Estimating the Acquisition Price of Enshi Yulu Young Tea Shoots Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy by the Back Propagation Artificial Neural Network Model in Conjunction with Backward Interval Partial Least Squares Algorithm

Near infrared spectroscopy and the back propagation artificial neural network model in conjunction with backward interval partial least squares algorithm were used to estimate the purchasing price of Enshi yulu young tea shoots. The near-infrared spectra regions most relevant to the tea shoots price model (5700.5–5935.8, 7613.6–7848.9, 8091.8–8327.1, 8331–8566.2, 9287.5–9522.5, and 9526.6–9761.9 cm^–1) were selected using backward interval partial least squares algorithm. The first five principal components that explained 99.96% of the variability in those selected spectral data were then used to calibrate the back propagation artificial neural tea shoots purchasing price model. The performance of this model (coefficient of determination for prediction 0.9724; root-mean-square error of prediction 4.727) was superior to those of the back propagation artificial neural model (coefficient of determination for prediction 0.8653, root-mean-square error of prediction 5.125) and the backward interval partial least squares model (coefficient of determination for prediction 0.5932, root-mean-square error of prediction 25.125). The acquisition price model with the combined backward interval partial least squares–back propagation artificial neural network algorithms can evaluate the price of Enshi yulu tea shoots accurately, quickly and objectively.