the color sensor used in vegetables. It focuses on the
freshness and ripening of the vegetables. The color indices used to characterise the
maturity and quality of a wide range of food products. Color is one of the most widely
measured product quality attributes in postharvest handling and in the food processing
research and industry. Apart from other sensors , the color sensor are often reported based
on different color indices even for the same product, making it difficult to compare results
in the literature. There is a need for standardisation to sense the color of the vegetable to
improve the quality measurement. The correlation between color and other sensory quality
attributes is well established, but future prospects exist in the application of objective non –
destructive color measurement in predictive modelling of the nutritional quality of fresh
and processed food products. (Pankaj B. Pthare, 2013)

2.11.2 Color Measurement in foods

Color measurement systems are used to measure a broad range of food products these
include fresh and processed fruits and vegetables and other food products. Visible light is
formed between 380 and 780 Nm in the electromagnetic spectrum it is boarded by
ultraviolet light on the low end and infrared light on the upper end. When light strikes an
object , it is reflected and absorbed. Because reflected light determines the color of the
material, the appearance can change depending on the amount of light, the light source, the
observe’s angle of view, size and background differences.

2.11.3 Color Scale

A variety of color scales or schemes are used to describe color. These are often used in the
food industry include the Commission International de l’eclariage (CIE) system, the hunter
Lab system, and the Munsell color solid. The CIE system is the most influential system for
the description of color. It is based on using a standard source of illumination and a
standard observer. The system obtains CIE standard observer curves for the visible
spectrum for the tristimulus values which are converted to the unreal primary x,y and z. the
hunter lab L*,a*,b* and the codified CIE system called CIE lab color scales are opponent –
type systems commonly used in the food industry. The systems measure the degree of
lightness (L), the degree of redness or greenness (+/-a), and the degree of yellowness or
blueness (+/-b). The munsell color- order system is a way of specifying colours and
showing the relationships among them. Every color has three qualities or attributes: hue,
value and chroma. Munsell established numeric scales with visually uniform steps for each
of these attributes. The color of any surface can be identified by comparing it to the chios
under proper illumination and viewing condition. The color is then identified by its hue,
value and chroma.

2.11.4 Machine Vision

Machine vision is becoming more accessible, with recent advance in digital imaging. Color
machine vision (CMV) has advantages over the instrumental of colorimetry and
spectrophotometry. It allows a large area, even the entire sample surface, to be analysed.
Samples with nonuniform color and surface that are misrepresented in conventional
instruments can be evaluated objectively in this high spatial-resolution method. Since it is a
noncontact, non-destructive method, temporal color changes in a given sample can also be
quantified. The CMV system consisted of a light box and a color camera connected to a
computer with a frame grabber. Using previously developed software, the researchers
grabbed images of samples to obtain color information. As soon as the sample were
marked to minimize the probability of reading different locations durig each measurement.
Tiles and peppers of four different colors were used as a sample.

2.12 Current methods

2.12.1 Chromatographic methods (INVASIVE METHODS)

Chromatographic system (gas chromatography or liquid chromatography) attached to mass

spectroscopy (MS/MS) determination provides with a method for identifying and
quantifying several pesticides in different food matrices. Simple extraction procedure along
with very limited cleanup technologies has been employed as a result of the use of more
sensitive and selective MS detection.

Gas chromatographic is a promising technique for rapid pesticide analysis. Several OP, OC
and carbamate groups show suitable gas chromatographic behaviour for separation of
mixtures. This technique should be very useful as a rapid method of cleanup and separation
of pesticides from vegetable extracts. The residue analysis involves several important steps
including sampling, extraction, cleanup, separation and measurement steps. In relation with
different pesticide classes, various methodologies using gas chromatography with
numerous detectors like, thermal conductivity detector (TCD), nitrogen- phosphorus
detector (NPD), Electron capture detector (ECD) and flame photometric detector (FPD),
have been implemented in recent years. Further several methods have been developed for
accurate quantification of residues of pesticides in various consumable food commodities.
All these seem to be much complicated because of the use of large quantity of inert gases
which are quite costly.

