Assessment of plant vitality detection through fluorescence and reflectance imagery

Recent studies of the vegetation fluorescence show that it can be successfully used as an intrinsic indicator of plant photosynthetic activity. With respect to the vegetation spectral reflectance, the chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence is more specific as an observable of basic biophysical processes in the plant cells. Laser induced fluorescence is widely used in near range remote sensing, but it is not suitable for the global monitoring of vegetation. Decades of active fluorometry studies have collected useful information of leaf reaction to natural and anthropogenic stress. Still the passive fluorescence, the one that could be registered from satellite orbit has still to prove its advantage over widely used reflectance signature. The weakness of the signal and the lack of experience with passive fluorescence measurements require extensive technical, theoretical and experimental studies. New imaging fluorometres are to be designed for measuring steady state fluorescence in controlled and natural conditions.

In order to compare reflectance and steady state fluorescence sensitivity to stress impact, a set of experiments have been conducted under controlled illumination conditions in a bio-chamber, designed by the author’s team. The equipment allows plant vitality to be monitored both by passive fluorescence and spectral reflectance imaging. Different types of stress factors (heat and drought stress, acid impact) were investigated to demonstrate equipments ability in monitoring changes of fluorescence signal. Selected fluorescence images of foliage illustrate an early detection of plant dysfunction and the temporal and spatial spreading of the stress impact. Analysis shows that fluorescence imaging of green plants can be developed as a highly effective early warning remote sensing method, which could have application for an ecosystems’ monitoring along with high-spectral reflectance imagery.     

The influence of gravity on the structure and functions of plant material

Growth process generate plant form and relate to most physiological functions. The Earth's gravity force affects plant growth in both obvious and subtle ways. It is a major environmental influence on morphology and physiology of plants. Gravity is less important as an agent for plant stress than as an environmental signal to guide growth. The plant's bioaccelerometers are remarkably sensitive, especially in hypogravity. Simulation (clinostat) studies and experiments in satellite laboratories are needed to understand the sensing, transduction, and response characteristics of g related mechanisms. By examining how plants alter growth processes to accomplish developmental or physiological “objectives” we may find it pragmatically desirable to ask ourselves how we might design a plant to achieve such responses to environmental influences. Examples of this design engineering approach for gravity related effects are described as an aid to experimentation.     

Biochemical,photosynthetic and productive parameters of Chinese cabbage grown under blue–red LED assembly designed for space agriculture

Currently light emitting diodes (LEDs) are considered to be most preferable source for space plant growth facilities. We performed a complex study of growth and photosynthesis in Chinese cabbage plants (Brassica chinensis L.) grown with continuous LED lighting based on red (650 nm) and blue (470 nm) LEDs with a red to blue photon ratio of 7:1. Plants grown with high-pressure sodium (HPS) lamps were used as a control. PPF levels used were about 100 μmol/(m² s) (PPF 100) and nearly 400 μmol/(m² s) (PPF 400). One group of plants was grown with PPF 100 and transferred to PPF 400 at the age of 12 days. Plants were studied at the age of 15 and 28 days (harvest age); some plants were left to naturally end their life cycle. We studied a number of parameters reflecting different stages of photosynthesis: photosynthetic pigment content; chlorophyll fluorescence parameters (photosystem II quantum yield, photochemical and non-photochemical chlorophyll fluorescence quenching); electron transport rate, proton gradient on thylakoid membranes (ΔpH), and photophosphorylation rate in isolated chloroplasts. We also tested parameters reflecting plant growth and productivity: shoot and root fresh and dry weight, sugar content and ascorbic acid content in shoots. Our results had shown that at PPF 100, plants grown with LEDs did not differ from control plants in shoot fresh weight, but showed substantial differences in photophosphorylation rate and sugar content. Differences observed in plants grown with PPF 100 become more pronounced in plants grown with PPF 400. Most parameters characterizing the plant photosynthetic performance, such as photosynthetic pigment content, electron transport rate, and ΔpH did not react strongly to light spectrum. Photophosphorylation rate differed strongly in plants grown with different spectrum and PPF level, but did not always reflect final plant yield. Results of the present work suggest that narrow-band LED lighting caused changes in Chinese cabbage plants on levels of the photosynthetic apparatus and the whole plant, concerning its development and adaptation to a varying PPF level.     

