Applications of chlorophyll fluorescence can improve crop production strategies: an examination of future possibilities

Chlorophyll fluorescence has been routinely used for many years to monitor the photosynthetic performance of plants non-invasively. The relationships between chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and leaf photosynthetic performance are reviewed in the context of applications of fluorescence measurements to screening programmes which seek to identify improved plant performance. The potential role of chlorophyll fluorescence imaging in increasing both the sensitivity and throughput of plant screening programmes is examined. Finally, consideration is given to possible specific applications of chlorophyll fluorescence for screening of plants for tolerance to environmental stresses and for improvements in glasshouse production and post-harvest handling of crops.