Sensitive Detection of Phosphorus Deficiency in Plants Using Chlorophyll a Fluorescence

Abstract

Phosphorus (P) is a finite natural resource and an essential plant macronutrient with major impact on crop productivity and global food security. Here, we demonstrate that time-resolved chlorophyll a fluorescence is a unique tool to monitor bioactive P in plants and can be used to detect latent P deficiency. When plants suffer from P deficiency, the shape of the time-dependent fluorescence transients is altered distinctively, as the so-called I step gradually straightens and eventually disappears. This effect is shown to be fully reversible, as P resupply leads to a rapid restoration of the I step. The fading I step suggests that the electron transport at photosystem I (PSI) is affected in P-deficient plants. This is corroborated by the observation that differences at the I step in chlorophyll a fluorescence transients from healthy and P-deficient plants can be completely eliminated through prior reduction of PSI by far-red illumination. Moreover, it is observed that the barley (Hordeum vulgare) mutant Viridis-zb(63), which is devoid of PSI activity, similarly does not display the I step. Among the essential plant nutrients, the effect of P deficiency is shown to be specific and sufficiently sensitive to enable rapid in situ determination of latent P deficiency across different plant species, thereby providing a unique tool for timely remediation of P deficiency in agriculture.

Plant growth promotion and chilli anthracnose disease suppression ability of rhizosphere soil actinobacteria

“…P depletion and severe P-deficiency in plants causes chlorophyll loss and PS-II system experience photooxidative stress resulting in severe yield limitations (Obersteiner et al 2013;Hern andez and Munn e-Bosch 2015). A proportionate direct relationship between phosphorus and chlorophyll contents in plants had been discussed earlier (Frydenvang et al 2015;Carstensen et al 2018).The study isolate is a phosphate solubilizer. By releasing sufficient soil phosphorus for plant availability they should have helped the treated chilli seedlings build good chlorophyll content.…”

“…A proportionate direct relationship between phosphorus and chlorophyll contents in plants had been discussed earlier (Frydenvang et al . ; Carstensen et al . ).The study isolate is a phosphate solubilizer.…”

In situ Determination of K, Ca, S and Si in Fresh Sugar Cane Leaves by Handheld Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry

“…Finally, it is important to be aware about recent developments for plant mineral analysis by alternative and/or complementary spectroscopic methods, particularly those to detect element latent deficiencies. 1,48 In situ analysis of fresh sugar cane leaves (this study); b analysis of pressed pellets from cryogenically ground sugar cane leaves (data from reference 5); c critical levels and optimal ranges for Si, S, K and Ca in the sugar cane crop (data from reference 34). LOD: limit of detection; RMSEP: root mean square error of prediction.…”

Do phosphorus and nitrogen contents in young corn leaves represent contents in shoots?

“…Previous studies linking P and N availability in soil to corn growth have focused on concentrations in shoots or in leaves (e.g., Mallarino 1996;Plénet and Lemaire 2000;Bélanger et al 2011). Analyses of nutrient concentrations in the youngest fully developed leaf (YFDL) are more feasible than harvesting shoots to evaluate crop N (e.g., Chapman and Barreto 1997) and P status (e.g., Frydenvang et al 2015). Previous studies relating leaf to shoot concentrations considered plants beyond the V8 to V10 development stage (e.g., Ziadi et al 2009;Bélanger et al 2011) and it remains unclear if P and N concentrations in the YFDL represent concentrations in shoots during earlier growth stages, where optimal nutrient availability is critical for obtaining maximal final yields.…”