Spaceflight hardware for conducting plant growth experiments in space: the early years 1960-2000.

The best strategy for supporting long-duration space missions is believed to be bioregenerative life support systems (BLSS). An integral part of a BLSS is a chamber supporting the growth of higher plants that would provide food, water, and atmosphere regeneration for the human crew. Such a chamber will have to be a complete plant growth system, capable of providing lighting, water, and nutrients to plants in microgravity. Other capabilities include temperature, humidity, and atmospheric gas composition controls. Many spaceflight experiments to date have utilized incomplete growth systems (typically having a hydration system but lacking lighting) to study tropic and metabolic changes in germinating seedlings and young plants. American, European, and Russian scientists have also developed a number of small complete plant growth systems for use in spaceflight research. Currently we are entering a new era of experimentation and hardware development as a result of long-term spaceflight opportunities available on the International Space Station. This is already impacting development of plant growth hardware. To take full advantage of these new opportunities and construct innovative systems, we must understand the results of past spaceflight experiments and the basic capabilities of the diverse plant growth systems that were used to conduct these experiments. The objective of this paper is to describe the most influential pieces of plant growth hardware that have been used for the purpose of conducting scientific experiments during the first 40 years of research.     

量子科学实验卫星微振动地面测试与估计方法

介绍了卫星微振动地面测试和信号估计方法.根据量子科学实验卫星特点,对动量轮运行状态下光学载荷的微振动线位移及角位移进行估计.通过地面微振动测试系统,测量了动量轮运行下光学载荷的微振动加速度;应用小波积分方法,精确估计了卫星结构敏感点的振动线位移和振动角位移.通过工程实测证明了微振动测试与估计方法的有效性.研究结果对于高精度科学实验卫星微振动地面试验具有一定工程应用意义.      

Possible effects of organelle charge and density on cell metabolism

To respond to gravity a biological system must: First, perceive the stimulus; and, second transduce the stimulus into an appropriate response. This laboratory has studied a system of perception and transduction involving the gravity-induced asymmetric distribution of a plant growth hormone. From these studies we have developed a working theory which states as its postulates that: a) The perception of the gravitational stimulus involved a perturbation of the plant's bio-electric field; and b) that the transduction of the stimulus involved voltage-gating of hormone movement from the plant's vascular tissue into the hormone responsive growing tissue. These studies may provide the simplest system for studing the mechanism whereby the gravity signal is translated into a biological response.     

摆动扫描式地球敏感器电信号源研究

摆动扫描式地球敏感器常采用电信号源作为激励参与卫星地面测试.为更真实揭示敏感器自身特性以及减小信号源误差,推导了敏感器测量方程和扫描方程,分析了电信号源的误差来源,并提出了改进的地球敏感器信号源实现算法.该方法概念清晰,计算量小.试验测试结果表明该算法提高了地球敏感器信号源精度.     

微重力环境下植物培养箱设计

基于空间微重力下植物的生物学效应及其微重力信号转导研究需要,在微重力条件下培养拟南芥,获得经微重力条件生长的拟南芥样品.在空间实验过程中实时采集、存储和传输植物样品的数字图像,并根据生物样品的生长周期对生物样品进行低温固定和储存,再由返回式卫星带回地面,开展微重力植物生物学效应研究.      

Tolerance of wheat and lettuce plants grown on human mineralized waste to high temperature stress

