Imaging techniques for evaluation of the pathogen impact on the host plant

Abstract: Imaging techniques are currently used for monitoring the plant metabolism and healthstatus. Among them, the most widespread is chlorophyll fluorescence imaging, which canexamine photosynthetic performance and evaluate the non-photochemical dissipation processesof the energy non-used in photosynthesis. Multicolour fluorescence imaging can assess both theprimary and the secondary metabolism of plants, giving information about the production ofseveral stress-induced phenolic compounds. Thermal infrared cameras provide images of the leafsurface temperature, thus showing transpiration patterns. The set of images obtained combiningdifferent imaging techniques could provide “stress signatures”, characteristic of every plant-stressfactor.