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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Raleigh, North Carolina » Soybean and Nitrogen Fixation Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #422805
Research Project: Exploiting Genetic Diversity to Improve Environmental Resilience, Seed Composition, Yield, and Profitability of U.S. Soybean

Location: Soybean and Nitrogen Fixation Research

Title: Mueller matrix spectral and polarimetric imaging for high throughput plant phenotyping

Author
item KUDENOV, MICHAEL - North Carolina State University
item BAUER, LUCAS - North Carolina State University
item LARSEN, JOSHUA - North Carolina State University
item Locke, Anna
item DOHERTY, COLLEEN - North Carolina State University
item Balint Kurti, Peter

Submitted to: Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/19/2025
Publication Date: 3/19/2025
Citation: Kudenov, M.W., Bauer, L., Larsen, J.C., Locke, A.M., Doherty, C.J., Balint Kurti, P.J. 2025. Mueller matrix spectral and polarimetric imaging for high throughput plant phenotyping. Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3049631.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3049631

Interpretive Summary: Leaves polarize light that is transmitted through them. The polarization properties of a leaf could indicate stress symptoms. We developed a polarimeter specifically to measure crop leaves. The instrument was optimized in field and greenhouse experiments. Polarimeter data documented diurnal variation in light polarization by the leaf and were successfully correlated to measures of plant performance, including photosynthesis.

Technical Abstract: Many correlations exist between spectral reflectance and various phenotypic responses from plants. Of interest to us are structural characteristics; namely, how the various spectral and polarimetric components may correlate to underlying environmental, metabolic, and genotypic differences among plant varieties within a given species. In this paper, we overview a portable Mueller matrix imaging spectropolarimeter that has been optimized for field use. Key aspects to the design included minimizing the measurement time while maximizing signal-to-noise ratio with low systematic errors. These goals must be achieved while maintaining an imaging capability across multiple measurement wavelengths, spanning the blue to near-infrared spectral region. To this end, we will review our optimization procedure, simulations, and experimental results, including preliminary field data taken from our summer 2021 field trials.