Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University wins TEKNOFEST award for seed analysis system

Academics from Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University (ÇOMÜ) have won first place in the TEKNOFEST 2026 Agricultural Technologies Competition for their seed analysis system, GenoPixel.

Developed by Dr. Selçuk Çetin, Prof. Dr. İskender Tiryaki, and Asst. Prof. Uğur Sarı, the system uses a mobile phone camera within a specially illuminated cabin to capture seed surface color data. This information is converted into the CIE Lab color system, allowing computers to quantify differences in lightness, darkness, and hue between seed varieties.

Dr. Selçuk Çetin stated that the project aims to provide an economical alternative to expensive, often imported, professional color measurement devices. The system, which has already been tested on flax and dry bean seeds, utilizes digital phenotyping to identify subtle color variations that are difficult to detect with the naked eye. The data collected is intended to support research in plant breeding and the development of new seed varieties.