## 1 Introduction  
Maize is one of the top three worldwidely agricultural products, with a total production that ranks high among worldwide food crops. It is widely planted and currently one of the most extensively distributed crops in the world. In comparison to traditional food crops like wheat and rice, maize can adapt to most environments and has superior nutritional value [1]. Maize is also a very important feed crop, containing a variety of nutrients needed by poultry and livestock, and is a major source of feed for animal husbandry. At present, maize can be processed into starch, fermented products, alcohol, maize oil, maize food, maize plastics, and dozens of other types, as many as thousands of products, which are widely used in the food, aquaculture, chemical, medical, fuel, paper, textile, and other industries. According to the 2019-2023 yearbook of the National Bureau of Statistics of China, the average sown area of maize in China is 42.632 million hectares, accounting for 181 percent of the sown area of wheat and 144 percent of the sown area of rice. In 2023, China produced 272,200,200 tons of maize, which was twice of the total wheat production and 1.3 times of the total rice production (Figure 1). The advancement of the maize industry in China has a dual benefit: it enhances food security and fosters economic resilience. Furthermore, it uplifts rural livelihoods and supports broader economic goals [2]. Maize is a dietary staple for a significant proportion of the global population, and the successful cultivation of this crop is closely linked to the quality of the seeds used. Key indicators for assessing maize seed quality include moisture content, viability, maturity, and the presence of surface defects. These factors play a critical role in ensuring optimal growth and yield. Seed mildew has an important effect on maize vitality. Screening maize seeds before sowing is beneficial for increasing yield and income. During the storage period of maize seeds, according to their respiratory characteristics, with the increase in storage time, their respiratory intensity will continue to increase and continue to generate heat. The structural characteristics of the maize seed itself ensure that it is easy for endosperms rich in starch to inhale moisture and heat in the environment, thus becoming the most suitable growth environment for mold. If the storage conditions are not good, the mold in the environment will easily lead to more mold in high-moisture maize seeds produced by respiration and produce maize seeds with different degrees of mold [3]. If moldy seeds are not screened, moldy seeds will increase the rate of mildew in other seeds and reduce storage time. In addition, in moldy maize seeds, with the proliferation of microorganisms, many toxic mycotoxins will be metabolized, such as aflatoxin, zearalenone, etc. The impact of these mycotoxins on the growth and development of poultry and livestock is significant. In addition to damaging tissue and organ function, they can cause disease or death in affected animals. Furthermore, they can facilitate the transmission and prevalence of diseases by enabling the cross-infection and propagation of microorganisms. Moreover, the germination rate, seedling rate, and disease resistance of maize will decline markedly as a consequence of the presence of impurities in the seeds, which will consequently impact yield and the income of farmers [4]. Therefore, accurately classifying and identifying seed quality have become urgent problems to be solved. Consequently, in examining the detection of maize seed surface mildew, scientists and researchers may pursue a variety of strategies and techniques with the objectives of minimizing environmental impact and facilitating the advancement of sustainable agricultural practices. Presently, the quality of crop seeds is still predominantly determined by traditional manual screening methods.