Dedicated to the 80th Anniversary of Prof.

Radoš Řezníček

Dielectric properties of agricultural products

and some applications

S.O. Nelson

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Richard B. Russell

Agricultural Research Center, Athens, Georgia, USA

Abstract: The use of dielectric properties of agricultural products for sensing moisture in grain and seed and their ap-
plication in radio-frequency and microwave dielectric heating is discussed briefly. Values for the dielectric properties of
a number of products, including grain and seed, fruits and vegetables, and poultry products, are presented graphically
to show the dependence of these properties on frequency, moisture content, and temperature. The potential for using
the dielectric properties to sense quality factors other than moisture content is also considered.

Keywords: permittivity; radio frequency; microwave; dielectric constant; loss factor; frequency dependence; moisture
content; grain; seed; fruits; vegetables; poultry products

Dielectric properties (electrical characteristics)
of agricultural products have been of interest for
many years (Nelson 2006). One of the earliest
applications of such electrical properties was the
study of dc electrical resistance of grain for rap-
idly determining its moisture content. In later work
with radio-frequency (RF) measurements, changes
in the capacitance of sample-holding capacitors,
when grain samples were introduced between the
capacitor plates, were correlated with grain moisture
content and used for grain moisture measurement.
The subsequent development of electrical grain
moisture meters has been described in earlier re-
views (Nelson 2006).
Use of dielectric properties of grain for moisture
measurement has been the most prominent agri-
cultural application for such data. In the early work,
no quantitative data on the dielectric properties of
the grain were reported. Interest generally focused
on the influence of a grain sample on the response
of an electrical circuit, and the instrument readings
were calibrated with values measured by standard
procedures for moisture determination. The need
for quantitative values of the dielectric properties
arose from research on the application of RF di-
electric heating to agricultural problems. The first
quantitative data on the dielectric properties of
grain were reported for barley along with a method
for reliable measurement of those properties in the
1- to 50-MHz frequency range (Nelson et al. 1953).
Quantitative dielectric properties data, obtained
for similar reasons, were soon reported in Russia
for wheat and other grain and crop seeds (Knipper
1959). Extensive measurements on grain and crop
seed in the 1- to 50-MHz range, taken over a decade
of research on RF dielectric heating applications,
were summarized and made available for use in
electric moisture meter design and other applica-
tions (Nelson 1965).
The other principle application for dielectric prop-
erties of agricultural materials has been for use in
research on potential dielectric heating applications.
One of these was the possible selective dielectric
heating for control of insects that infest stored grain
(Nelson & Whitney 1960; Nelson 1996).
The dielectric properties, or permittivity, of a
material determine the interaction of that material
with electric fields. Dielectric properties have been
previously defined and discussed in detail from an
electrical circuit viewpoint (Nelson 1965) and in
terms of electromagnetic field concepts (Nelson
1973). For practical use, the dielectric properties
of usual interest are the dielectric constant and the
dielectric loss factor, the real and imaginary parts,
respectively, of the relative complex permittivity,
ε = ε' – jε'' = |ε|e–jδ where δ is the loss angle of the di-
electric. In this article, “permittivity” is understood
to represent the relative complex permittivity, i.e.,

