Low-cost photochemical reflectance index measurements of micropropagated plantlets using image analysis

A system for imaging the photochemical reflectance index (PRI) of micropropagated plantlet leaves was developed using a low-cost charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. The reflected light intensities of leaves at 530 and 570 nm were imaged using a monochrome CCD camera with respective band-pass filters. The reflection images were used to estimate the PRI values of the leaves. The relationships between the PRI estimated from images and a chlorophyll fluorescence parameter ΔF/Fm′, determined by pulse-amplitude modulation (PAM) chlorophyll fluorometer and representing PSII quantum yield, were investigated for several plants under various conditions to test the performance of the system. The PRI estimated from images decreased with a decline in the ΔF/Fm′ for strawberry leaves treated with high intensity light under artificial light condition and lettuce leaves treated with abscisic acid. These results suggest that the system can be used for non-destructive estimation of the PRI of leaves. The system was used to estimate the PRI of micropropagated potato leaves from outside the culture vessels. The time course of PSII quantum yield for the individual leaf could be demonstrated by the PRI estimated from images of potato plantlet leaves treated with high light. The findings suggest that the system has the potential for inexpensive, simple and efficient estimation of PRI for micropropagated plantlets.