Jianyu guo et.al, 2005 handled a new analytical method for gas-chromatography or GC-
mass spectroscopy method using the direct sampling technique, which bypasses the
conventional complicated sample pretreatment process, is applicable to case of fast
detection of pesticide residue in foods. By a direct sampling technique, the vegetable
sample is ground into paste and 30mg is placed directly into the evaporating chamber for
GS-MS identification and quantification. Chloropyrifos, bromophos, etc. are chosen to
represent organophosphorous, organochlorines pesticide because they are chief objects of
the detection of pesticide residues in vegetables. This analytical method is proven to be
simple, quick and reliable and is suitable for multipesticide residues analysis of vegetables.

Under GS-MS method M.H.EL Saeid et.al, 2013 has conducted a research study using a
total of 1057 fresh vegetables (eggplant, cold pepper, cucumber, okra, potato, etc.) from
import and domestic production in Riyadh. A multiresidue method using gas
chromatography-mass spectroscopy was developed and described for determination of 86
pesticides commonly used in crop protection. This method analysed the pesticides under
the group of organochlorines (OC), organophosphorous (OP), Pyrethroids and carbamates
mainly used in agriculture. Pesticide residue above the MRL was detected in 15.89% of
total samples. The detected and most frequently found pesticide residues were permethrin
(45 times) and Endosulfan (34 times). This study has mentioned that there is a need for a
monitoring program for pesticide residues in food crops.

Gas Ch2.12.2 Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) Analysis

Mustapha F. A. Jallow, et al., (2017) A Shimadzu (QP 2010 GC-MS) gas

chromatography equipped with mass selective detector and a RTX-5MS column (30 m
long, 0.25 mm internal diameter, and 0.25 μm film thickness) was used for analysis.
Sample injection was performed in the split less mode, with an injector temperature of 250
°C and an interface temperature of 250 °C. The temperature of the oven was programed
from an initial value of 90 °C for 2 min, ramped to 160 °C at 15 °C·min −1 for 10 min, and
to 250 °C at 20 °C·min−1 for 15 min, and was raised to 270 °C at 20 °C·min −1 for 20 min.
Helium was used as a carrier gas with a constant flow rate of 0.75 mL·min −1. Electron
ionization was used at –70 eV in selective ion monitoring (SIM) and full-scan modes
between 50 m/z and 500 m/z for the detection of different analytes. The following
Organochlorine pesticides and their metabolites were analyzed with GC-MS, α-BHC, β-
BHC, γ-BHC, δ-BHC, heptachlor; Aldrin, heptachlor epoxide; trans-chlordane; α-
Endosulfan, β-endosulfan, cis-chlordane trans-nonachlor, dieldrin, P-P-DDE, endrin, cis-
nonachlor, P-P-DDD, endosulfan-sulfate, P,P-DDT; methoxychlor. Similarly, the
organophosphate pesticides (primiphos-methy, chlorpyrifos-methyl, Monocrotophos,
malathion, diazinon, profenofos, and dimethoate) and pyrethroid (cypermethrin,
deltamethrin, and fenpropathrin) were analyzed with GC-MS.

2.12.3 Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-

MS/MS) Analysis

Dawood G. Awadh, et al.,(2017) LC-MS/MS analysis was performed using a liquid

chromatography (Agilent 1200, Santa Clara, CA, USA) couple with a triple quadrupole
mass detector (Agilent 6460), and an Agilent ZORBAX C-18 analytical column of 50 mm
× 2.1 mm internal diameter and 1.8 μm particle size. The sheath gas temperature was kept
at 400 °C, and the sheath gas flow was 12 L·min−1. Deionized water containing 0.1%
formic acid (mobile phase A), and acetonitrile and deionized water (95:5, v/v) containing
0.1% formic acid (mobile phase B) were used for the gradient program, which started with
10% B for 3 min and was linearly increased to 90% B over 15 min. The column was then
reconditioned for 20 min back to 10% B. The column temperature was kept at 35 °C, and
the injection volume was 10 μL with a constant flow rate of 0.6 mL·min −1. For each
compound, two multi reaction monitoring (MRM) transitions were monitored. The
pesticides, oxamyl, imidacloprid, acetamiprid, metalaxyl, and difenoconazole, were
analyzed with LC-MS/MS.

