Contribution of chlorophyll fluorescence to the reflectance of corn foliage

To assess the contribution of chlorophyll fluorescence (ChlF) to apparent reflectance (Ra) in the red/far-red, spectra were collected on a C₄ agricultural species (corn, Zea mays L.) under conditions ranging from nitrogen deficiency to excess. A significant contribution of ChlF to Ra was observed, with on average 10-25% at 685nm and 2-6% at 740nm of Ra being due to ChlF. Higher ChlF was consistently measured from the abaxial leaf surface as compared to the adaxial. Using 350-665nm excitation, the study confirms the trends in three ChlF ratios established previously by active F technology, suggesting that the ChlF utility this technology has developed for monitoring vegetation physiological status is likely applicable also under natural solar illumination.