Evaluation of Hyperspectral Reflectance Parameters to Assess the Leaf Water Content in Soybean

Marek Kovar,Oksana Sytar,Marian Brestic,Marek Zivcak,Pavol Hauptvogel,Viliam Barek

doi:10.3390/w11030443

Marek Kovar, Oksana Sytar + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/w11030443

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Abstract

Nondestructive assessment of water content and water stress in plants is an important component in the rational use of crop irrigation management in precision agriculture. Spectral measurements of light reflectance in the UV/VIS/NIR region (350–1075 nm) from individual leaves were acquired under a rapid dehydration protocol for validation of the remote sensing water content assessment in soybean plants. Four gravimetrical approaches of leaf water content assessment were used: relative water content (RWC), foliar water content as percent of total fresh mass (FWCt), foliar water content as percent of dry mass (FWCd), and equivalent water thickness (EWT). Leaf desiccation resulted in changes in optical properties with increasing relative reflectance at wavelengths between 580 and 700 nm. The highest positive correlations were observed for the relations between the photochemical reflectance index (PRI) and EWT (rP = 0.860). Data analysis revealed that the specific water absorption band at 970 nm showed relatively weaker sensitivity to water content parameters. The prediction of leaf water content parameters from PRI measurements was better with RMSEs of 12.4% (rP = 0.786), 9.1% (rP = 0.736), and 0.002 (rP = 0.860) for RWC, FWCt, and EWT (p < 0.001), respectively. The results may contribute to more efficient crop water management and confirmed that EWT has a statistically closer relationship with reflectance indices than other monitored water parameters.

Highlights

IntroductionThe reduced availability of soil water for plants is a key environmental factor that decreases the production of many crops [1,2,3], including soybean [4,5]
Water is one of the most important components of living organisms
The mean weight of leaves due to loss water declined from 1.39 ± 0.30 g in the full turgid state (corresponding to 78.38 ± 3.28% foliar water content (FWCt ) and 0.017 ± 0.002 g cm−2 equivalent water thickness (EWT)) to 0.69 ± 0.18 g resulting to 30.65 ± 8.24% fuel water content (FWCt) and 0.006 ± 0.002 g cm−2 EWT, respectively

Summary

Introduction

The reduced availability of soil water for plants is a key environmental factor that decreases the production of many crops [1,2,3], including soybean [4,5]. Water stress leads to a reduction in and subsequent loss of cell turgor, resulting in a decline in plant organ expansion and growth [6]. In the methodology of plant physiology, approaches to determining the relative water content or water potential are frequently used [9,10].

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