Optical monitoring of the plant growth status using polarimetry

Abstract

Abstract Polarimetry is a powerful characterization technique that uses a wealth of information from electromagnetic waves, including polarization. Using the rich information provided by polarimetry, it is being actively studied in biomedical fields such as cancer and tumor diagnosis. Despite its importance and potential in agriculture, polarimetry for living plants has not been well studied. A Stokes polarimetric imaging system was built to determine the correlation between the polarization states of the light passing through the leaf and the growth states of lettuce. The Stokes parameter s 3 associated with circular polarization increased over time and was strongly correlated with the growth of lettuce seedlings. In the statistical analysis, the distribution of s 3 followed the generalized extreme value (GEV) probability density function. Salt stress retarded plant growth, and the concentration of treated sodium chloride (NaCl) showed a negative correlation with the location parameter μ of GEV. The clear correlation reported here will open the possibility of polarization measurements on living plants, enabling real-time monitoring of plant health.

Plant phenotyping relevance

生きた植物の成長状態・健康状態を推定する偏光イメージングシステムを構築し、測定値と成長との相関および塩ストレス応答を評価しており、表現型取得法が中心的です。

Code and data availability

The paper's Stokes polarimetric plant-phenotyping data are not publicly available; the authors state they may be obtained upon reasonable request from the corresponding author. No public code, images, or datasets are provided.

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