The main objective of a life support system for space missions is to supply a crew with food, water and oxygen, and to eliminate their wastes. The ultimate goal is to achieve the highest degree of closure of the system using controlled processes offering a high level of reliability and flexibility. Enhancement of closure of a biological life support system (BLSS) that includes plants relies on increased regeneration of plant waste, and utilization of solid and liquid human wastes. Clearly, the robustness of a BLSS subjected to stress will be substantially determined by the robustness of the plant components of the phototrophic unit. The aim of the present work was to estimate the heat resistance of two plants (wheat and lettuce) grown on human wastes. Human exometabolites mineralized by hydrogen peroxide in an electromagnetic field were used to make a nutrient solution for the plants. We looked for a possible increase in the heat tolerance of the wheat plants using changes in photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) intensity during heat stress. At age 15 days, plants were subjected to a rise in air temperature (from 23 ± 1 °C to 44 ± 1 °С) under different PAR intensities for 4 h. The status of the photosynthetic apparatus of the plants was assessed by external СО₂ gas exchange and fluorescence measurements. The increased irradiance of the plants during the high temperature period demonstrated its protective action for both the photosynthetic apparatus of the leaves and subsequent plant growth and development. The productivity of the plants subjected to temperature changes at 250 W m⁻² of PAR did not differ from that of controls, whereas the productivity of the plants subjected to the same heat stress but in darkness was halved.     

导航信号IQ正交性测试软件设计与实现CSCD

针对通用的商用仪器不能适用现代导航信号IQ正交性的测试要求,开发一种基于Matlab GUI环境的导航信号IQ正交性测试软件。该软件通过网络接口控制高速数字示波器,对导航信号源的秒脉冲信号和导航信号进行双通道高速数据采样,根据秒脉冲信号确定导航信号起始点,截取导航信号数据,采用本地数字波形对导航信号进行匹配滤波和伪随机码同步等数字信号处理,精密估计I和Q支路载波初始相位,从而得到IQ正交性测试结果。软件具有界面友好,操作简单,显示直观等特点。仿真测试结果表明,在典型载噪比情况下,测试软件所得到的测试结果随机误差小于0.5°。     

Observation of ocean color and fluorescence for primary production studies

Ocean color is indirectly related to the concentration of chlorophyll which is an index of the amount of phytoplankton. The experimental results demonstrate the change in spectral response of the ocean for different chlorophll concentrations. The peak of the spectra distribution of global radiation from the sun is not far from the wavelength 450 nm, which is the absorption peak of chlorophyll. So when solar radiation is utilized as an excitation light, phytoplankton in the sea water will emit fluorescence. The chlorophyll-a fluorescence peak at 685 nm was found by an automatic spectral scanning radiometer located on a clifftop overlooking the Yellow Sea. The radiometer viewed the sea surface at the Brewster angle to reduce the reflected sunlight. Results demonstrate that both fluorescence line height and color ratio can be used to measure chlorophyll concentration and show agreement between them. The advantage and shortcoming of these two techniques are also discussed in this paper.     

Effect of iodine disinfection products on higher plants.

Iodine is used to disinfect potable water on United States spacecraft. Iodinated potable water will likely be used to grow plants in space. Little is known about the effects of iodine disinfection products on plants. Seeds of select higher plants were germinated in water iodinated using the Shuttle Microbial Check Valve, and water to which measured amounts of iodide was added. Percent germination was decreased in seeds of most species germinated in iodinated water. Beans were most affected. Germination rates, determined from germination half-times, were decreased for beans germinated in iodinated water, and water to which iodide was added. Development was retarded and rootlets were conspicuously absent in bean and several other plant species germinated in iodinated water. Iodide alone did not elicit these responses. Clearly iodine disinfection products can affect higher plants. These effects must be carefully considered for plant experimentation and cultivation in space, and in design and testing of closed environmental life support systems.     

Effect of salt stress on growth and physiology in amaranth and lettuce: Implications for bioregenerative life support system

Growing plants can be used to clean waste water in bioregenerative life support system (BLSS). However, NaCl contained in the human urine always restricts plant growth and further reduces the degree of mass cycle closure of the system (i.e. salt stress). This work determined the effect of NaCl stress on physiological characteristics of plants for the life support system. Amaranth (Amaranthus tricolor L. var. Huahong) and leaf lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. var. Luoma) were cultivated at nutrient solutions with different NaCl contents (0, 1000, 5000 and 10,000 ppm, respectively) for 10 to 18 days after planted in the Controlled Ecological Life Support System Experimental Facility in China. Results showed that the two plants have different responses to the salt stress. The amaranth showed higher salt-tolerance with NaCl stress. If NaCl content in the solution is below 5000 ppm, the salt stress effect is insignificant on above-ground biomass output, leaf photosynthesis rate, Fv/Fm, photosynthesis pigment contents, activities of antioxidant enzymes, and inducing lipid peroxidation. On the other hand, the lettuce is sensitive to NaCl which significantly decreases those indices of growth and physiology. Notably, the lettuce remains high productivity of edible biomass in low NaCl stress, although its salt-tolerant limitation is lower than amaranth. Therefore, we recommended that amaranth could be cultivated under a higher NaCl stress condition (<5000 ppm) for NaCl recycle while lettuce should be under a lower NaCl stress (<1000 ppm) for water cleaning in future BLSS.     

