Light scattering in vivo as a tool for mineral nutrient deficiency diagnosis in crop plants

Abstract

Changes in light scattering of leaves during photosynthetic induction exhibited characteristics which varied with mineral element deficiency. In the case of sugar beet plants (Beta vulgaris L.) grown in growth chambers, light scattering curves differed significantly from the control with deficiencies of N, P, K, Mn, Fe, S and Cu deficiencies but not with B, Zn and Mg. The results suggest that, with some mineral elements, light scattering of leaves might be used as a means of rapid diagnosis of nutrient deficiency for crop plants in the field.