Relationships of Spectral Reflectance with Plant Tissue Mineral Elements of Common Bean (Phaseolus Vulgaris L.) Under Drought and Salinity Stresses

ABSTRACT

Salinity and drought stresses are critical for Phaseolus vulgaris L. growth and development. They affect plants in various ways, including tissue mineral element content. Micro- and macro-elements in leaves of Phaseolus vulgaris L. (cv. ‘Blue lake’ and cv. ‘Terli’) subjected to deficit irrigation and salinity treatments were investigated, both analytically and with regards to their effect on the leaves’ spectral reflectance. B (boron), K (potassium), Mn (manganese), Na (sodium), Si (silicon) and Zn (zinc) appeared to be influenced by stress factors, mainly responding to salinity increase. The leaf spectral reflectance of the plants appeared to be significantly correlated with most of the elements under investigation. Multivariate regression identified a relationship of the reflectance at particular regions of the spectrum with phosphorus and NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index) and indicated a significant correlation with B, Fe (iron), K, Mn, P (phosphorus) and Zn. Moreover, customized spectral indices, exhibiting significantly high correlation with B, Fe, K, Mg (magnesium), Mn, Na, P, Zn and N (nitrogen), were developed.