ABSTRACT
For successful application of nondestructive approaches for assessment of such key plant pigments as chlorophylls, carotenoids, anthocyanins, and flavonoids, in situ quantification of the effect of each pigment on absorbance and reflectance is required. We introduce a concept of specific absorbance and reflectance responses to each pigment's content, revealing the quantitative effect of each pigment on the background of absorption of other pigments and leaf scattering. We present models for accurate estimation of chlorophyll, carotenoid, anthocyanin, and flavonoid contents and argue that absorbance- and reflectance-based approaches complement each other and can be used synergistically in advanced models for precision estimation of foliar pigments. The findings summarized in the chapter enable a better understanding of light interaction with leaf augmenting for plant physiologists studying stress and developmental effects in plants.