104 RES. AGR. ENG., 54, 2008 (2): 104–112

 Dedicated to the 80th Anniversary of Prof. Radoš Řezníček

the permittivity relative to free space, or the abso-
lute permittivity divided by the permittivity of free
space, ε0 = 8.854 × 10–12 F/m. Often, the loss tangent,
tan δ = ε”/ε’, or dissipation factor, is also used as a
descriptive dielectric parameter, and sometimes the
power factor (tan δ / √1 + tan2 δ) is used. The ac con-
ductivity of the dielectric in S/m is σ = ωε0ε”, where
ω = 2π f is the angular frequency, with frequency f
in Hz. The dielectric constant of a material is associ-
ated with the energy storage capability in the electric
field in the material and the loss factor is associated
with the energy dissipation, conversion of electric
energy to heat energy in the material. In this article,
ε” is interpreted to include the energy losses in the
dielectric due to all operating dielectric relaxation
mechanisms and ionic conduction.
The principles governing the interaction between
materials and RF and microwave electric fields, as
influenced by the dielectric properties, have been
detailed in a recent review article (Nelson 2006).
The same article included a review of principles and
techniques for dielectric properties measurements at
frequencies ranging from audio frequencies through
80
80
95°C
o
95 C
60
60
Dielectric constant
radio frequencies well into the microwave region.
The purpose of this paper is to present dielectric
properties data for a number of agricultural products
and to discuss some of the related applications.
Cereal grains and oilseeds
Dielectric properties of grain and seed over wide
ranges of frequency and moisture content have been
summarized previously, and graphical and tabular
data are available for reference (ASAE 2000). Models
for calculating dielectric constants of many cereal
grains and soybeans as functions of frequency, mois-
ture content, and bulk density have been reported
(Nelson 1987; Kraszewski & Nelson 1989; ASAE
2000). Some recent dielectric spectroscopy mea-
surements (Nelson & Trabelsi 2006) on ground
hard red winter wheat at frequencies from 10 to
1800 MHz over the temperature range from 25 to
95°C are shown in Figure 1. The earlier reported data
were useful to those developing improved grain and
seed moisture meters. The recent measurements
(Figure 1) were part of a study to improve under-
standing of the temperature dependence of grain
permittivity.
Although grain moisture meters, which sense the
moisture content through correlations between the
RF dielectric properties of the grain and its moisture

content, have been in common use for more than

constant

90°C
o
90 C
50 years, recent advances have been reported in use
40
40
of higher frequencies in the microwave range for
Dielectric

85°C
o
85 C
grain and seed moisture sensing. The basis for one
20
20
such application is illustrated in Figure 2. Here, the
75°C
o
75 C dielectric constant and loss factor of hard red winter
65°C
o
65 C
25°C
o
25 C
00
10 7
10 7 10 8
10 8 10 9
109

Frequency
Frequency,(Hz)
Hz 1.0
18 GHz

80 95°C
80 95 C o 0.8
11.3 GHz
factor

0.6
loss factor

60
60
ε''/p

–1°C
Dielectricloss

0.4 24°C
90°C
90 C o
42°C
40
40
Dielectric

0.2
20 85°C
o
20 85 C

0.0
75°C
75 C o
2.5 k 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5
0 25°C
o
0 25 C

10 7
10
7 1088
10 109 9
10 ε'/p
Frequency (Hz)
Frequency, Hz
Figure 2. Complex-plane plot of the dielectric constant, ε’, and
Figure 1. Frequency dependence of the dielectric properties loss factor, ε”, divided by bulk density, ρ, for hard red winter
of ground hard red winter wheat of 11.2% moisture content at wheat of various moisture contents and bulk densities at in-
0.8 g/cm3 density and indicated temperatures over the frequency dicated temperatures for two frequencies, 11.3 and 18.0 GHz
range from 10 MHz to 1.8 GHz (Nelson & Trabelsi 2006) (Trabelsi et al. 1998)

RES. AGR. ENG., 54, 2008 (2): 104–112 105

 Dedicated to the 80th Anniversary of Prof. Radoš Řezníček

14 80 Mat.
80 Mat 11
Mat
Mat. 2
2 ε'
H' ’Dixired’
'Dixired'peach
Peach
12 Mat
Mat. 3
3

Rice weevils 60
60
10

Permittivity
Dielectric constant (ε''r )

Permittivity
8
40
40
6
Wheat
4 20
20
H"
ε''

2
00
1088
10 1099
10 10 10
1010
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 Frequency (Hz)
Frequency, Hz
Frequency (Hz)
Figure 4. Frequency dependence of the dielectric properties
2.4 at 23°C of ’Dixired’ peaches at first, second and third stages
of tree-ripe maturity (Nelson et al. 1995)
2.0
Rice weevils
Dielectric loss factor (ε''r )

