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Imaging technology
Fluorescence imaging is a non-invasive technique, which enables you to visualise and to quantify the effects of agrochemicals and pathogens on the photosynthesis. Fluorescence imaging is an outstanding method to monitor the effects of formulation, adjuvants and application technology on the performance of agrochemicals. The existing technique is improved by Plant Research International in Wageningen. Projects on agrochemicals are conducted in collaboration with SURfaPLUS R&D in Wageningen.
Robotised system for detection of plant vitality, quality and stress by the novel and revolutionary technique of Multiple Imaging of Plant Stress (MIPSTM) using a chlorophyll fluorescence (CF) and colour camera.
New facility
If a pesticide or pathogen reduces the efficiency of the photosynthesis, the fluorescence of the chlorophyll increases because less light is used for the photosynthesis. The new facility in Wageningen quantifies and visualises the changes in fluorescence over the whole plant and over leaf areas up to a spatial resolution of 10 µm. By using a robotised system, fluorescence of hundreds of plants can measured at different time points. As a result, we can provide you the dynamics of changes in fluorescence as a movie or accurate data. Both for science, screening and marketing purposes, these movies or individual pictures proved to be very effective.
Dynamics of changes in fluorescence of black nightshade plants
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Quantification of bentazone activity by using the fluorescence technology. Percentage of plant area with low photosynthesis efficiency (quantum efficiency < 40%) was indicated.
Imaging of glyphosate activity 55 h after treatment
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Glyphosate ipa salt unformulated |
Glyphosate plus POE (15) tallowamine |
Quantification of glyphosate activity by using the fluorescence technology. Number of pixels per plant with quantum efficiency < 40% were counted.
Optimising formulations or adjuvants
The fluorescence facility visualises and quantifies quite well the effect of a surfactant (used as adjuvant to improve the pesticide activity) on the performance of bentazone and glyphosate. To optimise surfactant type and concentration, this fluorescence approach can be applied to monitor what happens in the plant. Phytotoxic effects of surfactants themselves can also be visualised. In addition to the visualization of effects, the technology enables you to quantify formulation effects on the day of treatment (inhibitors photosynthesis and for instance glufosinate) or within 2-3 days (glyphosate). This quantification correlates quite well with growth inhibition.
Fine
Coarse
Influence of nozzle type on the photosynthetic efficiency (left) together with the corresponding colour picture (right) 72 hrs after the spraying of black night shade plants with bentazone as a marker. Upper picture: Fine nozzle (XR 8002); lower picture: Coarse nozzle (XR 8005). Coarse spay appeared to be more effective.
Optimising application technology
Both application technology and formulation technology, determine the eventual performance of a pesticide. The influence of relevant factors like water volume, drop size and air-pressure can also be investigated by fluorescence imaging.
Other applications of fluorescence imaging in chemical plant protection.
- Visualising and quantifying of pathogen activity and effect of fungicides and insecticides on the pathogen acticity.
- Measuring herbicide susceptibility of herbicide-resistant crops.
About Plant Research International and SURfaPLUS R&D
Plant Research International conducts strategic and applied projects in different disciplines of plant sciences. SURfaPLUS R&D develops and tests more effective formulations and adjuvants for agrochemicals.
Contact
If this presentation on the web raises your interest, please contact Dr. Hans de Ruiter (SURfaPLUS R&D) or Dr. Henk Jalink (Plant Research International)
MIPS™ is a facility for automated, rapid and non invasive physiological assessment of quality and vitality of plants. MIPSTM was pre-financed by the Dutch government (MIBITON)