Automated systems and assemblies for use in evaluating agricultural products and methods therefor

A method for quantifying soybean cyst nematode infestation on a soybean plant, the method comprising:

• providing at least one soybean plant having soybean cyst nematodes;
• separating soybean cyst nematode cysts from the plant to prepare a sample comprising at least soybean cyst nematode cysts;
• illuminating the sample to produce light of mixed wavelengths emitted from at least one discrete spatial sample point of the sample;
• comparing wavelengths of the emitted light to a model to discriminate soybean cyst nematode cysts within the sample;
• calculating the quantity of soybean cyst nematode cysts in the sample.

A method of evaluating pest resistance in a plant, the method comprising:

• harvesting one or more plants comprising pests;
• separating the pests from the plant to prepare a sample comprising pests;
• illuminating the sample to produce emitted light from the sample;
• comparing the emitted light from the sample to a model to discriminate pests within the sample.