1.6
dielectric properties of hard red winter wheat and
1.2 a common stored-grain insect, the rice weevil,
Sitophyluls oryzae L., were measured over a broad
0.8 range of frequencies and compared to determine
the frequencies for optimally heating the insects.
0.4 Results of that study are summarized in Figure 3.
Wheat Because the loss factor is the dominant characteris-
0
104 105 106 107 108 109 1010 1011
tic determining the energy absorption and heating,
Frequency (Hz) the frequency range between about 10 and 100 MHz
provides the best opportunity for selective heating
Figure 3. Variation with frequency of the dielectric properties
of bulk samples of adult rice weevils and wheat at 24°C from
of the insects.
50 kHz to 12 Ghz (Nelson 1996)
Fruits and vegetables

wheat, each divided by bulk density ρ of the grain, Because of the need for rapid nondestructive qual-
are plotted in the complex plane. Note that, at a given ity measurements for fresh fruits and vegetables,
frequency, all of the points, regardless of frequency the dielectric properties of a few products were
and temperature, lie along a straight line. The slope measured at microwave frequencies (Nelson 1980,
of the line increases with frequency and pivots about 1983, 1992). Although these studies provided back-
a point on the ε”/ρ = 0 axis that represents the ε’/ρ ground data on dielectric properties of several fruits
value for completely dry grain. The equation of the and vegetables, the measurements did not show any
straight line provides a means for determining the promise for detecting peach maturity or hardcore
bulk density of the grain independent of moisture condition in sweet potatoes by measurements at
content and temperature and also provides a basis single frequencies (Nelson 1980). Therefore, broad-
for sensing moisture content independent of density band permittivity measurements were initiated to
and temperature from the measured permittivity study the dielectric properties of several fruits and
at a single frequency (Trabelsi et al. 1998). This vegetables over the frequency range from 200 MHz
microwave sensing technique should be useful for to 20 GHz (Nelson et al. 1994). Measurements
monitoring moisture content in moving grain and over the same frequency range were obtained for
other particulate materials, since it offers a density- tree-ripened peaches, Prunus persica (L.) Batsch.,
independent method for sensing moisture content of different maturities (Nelson et al. 1995). Differ-
in granular and particulate materials. ences in the dielectric properties for different stages
Another application for dielectric properties of of maturity were noted at particular frequencies as
grain was involved in the study of high-frequency shown in Figure 4. Permittivity-based maturity indi-
dielectric heating for the selective heating of stored- ces, which combined the dielectric constant values at
grain insects (Nelson 1996). In this instance, the 200 MHz and the loss factor values at 10 GHz, were

106 RES. AGR. ENG., 54, 2008 (2): 104–112

 Dedicated to the 80th Anniversary of Prof. Radoš Řezníček

1 200
1200
65°C
o
65 C
95°C o 1 100
1100 95°C
o
95 C
500
o
500 95 C 75 C
75°C
o
85°C
85 C
o
o 1 000
1000
85 C
85°C
75°C
75 C

