Hyperspectral reflectance as a valuable technology for non-destructive estimation of leaf mineral elements concentration of Olea europaea L. under drought and salinity stresses
摘要
The cultivation of olive trees is concentrated in regions with a Mediterranean climate commonly characterized by drought and relatively high soil salinity. Scarce water supply, along with the accumulation of Sodium (Na+) ions in plant tissues, triggers various changes in plant mineral element concentrations. Three months of experimental treatments, consisting of deficient irrigation and saline water application on potted trees of three Greek Olea europaea L. cultivars (‘Lefkolia Serron’, ‘Amfissis’ and ‘Mastoidis’), led to statistically significant changes in Calcium (Ca), Copper (Cu), Iron (Fe), Manganese (Mn), Zinc (Zn), and Nitrogen (N) leaf concentrations. The correlation of hyperspectral leaf reflectance with Potassium (K) and Magnesium (Mg) appeared to be significant, which indicates a potential application for early and non-destructive detection of plant nutritional status. Additionally, customized Vegetation Indices, created as normalized ratios between wavelengths with the highest and lowest correlation with each element concentration, resulted in higher correlations than conventional, widely used indices (NDVI, WI, and PRI), a finding that emphasizes the importance of using individualized rather than generalized indices.