Abstract

Water and nitrogen are essential for the optimal development of corn plants. A deficiency of these elements leads to lower crop production. Also, the health status of a plant influences the photosynthesis process. The photosynthetic diagnosis of a plant from the chlorophyll fluorescence spectrum induced by laser is non-destructive to the sample, reliable and fast method. As part of this work, we showed that it is possible to detect the nitrogen and water deficiencies of corn from the chlorophyll fluorescence ratio at 690 nm and 740 nm, when the measurements are performed before the senescence phase.

Indeed, we found that the R fluorescence ratio increases over time, for any stress on the plant. However, R decreases with the nitrogen stress and increases with increasing water loss.

The measures should be performed 51 Days After Planting (DAP) to detect water deficiency and the suitable date for nitrogen deficiency detection is 61 DAP.

Before each of these dates, the plants will be considered water deficient if the fluorescence ratio R ≤ 1.34 and will be nitrogen stressed if R > 1.36.

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