2.12.4 Detection of pesticide in fruits using an electronic nose

Jesus Ortiz et al., (2016) Proposed a method for the detection of pesticides in fruit
produced for export by a low-cost electronic nose. This research the samples were acquired
through a matrix of 16 metal oxide gas sensors, with the aim of determining the presence
of Organochlorine compounds. The results showed that it is possible to implement an
artificial sensory system, which allows to detect very fast and discriminate differentiate
chemical compounds that are harmful to health. In this method it was possible to detect
compounds of pesticides in fruit from the response of an artificial sensory system,
composed of a measurement chamber with an array of 16 sensors chemical fumes.

Bin Liu et al., (2018) Developed to use surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to
detect and characterize pesticides extracted from fruit surfaces. Gold-coated SERS-active
Nano substrates were used for SERS measurement. Three types of pesticides (carbaryl,
phosmet, and azinphos-methyl) widely used in apples and tomatoes were selected.
Significantly enhanced Raman signals of pesticides were acquired by SERS from the
extract of fruit samples and exhibited characteristic patterns of the analytes.
Materials and Methodology
 CHAPTER 3

3.1 Raw materials:

The raw material used in our project is okra and brinjal.

3.1.1 Okra

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L) is commonly known as bhindi or lady’s finger belonging

to family Malvaceae. It is an important fruit vegetable crop cultivated in various states of
India. Okra is cultivated for its immature fruits to be consumed as a fresh and canned food
as well as for seed purpose. Fruits of okra contain a mucilaginous substance that thickens
the soup and stews. Okra has a relatively good nutritional value and is a good complement
in developing countries where there is often a great alimentary imbalance. It is a good
source of vitamin A, B, C and is also rich in protein, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, iron and
iodine. Fruit contains Moisture (89.6 percent), K (103 mg), Ca (90 mg), Mg (43 mg), P (56
mg), and vitamin C (18 mg) in 100 g of fresh fruit. Metals such as iron and aluminium are
found between 500 and 4000 ppm. The nitrogen percentage is 16 per cent dry weight; the
amino acids Asp and Arg are each present at nearly 10 per cent. A warm-weather plant
prefers temperature between 22°C and 35°C. Okra is susceptible to frost and temperatures
below 12°C. Okra can be grown on a wide range of soils, provided the internal soil
drainage isgood. Soils high in organic matter are preferred. The addition of lime or
dolomite may be necessary during soil preparation to bring the pH to about 6.0 to 6.5.

The fruits should be ready for harvesting within 10 weeks of planting, and regular picking
every 2 to 3 days is essential for maximum yields. Mature fruits left on the plant will
reduce flowering and fruit set. The market demand is for young tender fruits about 7 to 10
cm long.The fruits are graded into various sizes and then packaged in a 9 liter fiberboard
container. Okra should be cooled and sent to the market as soon as possible after harvest.
During transport the fruits should be held between 7°C and 10°C and 90 to 95% humidity,
to prevent wilting. Okra fruits are susceptible to chilling injury at lower temperatures.
 fig: okra(Abelmoschus esculentus L)

BRINJAL

Brinjal or eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) is an important solanaceous crop of sub tropic
and tropic. In India it is one of the most common, popular crops grown throughout the country
except higher altitudes. It is a versatile crop adapted to different agro climatic region grown
throughout the year. It is perennial but grown commercially as a annual crop. A large number
of cultivars differing in size, shape and color of fruits are grown in India. In brinjal two main
fruit types namely round and long are cultivated. Immature fruits are used in curries and a
variety of dishes are prepared out of brinjal. Fruits are moderate sources of vitamins and
minerals like phosphorous, calcium and iron. Brinjal is a warm season crop and requires a
long warm growing season. A daily mean temperature of 13-21 °C is most favorable for its
successful production. The growth of the crop is severely affected when temperature falls
below 17 °C. It can be successfully grown as a rainy season and summer season crop and can
be grown at an elevation of 1200m above the sea level. Brinjal crop can be cultivated for a
period of 4 months or 160 days to get maximum yields.