65°C
65 C
o
900
900
constant

Dielectric constant
400 45°C
o
45 C Carrot
400 Avocado 800

constant
800
Dielectric constant

45°C
45 C o
700
700
300 600
600 25°C
o
25 C
Dielectric

Dielectric
300
25°C
25 Co 500
500

200 400
400 5°C
o
5 C
5°C
5 C
o

200 300
300

100
200
200

100
100
100 10 7 10 8 10 9 10 7
10 7 10 8
10 8 10 9
10 9
10 7
10 8
10 9

Frequency
Frequency,(Hz)
Hz Frequency
Frequency,(Hz)
Hz

3 000
3000
95°C
95 C o

95°C
95 C o
85°C
85 C
o

2 000 2500 75°C

o
2000
85°C
85 C
o 2 500 75 C

Dielectric loss factor

Dielectric loss factor

65°C
65 C
o
Carrot
Dielectric loss factor

Dielectric loss factor

1 500
1500
Avocado 2 000
2000
75°C
75 C o

65°C 45°C
45 C
o

65 C o
1 500
1500

1 000
1000 45°C
45 C o 25°C
25 C o

25°C
25 C
o
1 000
1000 5°C
5 C
o

500
500
5°C
5 C o

500
500

00 00
10 8
10 10 9
10 10 7
10 7 8 9
10 7
107 10 8
10 8 10 9
10 9

Frequency (Hz)
Frequency, Hz Frequency (Hz)
Frequency, Hz

Figure 5. Frequency and temperature dependence of the Figure 6. Frequency and temperature dependence of the
permittivity of avocado, Persea americana Miller var. Ameri- permittivity of carrot, Daucus carota subsp. sativus (Hoffm.)
cana, at indicated temperatures (Nelson 2003) Arcang, at indicated temperatures (Nelson 2003)
400
400 600
600

95°C
95 C
o

350 85°C
350 o
85 C
75°C
75 C o
500
500
65°C o
constant

65 C
300
300
Dielectric constant
Navel Orange 400
400 Dielectric constant
Dielectric constant

45°C Loss factor

Loss factor
Permittivity

250
o
Permittivity

250 45 C

300
300
Dielectric

200 25°C
200 25 C o

5°C
5 C o 200
200
150
150

100
100 100
100

50
50 00
10 7
10 7 10 8
108 10 9
109
10 7
107 10 8
10 8 10 9
109

Frequency
Frequency,(Hz)
Hz Frequency (Hz)
Frequency, Hz
1 000
1000
95°C Figure 8. Frequency dependence of the dielectric properties
o
95 C
900 85°C
85 C o
900 75°C
of a honeydew melon (Nelson et al. 2007)
o
75 C
65°C
65 C
o

800
800 45°C
45 C o

700
loss factor

700
factor

600
600
25°C
25 C
o
Navel Orange
suggested, but it was noted that much more work
was needed to establish their practicality.
Dielectricloss

500
500

400 5°C
5 C o
Because the dielectric constants of peaches at
Dielectric

400

300
300
different maturities diverged at the lower end of
200
200
the frequency range shown in Figure 4, it appeared
100
100
worthwhile to explore the dielectric behaviour of
0
0
some fruits and vegetables at frequencies somewhat
7 8 9
10
10 10
10 10
10 7 8 9
below this range (Nelson 2003). Also, because
Frequency (Hz)
Frequency, Hz
Figure 7. Frequency and temperature dependence of the per-
changes in the dielectric properties of materials are
mittivity of navel orange, Citrus aurantium subsp. bergamia, important in RF and microwave heating, tempera-
at indicated temperatures (Nelson 2003) ture-dependent data were obtained. Some examples

RES. AGR. ENG., 54, 2008 (2): 104–112 107

Dedicated to the 80th Anniversary of Prof. Radoš Řezníček

of permittivity data obtained in the frequency range measurements on the surface of the watermelons
from 10 MHz to 1.8 GHz over the temperature are shown in Figure 11. Measurements on internal
range from 5°C to 95°C are shown in Figures 5 to 7 tissue and those on the surface are quite different. A
(Nelson 2006). broad dielectric relaxation was noted for the surface
In Figures 5 to 7, the temperature dependence of measurements, which probably can be attributed
the dielectric constant disappears at some frequency to the influence of bound water and a complex
in the range shown. Above that frequency, the tem- combination of Maxwell-Wagner and ion-related
perature coefficient for the dielectric constant is phenomena. Although interesting correlations
negative, but below that frequency the temperature were obtained relating dielectric properties and
coefficient is positive. This is most likely the frequen- soluble solids in complex-plane plots, correlations
cy above which dipole relaxation accounts for most for predicting melon sweetness from the dielectric
of the energy loss and below which ionic conduction properties have so far not been successful (Nelson
is the dominant loss mechanism. That frequency is et al. 2007).
about 100 MHz for the avocado and carrot, but it is Dielectric properties of apples were recently mea-
about 40 MHz for the navel orange tissue. sured and studied to determine whether they might
It should also be noted that as temperature in- be useful in sensing quality of stored apples (Guo et
creases at the lower frequencies, the dielectric con- al. 2007a). The permittivity values of internal tissues
stant of avocado and navel orange tissue increases in obtained for three different cultivars are shown in
regular fashion, whereas that for carrot tissue peaks Figure 12, and those for surface measurements on
at 65°C and then decreases slightly as temperature
increases to 95°C. The increase in the loss factor
with temperature at lower frequencies is regular for 800
800
all three materials.
Dielectric properties of freshly harvested melons 600
600
have been studied to determine whether useful
Dielectric constant
Permittivity

