The stress level in a plant may be directly associated with the intensity of the Kautsky effect (the sudden increase in fluorescence emission by chlorophyll following a dark adaptation). The decrease in photosynthetic efficiency, linked with the rate of photochemistry of plants under stress, provides a definitive signature (graphical pattern) that can be quantified and monitored, even for plants that have no visible stress symptoms. Using a prototype GrowScanner®, signature differences in plants under nitrogen and water stress, as compared with plants not under stress, could be detected and measured. Returning stressed plants to a nonstressed condition returned the stress signatures to that of control plants not under stress. Development of the technology may provide a relatively quick, presymptomatic methodology for detecting plant stress without sacrificing plant tissue.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.