It can be grown in plains throughout the year

 Rainy Season - June – July

 Winter Season - October – November
 Summer Season - February – March
Brinjal is a hardy crop so it can be grown on different types of soils. As it is a long duration
crop, it requires well drained fertile sandy loam soil which is best suited for its cultivation and
gives good yield. For good growth pH of soil should be 5.5 to 6.6.

fig: Brinjal (Solanum melongena L.)

. 2 Components used:

3 2.1 Arduino UNO

The Arduino Mega 2560 is a microcontroller board based on the ATmega2560. It has 54
digital input/output pins (of which 14 can be used as PWM outputs), 16 analog inputs, 4
UARTs (hardware serial ports), a 16 MHz crystal oscillator, a USB connection, a power
jack, an ICSP header, and a reset button. It contains everything needed to support the
microcontroller; simply connect it to a computer with a USB cable or power it with a AC-
to-DC adapter or battery to get started. The Mega is compatible with most shields designed
for the Arduino Duemilanove or Diecimila

Technical specification:

Microcontroller ATmega2560
Operating voltage 5V
Input voltage 7-12V
Digital I/O pins 54(of which 14 provide PWM output)
DC current per I/O pin 40Ma
DC current for 3.3 V 50Ma
Flash memory 256KB of which 8KB used by bootloader
Clock speed 16MHZ
SPAM 8KB

The board
 POWER:
less than five volts and the board may be unstable. If using more than 12V, the voltage
regulator may overheat and damage the board. The recommended range is 7 to 12 volts.

The Mega2560 differs from all preceding boards in that it does not use the FTDI USB-to-
serial driver chip. Instead, it features the Atmega8U2 programmed as a USB-to-serial
converter.

The power pins are as follows:

• VIN. The input voltage to the Arduino board when it's using an external
power source (as opposed to 5 volts from the USB connection or other regulated
power source). You can supply voltage through this pin, or, if supplying voltage via
the power jack, access it through this pin.
• 5V. The regulated power supply used to power the microcontroller and
other components on the board. This can come either from VIN via an on-board
regulator, or be supplied by USB or another regulated 5V supply.
• 3V3. A 3.3 volt supply generated by the on-board regulator. Maximum
current draw is 50 mA.
• GND. Ground pins.

3. 2.2 Color Sensor:

SPECIFICATION: TCS230\TCS3200
The TCS3200 color sensor can detect a wide variety of colors based on their
wavelength. This sensor is especially useful for color recognition.  It also contains four
white LEDs that light up the object in front of it.
The sensor specifications:
 Power: 2.7V to 5.5V

 Size: 28.4 x 28.4mm (1.12 x 1.12″)

 Interface: digital TTL

 High-resolution conversion of light intensity to frequency

 Programmable color and full-scale output frequency

 Communicates directly to microcontroller

WORKING:

The TCS3200 has an array of photodiodes with 4 different filters. A photodiode is simply a
semiconductor device that converts light into current. The sensor has:
 16 photodiodes with red filter – sensitive to red wavelength

 16 photodiodes with green filter – sensitive to green wavelength

 16 photodiodes with blue filter – sensitive to blue wavelength

 16 photodiodes without filter

By selectively choosing the photodiode filter’s readings, we can be able to detect the
intensity of the different colors. The sensor has a current-to-frequency converter that
converts the photodiodes’ readings into a square wave with a frequency that is proportional
to the light intensity of the chosen color. This frequency is then, read by the Arduino.
SCHEMATIC:

The connections between the TCSP3200 and the Arduino:

 S0: digital pin 4

 S1: digital pin 5

 VCC: 5V

 S3: digital pin 6

 S4: digital pin 7

 OUT: digital pin 8

Filter selection:

 To select the color read by the photodiode, you use the control pins S2 and S3. As
the photodiodes are connected in parallel, setting the S2 and S3 LOW and HIGH in
different combinations allows you to select different photodiodes.
PHOTODIODE TYPE S2 S3

RED LOW LOW

BLUE LOW HIGH

NO FILTER(CLEAR) LOW LOW

GREEN HIGH HIGH

Frequency scaling:

 Pins S0 and S1 are used for scaling the output frequency. It can be scaled to the
following preset values: 100%, 20% or 2%. Scaling the output frequency is useful
to optimize the sensor readings for various frequency counters or microcontrollers

OUTPUT FREQUENCY S0 S1
SCALING
POWER DOWN L L
2% L H
20% H L
100% H H

 3.2.3 Soil Moisture Sensor

 Soil moisture sensor measures the volumetric content of water inside the soil and
gives us the moisture level as output. The sensor is equipped with both analog and
digital output, so it can be used in both analog and digital mode. In this article, we
are going to interface the sensor in both modes. So let’s begin our tutorial on
interfacing Arduino and Soil moisture sensor.
 Specifications

3.3 – 5V
Input Voltage

Output Voltage 0 – 4.2V

Input Current 35mA

Output Signal Both Analog and Digital

The specifications of the soil moisture sensor FC-28 are as follows

Pin Out – Soil Moisture Sensor

The soil Moisture sensor FC-28 has four pins

 VCC: For power

 A0: Analog output

 D0: Digital output

 GND: Ground

The Module also contains a potentiometer which will set the threshold value and then this
threshold value will be compared by the LM393 comparator. The output LED will light up
and down according to this threshold value.

Analog Mode – Interfacing Soil Moisture Sensor and Arduino

To connect the sensor in the analog mode, we will need to use the analog output of
the sensor. When taking the analog output from the soil moisture sensor FC-28, the sensor
gives us the value from 0-1023. The moisture is measured in percentage, so we will map
these values from 0 -100 and then we will show these values on the serial monitor.
 Circuit Diagram

The connections for connecting the soil moisture sensor FC-28 to the Arduino are
as follows.

 VCC of FC-28 to 5V of Arduino

 GND of FC-28 to GND of Arduino

 A0 of FC-28 to A0 of Arduino

Fig: Circuit Diagram – Analog Mode

Working of Sensor

The soil moisture sensor consists of two probes which are used to measure the
volumetric content of water. The two probes allow the current to pass through the soil and
then it gets the resistance value to measure the moisture value.

When there is more water, the soil will conduct more electricity which means that
there will be less resistance. Therefore, the moisture level will be higher. Dry soil conducts
electricity poorly, so when there will be less water, then the soil will conduct less
electricity which means that there will be more resistance. Therefore, the moisture level
will be lower.This sensor can be connected in two modes; Analog mode and digital mode.
First, we will connect it in Analog mode and then we will use it in Digital mode.

3.2.4 GAS SENSOR:

SPECIFICATION: MQ7

A gas sensor has 6 terminals in which 4 terminals acts input or output and the remaining 2
terminals are for heating the coil. Of these 4 terminals, 2 terminals from each side can be
used as either input or output. The gas sensor basically consists of 4 terminals;

Vcc- power supply

Gnd- power supply

Digital output- This pin gives an output either in local high or logical low(0 or 1) that
means it displays the presence of any toxic or combustible gases near the sensor.

Analog output- this pin gives an output continuous in voltage which varies based on the
concentration of the gas that is applied to the gas sensor

A gas sensor is a device which detects the presence or concentration of gases in the
atmosphere. Based on the concentration of the gas, the sensor produces a concentration
potential differences by changing the resistance of the material inside the sensor, which can
be measured as output voltage. Based on this voltage value the type and concentration of
the gases can be estimated.
The type of gas the sensor could detect depends on the sensing material present inside the
sensor.

The ability of the gas sensor is to the detect gases depends on the chemiresister to conduct
current.

WORKING PRINCIPLE:

The principle of this mq7 sensor is that, when a vegetable is placed in a closed atmosphere,
the odour of the pesticide which is present in the oxygen get reacts with the gas sensor and
conducts current. The amount of pesticide detected is displayed in terms of percentage.
When the concentration is high it is indicated through red LED light and a buzzer.