correlations exist between their dielectric proper- Dielectric constant

Loss factor
Loss factor
400
400
Permittivity

ties and sweetness, as measured by soluble solids

content (Nelson et al. 2006, 2007). The measured
200
200
permittivities for honeydew melons are shown in
Figure 8, where error bars indicate plus and minus
one standard deviation for 6 measurements on in- 00
ternal tissue of a melon. The same data are shown
in Figure 9 in a log-log plot, which reveals a linear 10 7
107 10 8
10 8 10 9
10 9

relationship for the loss factor between 10 and about Frequency (Hz)Hz
Frequency,

500 MHz and confirms the dominant influence of Figure 10. Mean values of dielectric properties from six probe
ionic conduction in that frequency range. Similar measurements on internal watermelon tissue (Nelson et
permittivity values for internal tissue measure- al. 2007)
ments on watermelon are shown in Figure 10, and
180
120
120
160
140 Dielectric constant
100
100 Loss factor
Dielectric constant 120
Permittivity
constant

Dielectric constant
constant

Loss factor
Loss factor
factor

100
Loss factor

100
100

80
Dielectric

Loss
Dielectric

60
40
20
60
60 10
10 0
10 7 108 10 9
10 7
10 8
10 9
107 108 109
Frequency (Hz)
Frequency, Hz Frequency (Hz)
Figure 11. Mean values of dielectric properties from four
Figure 9. Log-log plot of the frequency dependence of honey- probe measurements on the surface of a watermelon (Nel-
dew melon dielectric properties (Nelson et al. 2006) son et al. 2007)

108 RES. AGR. ENG., 54, 2008 (2): 104–112

 Dedicated to the 80th Anniversary of Prof. Radoš Řezníček

45
45
80
80
80
75
75 40
40
75

constant
Fuji

Dielectricconstant
Fuji
Fuji
constant

70 Fuji
70
constant

Pink Lady
PinkFuji
Lady 35
35 Pink
PinkLady
Dielectric constant

70 RedPink
RomeLady
Lady
Red Rome Red
RedRome
Rome
Red Rome
65
65
Dielectric

Dielectric
65 30
30
Dielectric

60
60
60
25
25
55
55
55
50
50 20
20
50 1077
10 1088
10 1099
10 1077
10 1088
10 1099
10
107 108 109
Frequency,
Frequency Hz
(Hz) Frequency (Hz)
Frequency, Hz
Frequency, Hz
250
250
250
12
12
200
200
200

loss factor
factor

10
Dielectric loss factor

10
Fuji

Dielectric loss factor

Fuji
factor

Fuji
150 Fuji
Pink Lady
Fuji Pink
Pink Lady
Lady
loss

150
150 Pink
Red Rome
Pink Lady
Lady 88 Red
RedRome
Rome
Dielectric loss

RedRedRome
Rome
Dielectric
Dielectric

100
100
100 66

50
50
50 44

0
00 107 108 109 22
1077
10 1088
10 1099
10 1088
10 1077
10 1099
10
Frequency, Hz
Frequency (Hz) Hz
Frequency, Frequency (Hz) Hz
Frequency,
80
Figure 12. Comparison of dielectric properties from internal Figure 13. oComparison of dielectric properties from external
10 C
tissue measurements on three apple cultivars (Guo et al. surface measurements on three apple cultivars (Guo et al.
o
2007a). 70 50 C
2007a)
Dielectric constant

