Quantitative Analysis of Chlorophyll and Protein in Alfalfa Leaves Using Fiber‐Optic Near‐Infrared Spectroscopy

The performance of near‐infrared (NIR) spectroscopy as a rapid technique for the estimation of chlorophyll and protein contents in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) was investigated. A fiber‐optic probe was employed directly on a total of 198 fresh leaves to measure spectra between 1100 and 2200 nm. Partial least squares (PLS) regression models were developed with a calibration set of 120 samples spanning a concentration range of 5.20–158.5 for the chlorophyll content index (CCI), 0.39–4.60 mg g−1 (fresh weight) for the chlorophyll extracted with dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), and 9.92–45.32% (dry matter) for protein content. The models obtained were validated with 78 independent samples. Standard errors of prediction of 12.49 were obtained for the CCI, 0.24 mg g−1 for DMSO‐extracted chlorophyll, and 3.27% for the protein content. These results support the use of NIRS equipped with a fiber‐optic probe to monitor and assess the composition and quality of forages in a nondestructive way.