Title : The potential use of the analysis of biophoton emission profiles in monitoring plant health state
Abstract:
It has been known that all living organisms emit a spontaneous ultra-low electromagnetic radiation, the source of which is under constant dispute. Whether this very weak electromagnetic radiation stems from excited molecules generated during stress responses that entail redox potential changes during stress adaptation and/or a consequence of an entity depicting a subatomic feature of living matter hence representing a deeper layer of manifestation of life processes remains obscure.
Notwithstanding the uncertainty pertaining to which scenario may prove correct, an elevated level of this spontaneous emission sets in concomitantly upon stress conditions, therefore it reveals the “stress state” of living organisms which allows for monitoring the physiological conditions of crops in a non-invasive manner. This approach opens up a new vista in exploring novel ways for real-time, on-the-spot analyses of crop physiological states. However, the increase in the emission appears to be atypical and does not reflect the nature (biotic/abiotic) or the type of the stress impinging on the plant. A deeper study of the dynamics of the emission signals and an elaborate analysis of intensity changes in sets of pixels which ensue on leaf surfaces reveals a more profound significance these changes may have viewed from the angle of possibly reflecting specific physiological responses elicited by underlying stress conditions.
This approach may prove a promising tool in the continuous and precise control of crop health state and in addressing the challenges imposed by ever-increasing environmental stress exacerbated by global climate change-driven extremes that more and more frequently occur in abiotic and biotic conditions encumbering agro-ecosystems.
During the presentation an experimental set-up and analysis method conjectured to gain relevance in efforts exerted in fulfilling the need for continuous plant health state monitoring and their potential exploitation in preemptive and modern plant protection practices emphasizing the need for ensuring biostimulants-based approach in precision agriculture will be presented