Gas sensor with pin configuration:

3.2.5 LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY (LCD)

Liquid crystal displays (LCD’s) have materials, which combine the properties of both
liquids and crystals.An LCD consists of two glass panels, with the liquid crystal material
sand witched in between them. The inner surface of the glass plates are coated with
transparent electrodes which define the character, symbols or patterns to be displayed
polymeric layers are present in between the electrodes and the liquid crystal, which makes
the liquid crystal molecules to maintain a defined orientation angle. One each polarizes are
pasted outside the two glass panels. These polarizes would rotate the light rays passing
through them to a definite angle, in aparticular direction. When the LCD is in the off state,
light rays are rotated by the two polarizes and the liquid crystal, such that the light rays
come out of the LCD without any orientation, and hence the LCD appears transparent.

When sufficient voltage is applied to the electrodes, the liquid crystal molecules would be
aligned in a specific direction. The light rays passing through the LCD would be rotated by
the polarizes, which would result in activating / highlighting the desired characters. The
LCD’s are lightweight with only a few millimeters thickness. Since the LCD’s consume
less power, they are compatible with low power electronic circuits, and can be powered for
long durations.The LCD does not generate light and so light is needed to read the display.
By using backlighting, reading is possible in the dark. The LCD’s have long life and a wide
operating temperature range. Changing the display size or the layout size is relatively
simple which makes the LCD’s more customers friendly.

The LCDs used exclusively in watches, calculators and measuring instruments are the
simple seven-segment displays, having a limited amount of numeric data. The recent
advances in technology have resulted in better legibility, more information displaying
capability and a wider temperature range. These have resulted in the LCDs being
extensively used in telecommunications and entertainment electronics. The LCDs have
even started replacing the cathode ray tubes (CRTs) used for the display of text and
graphics, and also in small TV applications.

Figure 3.2.5.1LCD
3.2.6 LIGHT EMITTING DIODE (LED)

LEDs are all around us, In our phones, our cars and even our homes. They come in a
huge variety of sizes, shapes, and colors, but no matter what they look like they have one
thing in common they’re the bacon of electronics. LEDs are a particular type of diode that
convert electrical energy into light. In fact, LED stands for “Light Emitting Diode, In short,
LEDs are like tiny light bulbs. However, LEDs require a lot less power to light up by
comparison. They’re also more energy efficient, so they don’t tend to get hot like
conventional lightbulbs do. This makes them ideal for mobile devices and other low-power
applications. An LED lamp is a light-emitting diode (LED) product which is assembled
into a lamp (or light bulb) for use in lighting fixtures. LED lamps have a lifespan and
electrical efficiency which are several times greater than incandescent lamps, and are
significantly more efficient than most fluorescent lamps, with some chips able to emit more
than 300 lumens per watt.

Some LED lamps are made to be a directly compatible drop-in replacement for
incandescent or fluorescent lamps. An LED lamp packaging may show the lumen output,
power consumption in watts, operating temperature range, and sometimes the equivalent
wattage of an incandescent lamp of similar luminous output. Most LEDs do not emit light
in all directions, and their directional characteristics affect the design of lamps, although
omnidirectional lamps which radiate light over a 360° angle are becoming more common.
The light output of single LED is less than that of incandescent and compact fluorescent
lamps; in most applications multiple LEDs are used to form a lamp, although high-power
versions are becoming available.

Figure 3.2.6.1 LED

Methodology

Mechanical processing

Step1: Power supply is given to the equipment aurdino ATmega2560 microcontroller get
started for working.

Step2: When the vegetable is placed in the sample placing tray, first the gas sensor will
sense the pesticide residues in vegetable and passes the information to aurdino, which is
displayed in LCD in terms of percentage.

Step3: Then the moisture sensor which is fixed near the gas sensor senses the moisture
level of vegetables in percentile.