the apples are shown in Figure 13. Considerable dif- Dielectric

60 90 C
o properties of a commercial apple juice
ferences were noted among the three cultivars. These product were also measured over the 200-MHz to
surface measurements also exhibited the dielectric 20-GHz frequency range (Nelson & Bartley 2002).
50
relaxation phenomenon noted in surface measure- Because of the high water content of the apple juice,
ments on watermelons, and are most likely related to the dielectric relaxation of liquid water is clearly
40
the exocarp structure of the fruit. Dielectric proper- evident in Figure 14. The temperature dependence
ties of the apples remained relatively constant during of the dielectric properties of the apple juice at the
30
the 10-week refrigerated storage period. higher
108 frequencies is also
109 very similar to that
1010 of pure
Frequency, Hz
80
80
10°C
o
10 C 60
60

70 50°C
o
70 50 C
50
50 90°C
o
90 C
constant

lossfactor
constant

factor

60 90°C
60 90 C
o
40
40

50°C
loss

50 o C
30
Dielectric

30
Dielectric

Dielectric

50
50
Dielectric

20
20
10°C
10 o C

40
40
10
10

30 8
30 9 10
00
108
10 10
109 1010
10 10 88
10 1099
10 1010
10 10

Frequency (Hz)
Frequency, Hz Frequency (Hz)Hz
Frequency,

Figure
60
14. Frequency dependence of the dielectric properties of apple juice at indicated temperatures (88.5% water)

o
50 90 C

RES. AGR. ENG., 54, 2008 (2): 104–112 109

ielectric loss factor

40

30 50 o C

10 o C
20
 Dedicated to the 80th Anniversary of Prof. Radoš Řezníček

300
300
300
200
200
65°C
65
R
R
65 CC 200
180
180
Albumen
180 Albumen
250
250
250
160
160 Albumen
Yolk
Yolk
45°C
45 RR
45 CC 160 Yolk
140
140

constant
constant
constant
constant
constant

140

Dielectricconstant
200
200
200 120
120
25°C
25
R
R
25 CC 120
100
100
Dielectric
Dielectric

100

Dielectric
Dielectric
150
Dielectric

150 5°C
150 55RR
CC 80
80
80
60
60
60
100
100
100 40
40
40
20
20
20
50
50
50 00
1077 7
10
10 1088 8
10
10 1099 9
10
10 0 107
1077 108
1088 109
10
9
10 10 109
Frequency (Hz)
Frequency,
Frequency,Hz
Hz Frequency (Hz)[Hz]
Frequency
Frequency [Hz]
1600
11600
600
22,500
500
2500 65°C
2500 65°C
65 RR
65 C C
1400 Albumen
11400
400 Albumen
Albumen
Yolk
22,000
000
2000 1200 Yolk
Yolk
2000
11200
200
factor
factor

45°C
45°C
45
RR
45 CC
factor
loss factor

1000

factor
11000
000
factor
factor
11,500
500
loss

1500
Dielectricloss

1500
loss

25°C
25°C
25
RR
25 CC 800
Loss 800
800
Dielectric
Dielectric
Dielectric

Loss
Loss
600
11,000
000
1000 5°C
1000
55°C
RR
5C C 600
600
400
400
400
500
500
500
500
200
200
200
0
00
00 00 10777 1088 8 1099 9
10 77
10
10
10 77
101088
10
10 88
1099
10
10
10 99
10
10 10
10 1010
Frequency
Frequency (Hz)
(Hz)Hz
Frequency,
Frequency, Hz Frequency [Hz]
Frequency
Frequency(Hz)
[Hz]
Figure 15. Frequency and temperature dependence of the Figure 16. Frequency dependence of the loss factor of fresh
dielectric properties of fresh chicken breast meat, P. major, egg albumen and yolk at 24°C; error bars indicate ± one
deboned at 2 h postmortem (Zhuang et al. 2007) standard deviation (Guo et al. 2007b)

