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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Crop Production Systems Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #276535
Title: Early detection of soybean plant injury from glyphosate by measuring chlorophyll reflectance and fluorescence

Author
item Huang, Yanbo
item Thomson, Steven
item Molin, William
item Reddy, Krishna
item YAO, HAIBO - Mississippi State University

Submitted to: Journal of Agricultural Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/29/2012
Publication Date: 4/1/2012
Citation: Huang, Y., Thomson, S.J., Molin, W.T., Reddy, K.N., Yao, H. 2012. Early detection of soybean plant injury from glyphosate by measuring chlorophyll reflectance and fluorescence. Journal of Agricultural Science. 4(5):117-124.

Interpretive Summary: Early detection of crop herbicide injury is the primary concern in crop production. Subtle changes in canopy reflectance could provide useful information to detect the crop stress early. This study has been conducted in a greenhouse to evaluate plant chlorophyll reflectance and fluorescence measurements for detection of crop injury caused by sprayed glyphosate herbicide. The results of the study indicated that the plant chlorophyll reflectance measurement could be useful to detect crop stress 24 hours after the herbicide treatment and the plant chlorophyll fluorescence measurement started to detect crop stress 48 hours after treatment. The study provides useful information between plant optical response and crop injury from non-selective herbicide.

Technical Abstract: Early detection of crop injury from off-target drift of herbicide is critical in crop production. Subtle changes in canopy reflectance could present useful information to detect the onset of crop stress. This study was conducted in a greenhouse to evaluate a portable spectroradiometer and a portable chlorophyll fluorometer for the detection of crop injury caused by glyphosate spray. Non-glyphosate resistant soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) plants were sprayed with glyphosate using a pneumatic track sprayer in a spray chamber. Four plants received a rate of 0.86 kg ae/ha glyphosate and four plants received 0.086 kg ae/ha. Additional four non-sprayed plants were used as controls. After the glyphosate spray, the chlorophyll reflectance of the plants was measured with the spectroradiometer at 4, 24, 48, and 72 hours to determine the plant response to herbicide. Simultaneously, fluorescence induction kinetics of the crop under stress was measured with the portable chlorophyll fluorometer. Results of the study indicated that the plant chlorophyll reflectance measurement could provide useful information on crop stress at 24 hours after treatment and that plant chlorophyll fluorescence measurement could provide information on crop stress at 48 hours after the treatment.