Assessment of Fv/Fm absorbed by wheat canopies employing in-situ hyperspectral vegetation indexes

Abstract

Chlorophyll fluorescence parameter of Fv/Fm, as an important index for evaluating crop yields and biomass, is key to guide crop management. However, the shortage of good hyperspectral data can hinder the accurate assessment of wheat Fv/Fm. In this research, the relationships between wheat canopy Fv/Fm and in-situ hyperspectral vegetation indexes were explored to develop a strategy for accurate Fv/Fm assessment. Fv/Fm had the highest coefficients with normalized pigments chlorophyll ratio index (NPCI) and the medium terrestrial chlorophyll index (MTCI). Both NPCI and MTCI were increased with the increase in Fv/Fm. However, NPCI value ceased to increase as Fv/Fm reached 0.61. MTCI had a descending trend when Fv/Fm value was higher than 0.61. A piecewise Fv/Fm assessment model with NPCI and MTCI regression variables was established when Fv/Fm value was ≤0.61 and >0.61, respectively. The model increased the accuracy of assessment by up to 16% as compared with the Fv/Fm assessment model based on a single vegetation index. Our study indicated that it was feasible to apply NPCI and MTCI to assess wheat Fv/Fm and to establish a piecewise Fv/Fm assessment model that can overcome the limitations from vegetation index saturation under high Fv/Fm value.