liquid water, with the relaxation frequency for pure
water shifting from below 20 GHz to higher frequen-
cies as temperature increases (Hasted 1973).
Poultry products
Some dielectric spectroscopy measurements have
been taken recently on poultry products in explor-
atory work on quality sensing (Zhuang et al. 2007).
Dielectric properties values for fresh chicken breast
meat in the 10 to 1800-MHz frequency range at
temperatures from 5°C to 65°C are shown in Figure
15. These curves show frequency dependence of the
dielectric properties similar to those for tissues of
fruits and vegetables. Probable potential for using
dielectric properties to assess meat quality charac-
teristics was indicated.
Dielectric spectroscopy measurements were also
taken on the albumen and yolk of fresh chicken eggs
at weekly intervals during 5 weeks of storage (Guo et
al. 2007b). Dielectric properties from 10–1800 MHz
for the fresh eggs are shown in Figure 16, where the
albumen has higher values for both the dielectric
constant and loss factor than the yolk at any given
frequency. Dielectric properties changed during the
storage period, but they did not correlate well with
traditional quality factors for the eggs.
SUMMARY
The importance and usefulness of the dielectric
properties of agricultural products are discussed
briefly, pointing out their use in the rapid sensing
and measurement of moisture content in grain
and seed and in governing the behaviour of ma-
terials subjected to RF and microwave electric
fields for dielectric heating applications. Sources
of information on the dielectric properties of such
products are provided, and values of the dielectric
constants and loss factors are presented graphi-
cally for a number of products, including grain,
fruits and vegetables, and poultry products. These
examples provide information not only on typi-
cal values of the dielectric properties, but also on
their dependence on such variables as frequency
of the alternating fields applied, moisture content

