Overview of applications of near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy in wood science: recent advances and future prospects

The present article gives an outline of various recent advances in the area of applications of near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in developing the wood science and technology. The technical and scientific results and findings reported in the literature on the NIRS in relation to assessment of various attributes of wood as a material have been studied. The ability of this technique to quickly incorporate the advancements being made in the related fields of instrumentation and software indicates that it is very easy to adopt in the area of research and development of wood and its products including wood-based composites and apply it in the wood-based industry. This article also includes the advances in NIR spectroscopic imaging techniques and the future trends and opportunities towards its applicability in the field of wood science leading to technological advancements in various industry sectors.