专用捷变频信号源校准系统研制

捷变频末制导雷达可有效提高武器系统的抗干扰能力,但是作为其专用测试设备的捷变频信号源的计量检定问题却难以得到有效解决。通过分析现有的测试技术,使用通用仪器设备构建测试平台,可实现专用捷变频信号源的自动计量校准。系统采用两路差频形成中频频差的检测方法进行瞬时频率测量,采用单脉冲引频激励测试技术,利用通用测试仪器实现捷变频参数的校准,将捷变频计量技术推向工程应用阶段,可避免通过研制生产专用的计量设备造成其本身难以计量的问题。     

基于超声波的移动机器人多目标探测定位方法

为了使移动机器人能够对离散的多个目标进行准确的探测定位,提出了一种新的超声波智能探测方法.采用3个收发一体的超声换能器阵列发送近似的平面声波波束,并建立空间坐标系.3个探头定时发送超声波脉冲,同时数字信号处理器采集并分析接收到的回波信号,在给定的算法下滤除杂波、识别提取回波首波、二次回波和三次回波等特征信号数据,在正确检测出各路波束的回波时间后,通过计算给出多个被测物体的准确定位.实验采用了杆件物体作为被测对象,对回波信号进行高速数据采集处理后计算出被测目标的坐标值,比较了计算物位与实测物位数据,结果验证了该方法的可行性与正确性.      

一种基于多重相敏解调算法的相位差测量新方法

研究了一种新的测量正弦信号相位差的方法,就是利用正弦信号的特殊性质,通过多次信号相敏解调运算,能够检测信噪比很低的两路正弦信号之间的相位差,分别讨论了信号的信噪比、取样点数、A/D的量化位数对测量结果的影响,并给出了具体的仿真结果。在低信噪比情况下与传统的互相关法进行比较,并给出实验数据,结果表明这种方法能有效地提取出被噪声严重污染的信号的相位差,而且算法简单,物理意义明确,精度可以满足工程的要求,具有检测能力强的优点,特别适合极低信噪比甚至负信噪比情况下的相位差的高精度测量。     

一种基于FFT的Galileo搜救信号频域检测方法

Galileo搜救系统是全球卫星搜救组织(COSPAS-SARSAT)的一部分,搭载于Galileo导航星座,能对遇险用户发出的求救信号进行定位并实施救援。经卫星转发的搜救信号信噪比很低,能否在低信噪比条件下完成卫星信号的检测对搜救系统的正常工作至关重要。为了解决这一问题,文章提出了一种基于快速傅里叶变换(FFT)运算的频域检测方法,通过理论分析和仿真验证可以看出,这种方法能有效地实现低信噪比条件下的卫星下行信号检测。     

离轴反射式星敏感器地面标定设备光学系统设计

在星敏感器随航天器升空完成姿态测量任务之前,需在地面对其进行标定试验.为满足星敏感器更高精度标定要求,针对常规地面标定设备光学结构在应对大口径、长焦距、宽光谱需求时存在的弊端,设计了一种离轴光管作为准直光学系统,研究了离轴光管装调方法,并对像质进行了评价.重点研究了一套照明系统对星点亮度进行精确控制,采用LED阵列式背光板为光源,并利用照度计对光源亮度进行多次测试,测得的数据表明可对7个连续星等进行模拟,相邻星等间亮度模拟误差小于0.8%.所设计的光学系统可为研制深空探测星敏感器提供地面标定基础.