110 RES. AGR. ENG., 54, 2008 (2): 104–112


and temperature of the products. A few additional
applications for dielectric properties information
are also discussed briefly.
References
ASAE (2000): ASAE D293.2 Dielectric properties of grain
and seed. In: ASAE Standards 2000. American Society of
Agricultural Engineers, St. Joseph, 549–558.
Guo W., Nelson S.O., Trabelsi S., Kays S.J. (2007a):
10–1800-MHz dielectric properties of fresh apples during
storage. Journal of Food Engineering, 83: 562–569.
Guo W., Trabelsi S., Nelson S.O., Jones D.R. (2007b):
Storage effects on dielectric properties of eggs from 10 to
1800 MHz. Journal of Food Science, 72: E335–E340.
Hasted J.B. (1973): Aqueous Dielectrics. Chapman and
Hall, London.
Knipper N.V. (1959): Use of high-frequency currents for
grain drying. Journal of Agricultural Engineering Research,
4: 349–360.
Kraszewski A.W., Nelson S.O. (1989): Composite model
of the complex permittivity of cereal grain. Journal of Ag-
ricultural Engineering Research, 43: 211–219.
Nelson S.O. (1965): Dielectric properties of grain and seed
in the 1 to 50-mc range. Transactions of the ASAE, 8:
38–48.
Nelson S.O. (1973): Electrical properties of agricultural
products – A critical review. Transactions of the ASAE,
16: 384–400.
Nelson S.O. (1980): Microwave dielectric properties of
fresh fruits and vegetables. Transactions of the ASAE, 23:
1314–1317.
Nelson S.O. (1983): Dielectric properties of some fresh fruits
and vegetables at frequencies of 2.45 to 22 GHz. Transac-
tions of the ASAE, 26: 613–616.
Nelson S.O. (1987): Models for the dielectric constants of
cereal grains and soybeans. Journal of Microwave Power
and Electromagnetic Energy, 22: 35–39.
Nelson S.O. (1992): Microwave dielectric properties of fresh
onions. Transactions of the ASAE, 35: 963–966.
Nelson S.O. (1996): Review and assessment of radio-fre-
quency and microwave energy for stored-grain insect
control. Transactions of the ASAE, 39: 1475–1484.
Abstrakt
Nelson S.O. (2008): Dielektrické vlastnosti zemědělských produktů a některé jejich aplikace. Res. Agr. Eng.,
54: 104–112.
Je stručně diskutováno použití dielektrických vlastností pro detekci vlhkosti zrna a semen a využití těchto poznatků
pro radiofrekvenční a mikrovlnný ohřev. Hodnoty dielektrických vlastností několika produktů, včetně zrna a semen,
RES. AGR. ENG., 54, 2008 (2): 104–112 111
Dedicated to the 80th Anniversary of Prof. Radoš Řezníček
Nelson S.O. (2003): Frequency- and temperature-dependent
permittivities of fresh fruits and vegetables from 0.0l to
1.8 GHz. Transactions of the ASAE, 46: 567–574.
Nelson S.O. (2006): Agricultural applications of dielectric
measurements. IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and
Electrical Insulation, 13: 688–702.
Nelson S.O., Bartley P.G., Jr. (2002): Frequency and tem-
perature dependence of the dielectric properties of food
materials. Transactions of the ASAE, 45: 1223–1227.
Nelson S.O., Trabelsi S. (2006): Dielectric spectroscopy
of wheat from 10 MHz to 1.8 GHz. Measurement Science
and Technology, 17: 2294–2298.
Nelson S.O., Whitney W.K. (1960): Radio-frequency elec-
tric fields for stored-grain insect control. Transactions of
the ASAE, 3: 133–137.
Nelson S.O., Soderholm L.H., Yung F.D. (1953): Deter-
mining the dielectric properties of grain. Agricultural
Engineering, 34: 608–610.
Nelson S.O., Forbus W.R., Jr., Lawrence K.C. (1994):
Permittivities of fresh fruits and vegetables at 0.2 to 20
GHz. Journal of Microwave Power and Electromagnetic
Energy, 29: 81–93.
Nelson S.O., Forbus W.R., Jr., Lawrence K.C. (1995):
Assessment of microwave permittivity for sensing peach
maturity. Transactions of the ASAE, 38: 579–585.
Nelson S.O., Trabelsi S., Kays S.J. (2006): Dielectric
spectroscopy of honeydew melons from 10 MHz to
1.8 GHz for quality sensing Transactions of the ASABE,
49: 1977–1981.
Nelson S.O., Guo W., Trabelsi S., Kays S.J. (2007): Di-
electric spectroscopy of watermelons for quality sensing.
Measurement Science and Technology, 18: 1887–1892.
Trabelsi S., Kraszewski A., Nelson S.O. (1998): New
density-independent calibration function for microwave
sensing of moisture content in particulate materials. IEEE
Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement, 47:
613–622.
Zhuang H., Nelson S.O., Trabelsi S., Savage E.M. (2007):
Dielectric properties of uncooked chicken breast muscles
from ten to one thousand eight hundred megahertz. Poul-
try Science, 86: 2433–2440.
Received for publication December 7, 2007
Accepted after corrections January 14, 2008
Dedicated to the 80th Anniversary of Prof. Radoš Řezníček

ovoce a zeleniny, drůbežích produktů (masa a vajec) jsou uvedeny graficky s cílem ukázat závislosti těchto vlastností
na frekvenci použitých vln a vlhkosti a teplotě produktů. Jsou diskutovány také možnosti užití dielektrických vlast-
ností k určení jiných faktorů kvality produktů než je jejich vlhkost.
Klíčová slova: permitivita; radiové frekvence; mikrovlny; reálná složka relativní permitivity; ztrátový faktor; frek-
venční závislost; vlhkost; zrno; semena; ovoce; zelenina; drůbeží produkty

Corresponding author:

Prof. Stuart O. Nelson, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Richard B. Russell
Agricultural Research Center, Athens, Georgia, USA 30604-5677
e-mail: sonelson@qaru.ars.usda.gov

112 RES. AGR. ENG., 54, 2008 (2): 104–112