Step3: Finally, the colour sensor T1CS3200 senses the colour of the particular vegetable
under the concept of RGB. When the MRL level exceeds, it will indicated through the
buzzer and LED.
Result and Discussion
 CHAPTER 4

The proposed method determines the moisture; colour and pesticide residues in brinjal and
okra samples collected from both market and on field vegetable. Two samples of each
vegetable are investigated. It was found that most of the pesticide containing samples show
large variation from the values gets from pesticide free samples. The large variation shows
the presence of pesticide in samples and serious threat to human health. The table (4.1)
shows that the different percentage values of various samples containing pesticide and also
between on field vegetable samples and local market samples are more than 5%. Hence,
shows the presence of pesticide in both brinjal and okra samples.

Sample No Of Location Percentage Of

Sample (Devakottai&Coimbatore) Pesticide(Dimethoate)
Analysed Detected
On Field Local On Field Local
Vegetable Market Vegetable Market
vegetable vegetable

Brinjal 2 4% 6%

Okra 2 5% 7%

TABLE4.1. shows the percentage of pesticide detected in vegetable sample

D=Dimethoate, M=moisture content, C=Colour
Figure4.2 graph shows the presence of pesticide in brinjal

4.1.1Inference

When the vegetables(okra and brinjal) is placed,the kit starts detecting its quality by
analysing the quality parameters such as pesticide,moisture present in it and the colour of
the vegetables.the analysed reading shows that the vegetable is below MRL or above MRL
i.e.,that the vegetable is consumable or not.if the vegetable is below MRL at its level of
pesticide then it is consumable and whether the vegetable is above MRL by the detemined
value of pesticide then it is not suitable for consumption.In figure 4.2 shows that the on
field vegetable is suitable for consumable and local market vegetable is not suitable for
consumption.And also the graph shows that presence of pesticide have been detected
within 5 seconds in quality monitor model.
Figure4.3 graph shows the presence of pesticide in brinjal

4.1.2 Inference

When the vegetables(okra and brinjal) is placed,the kit starts detecting its quality by
analysing the quality parameters such as pesticide,moisture present in it and the colour of
the vegetables.the analysed reading shows that the vegetables is below MRL or above
MRL i.e.,that the vegetable is consumable or not.if the vegetable is below MRL at its level
of pesticide then it is consumable and whether the vegetable is above MRL by the
detemined value of pesticide then it is not suitable for consumption.in figure 4.3 shows that
the on field vegetable is suitable for consumable local market vegetable is not suitable for
consumption.And also the graph shows that presence of pesticide have been detected
within 5 seconds in quality monitor model.pesticide can cause a number of health effects
for these reasons can use this kit it will be monitor that.
In this project we are used brinjal and okra to find out the moisture
content by moisture sensor. It gives the results effectively comparing to microwave oven
drying method.The samples which was used in the microwave oven drying method that

cannot be useful for further/ future use, but in moisture sensor that can be useful.
Samewise colour sensor also gives better result to detect colour in vegetable samples.
moreover, this quality detector is cost effective, easy to carry, even uneducated peoples can
operate this detector friendly. The suggest sensor system is easy, rapid and time
undemanding method when compared to manual processing and quality monitor model
gives a result with in 5 seconds.
Cost of Estimation
Summary and Conclusion
 CHAPTER 5

Vegetables are important part of healthy life and also provide a rich source of many
vitamins and nutrients. Out of which eggplant and okra plays vital role in nutition benefits.
Eggplant has high fiber, low calorie food that has a great source of vitamin C, vitamin K,
vitamin B6. And okra’s high levels of vitamin A, B vitamins(B1,B2,B6), vitamin C, traces
of zinc and calcium, makes it an ideal vegetable. It is much more prime to know the
quality, amount of pesticide used in the vegetable which is consumed. The purpose of our
project “Real Time Quality Deduction of Vegetables using Senor” which is a
nondestructive method is to determine the quality based on colour, pesticides used, amount
of the pesticide used. This design is developed to replace manual product loss and with
more accurate output with less time consumption. It also mainly accomplishes the factor of
less space required when compared to other quality testing equipments.
Reference