Quantitative study of fluorescence excitation and emission spectra of bean leaves

A quantitative and comprehensive knowledge of leaf fluorescence is required for the interpretation of fluorescence signals at the canopy level and also for the modelling of leaf and canopy fluorescence. In this work we present full range fluorescence excitation and emission spectra of intact leaves, expressed in units of apparent spectral fluorescence yield, from both the adaxial and the abaxial sides of the leaves, and for both front-side and back-side geometries. Emission spectra were measured for incident radiations in the blue and the green spectral range. The red/far-red fluorescence ratio depended on the measurement geometry and on the excitation wavelength. Excitation spectra were measured for emissions at 687 and 760 nm. When the abaxial side was illuminated, the measured spectra always had a larger intensity compared to adaxial side that is explained by the higher scattering of the spongy tissues. At 760 nm, the spectra had the same shape for front-side and back-side geometry, indicating that scattering predominated. At 687 nm, the shape of the spectra was very different for front-side and back-side geometry due to re-absorption of red fluorescence within the leaf. The comparison of excitation spectra measured from the adaxial or the abaxial side revealed differences in carotenoid absorption.