On the high-fidelity monitoring of C3 and C4 crops under nutrient and water stress

The different photosynthetic and morphological characteristics of C-3 and C-4 plants may lead to distinct physiological responses of C-3 and C-4 crops to stress factors. These responses are strongly correlated with the red edge of these plants, the s-shaped curve in the 680-800nm region of their reflectance spectra. We performed controlled in silico experiments to investigate the patterns of the red edge displacements resulting from C-3 and C-4 specimens subjected to the same stress conditions. Our findings indicate these patterns need to be taken into account in the development of effective monitoring procedures for C-3 and C-4 crops.