  Quality traits are some of the most important and time-consuming phenotypes
to evaluate in plant breeding programs. These traits are often evaluated late
in the breeding pipeline due to their cost, resulting in the potential
advancement of many lines that are not suitable for release. Near-infrared
spectroscopy (NIRS) is a non-destructive tool that can rapidly increase the
speed at which quality traits are evaluated. However, most spectrometers are
non-portable or prohibitively expensive. Recent advancements have led to the
development of consumer-targeted, inexpensive spectrometers with demonstrated
potential for breeding applications. Unfortunately, the mobile applications for
these spectrometers are not designed to rapidly collect organized samples at
the scale necessary for breeding programs. To that end, we developed
Prospector, a mobile application that connects with LinkSquare portable NIR
spectrometers and allows breeders to efficiently capture NIR data. In this
report, we outline the core functionality of the app and how it can easily be
integrated into breeding workflows as well as the opportunities for further
development. Prospector and other high throughput phenotyping tools and
technologies are required for plant breeders to develop the next generation of
improved varieties necessary to feed a growing global population.
