Photosynthetica X:X | DOI: 10.32615/ps.2026.020

Differentiating seasonal trends and environmental responses in wheat through longitudinal chlorophyll a fluorescence phenotyping

M. ZIVCAK1, M. KOVAR1, A. DAS1, M. BARBORICOVA1, D. PALOVOVA1, P. HAUPTVOGEL2, M. BRESTIC1
1 Institute of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, A. Hlinku 2, 94976 Nitra, Slovakia
2 Research Institute of Plant Production, National Agricultural and Food Centre, Bratislavská cesta 122, 92168 Piestany, Slovakia

Broad adoption of chlorophyll fluorescence kinetics in crop phenotyping remains limited by inconsistent parameter definitions and insufficient physiological validation. This study employed a longitudinal phenomic approach to evaluate the diagnostic value of rapid chlorophyll a fluorescence kinetics across diverse wheat genotypes throughout a spring growing season. By combining JIP-test parameters with detailed growth analysis, we built a statistical framework quantifying the predictive power and unexplained variance of biophysical parameters derived from the JIP-test, with an emphasis on performance-estimating indices. Results show that conventional parameters, such as maximum quantum yield of primary photochemistry, remain stable during vegetative growth and are highly sensitive to terminal senescence, yet display considerable noise under transient environmental fluctuations. Conversely, integrative indicators, particularly the total performance index, revealed clear seasonal trends and strong correlations with growth dynamics. By grouping JIP-test parameters functionally, this study offers a rational framework for selecting biophysical indices suited to specific breeding or research goals.

Additional key words: chlorophyll a fluorescence; high-throughput phenotyping; JIP-test; photosynthetic performance; total performance index; wheat.

Received: April 6, 2026; Revised: July 9, 2026; Accepted: July 21, 2026; Prepublished online: September 8, 2026 

Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Banks J.M.: Continuous excitation chlorophyll fluorescence parameters: a review for practitioners. - Tree Physiol. 37: 1128-1136, 2017. Go to original source...
    2. Begović L., Galić V., Abicić I. et al.: Implications of intra-seasonal climate variations on chlorophyll a fluorescence and biomass in winter barley breeding program. - Photosynthetica 58: 995-1008, 2020. Go to original source...
    3. Bellocchi G., Rivington M., Donatelli M., Matthews K.: Validation of biophysical models: issues and methodologies. A review. - Agron. Sustain. Dev. 30: 109-130, 2010. Go to original source...
    4. Butler W.L., Kitajima M.: Fluorescence quenching in photosystem II of chloroplasts. - BBA-Bioenergetics 376: 116-125, 1975. Go to original source...
    5. Carmo-Silva E., Andralojc P.J., Scales J.C. et al.: Phenotyping of field-grown wheat in the UK highlights contribution of light response of photosynthesis and flag leaf longevity to grain yield. - J. Exp. Bot. 68: 3473-3486, 2017. Go to original source...
    6. Ceppi M.G., Oukarroum A., Çiçek N. et al.: The IP amplitude of the fluorescence rise OJIP is sensitive to changes in the photosystem I content of leaves: a study on plants exposed to magnesium and sulfate deficiencies, drought stress and salt stress. - Physiol. Plantarum 144: 277-288, 2012. Go to original source...
    7. Cornic G., Fresneau C.: Photosynthetic carbon reduction and carbon oxidation cycles are the main electron sinks for photosystem II activity during a mild drought. - Ann. Bot.-London 89: 887-894, 2002. Go to original source...
    8. Desotgiu R., Cascio C., Pollastrini M. et al.: Short and long term photosynthetic adjustments in sun and shade leaves of Fagus sylvatica L., investigated by fluorescence transient (FT) analysis. - Plant Biosyst. 146: 206-216, 2012. Go to original source...
    9. Digrado A., Bachy A., Mozaffar A. et al.: Long-term measurements of chlorophyll a fluorescence using the JIP-test show that combined abiotic stresses influence the photosynthetic performance of the perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) in a managed temperate grassland. - Physiol. Plantarum 161: 355-371, 2017. Go to original source...
    10. Galić V., Mazur M., Šimić D. et al.: Plant biomass in salt-stressed young maise plants can be modelled with photosynthetic performance. - Photosynthetica 58: 194-204, 2020. Go to original source...
    11. Gaudio N., Escobar-Gutiérrez A.J., Casadebaig P. et al.: Current knowledge and future research opportunities for modeling annual crop mixtures. A review. - Agron. Sustain. Dev. 39: 20, 2019. Go to original source...
    12. Gregersen P.L., Holm P.B., Krupinska K.: Leaf senescence and nutrient remobilisation in barley and wheat. - Plant Biol. 10: 37-49, 2008. Go to original source...
    13. Haworth M., Marino G., Centritto M.: An introductory guide to gas exchange analysis of photosynthesis and its application to plant phenotyping and precision irrigation to enhance water use efficiency. - J. Water Clim. Change 9: 786-808, 2018. Go to original source...
    14. Holland V., Koller S., Brüggemann W.: Insight into the photosynthetic apparatus in evergreen and deciduous European oaks during autumn senescence using OJIP fluorescence transient analysis. - Plant Biol. 16: 801-808, 2014. Go to original source...
    15. Kalaji H.M., Jajoo A., Oukarroum A. et al.: Chlorophyll a fluorescence as a tool to monitor physiological status of plants under abiotic stress conditions. - Acta Physiol. Plant. 38: 102, 2016. Go to original source...
    16. Kalaji H.M., Schansker G., Ladle R.J. et al.: Frequently asked questions about chlorophyll fluorescence: practical issues. - Photosynth. Res. 122: 121-158, 2014. Go to original source...
    17. Koller S., Holland V., Brüggemann W.: Seasonal monitoring of PSII functionality and relative chlorophyll content on a field site in two consecutive years: a case study of different oak species. - Photosynthetica 58: 379-390, 2020. Go to original source...
    18. Lu Q., Lu C., Zhang J., Kuang T.: Photosynthesis and chlorophyll a fluorescence during flag leaf senescence of field-grown wheat plants. - J. Plant Physiol. 159: 1173-1178, 2002. Go to original source...
    19. Miralles D.J., Slafer G.A.: A simple model for nondestructive estimates of leaf area in wheat. - Cereal Res. Commun. 19: 439-444, 1991.
    20. Pandey A.K., Jiang L., Moshelion M. et al.: Functional physiological phenotyping with functional mapping: A general framework to bridge the phenotype-genotype gap in plant physiology. - iScience 24: 102846, 2021. Go to original source...
    21. Prakash J.S.S., Srivastava A., Strasser R.J., Mohanty P.: Senescence induced alterations in the photosystem II functions of Cucumis sativus cotyledons: probing of senescence driven alterations of photosystem II by chlorophyll a fluorescence induction O-J-I-P transients. - Indian J. Biochem. Bio. 40: 160-168, 2003. Go to original source...
    22. Salter W.T., Gilbert M.E., Buckley T.N.: A multiplexed gas exchange system for increased throughput of photosynthetic capacity measurements. - Plant Methods 14: 80, 2018. Go to original source...
    23. Schansker G., Tóth S.Z., Strasser R.J.: Methylviologen and dibromothymoquinone treatments of pea leaves reveal the role of photosystem I in the Chl a fluorescence rise OJIP. - BBA-Bioenergetics 1706: 250-261, 2005. Go to original source...
    24. Siebers M.H., Gomez-Casanovas N., Fu P. et al.: Emerging approaches to measure photosynthesis from the leaf to the ecosystem. - Emerg. Top. Life Sci. 5: 261-274, 2021. Go to original source...
    25. Spanic V., Mlinaric S., Zdunic Z., Katanic Z.: Field study of the effects of two different environmental conditions on wheat productivity and chlorophyll fluorescence induction (OJIP) parameters. - Agriculture 11: 1154, 2021. Go to original source...
    26. Stirbet A., Govindjee: On the relation between the Kautsky effect (chlorophyll a fluorescence induction) and photosystem II: Basics and applications of the OJIP fluorescence transient. - J. Photoch. Photobio. B 104: 236-257, 2011. Go to original source...
    27. Stirbet A., Lazár D., Kromdijk J., Govindjee: Chlorophyll a fluorescence induction: Can just a one-second measurement be used to quantify abiotic stress responses? - Photosynthetica 56: 86-104, 2018. Go to original source...
    28. Stirbet A., Riznichenko G.Yu., Rubin A.B., Govindjee: Modeling chlorophyll a fluorescence transient: relation to photosynthesis. - Biochemistry-Moscow 79: 291-323, 2014. Go to original source...
    29. Strasser B.J., Strasser R.J.: Measuring fast fluorescence transients to address environmental questions: the JIP test. - In: Mathis P. (Ed.): Photosynthesis: From Light to Biosphere. Vol. 5. Pp. 977-980. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht 1995. Go to original source...
    30. Strasser R.J., Srivastava A., Govindjee: Polyphasic chlorophyll a fluorescence transient in plants and cyanobacteria. -Photochem. Photobiol. 61: 32-42, 1995. Go to original source...
    31. Strasser R.J., Srivastava A., Tsimilli-Michael M.: The fluorescence transient as a tool to characterize and screen photosynthetic samples. - In: Yunus M., Pathre U., Mohanty P. (Eds.): Probing Photosynthesis: Mechanisms, Regulation and Adaptation. Pp. 445-483. Taylor & Francis, London 2000.
    32. Strasser R.J., Tsimilli-Michael M., Srivastava A.: Analysis of the chlorophyll a fluorescence transient. - In: Papageorgiou G.C., Govindjee (Eds.): Chlorophyll a Fluorescence: A Signature of Photosynthesis. Advances in Photosynthesis and Respiration. Pp. 321-362. Springer, Dordrecht 2004. Go to original source...
    33. Španić V., Šunić K., Duvnjak J. et al.: Chlorophyll a fluorescence during flag leaf senescence of field-grown winter wheat plants under drought conditions. - Ann. Appl. Biol. 183: 80-92, 2023. Go to original source...
    34. Theil H., Cramer J.S., Moerman H., Russchen A.: Economic Forecast and Policy. 2nd Edition. Pp. 567. North-Holland Publishing Company, Amsterdam 1961.
    35. Thomas H., Ougham H.: The stay-green trait. - J. Exp. Bot. 65: 3889-3900, 2014. Go to original source...
    36. Tsimilli-Michael M., Strasser R.J.: In vivo assessment of stress impact on plants' vitality: applications in detecting and evaluating the beneficial role of mycorrhization on host plants. - In: Varma A. (Ed.): Mycorrhiza. State of the Art, Genetics and Molecular Biology, Eco-Function, Biotechnology, Eco-Physiology, Structure and Systematics. 3rd Edition. Pp. 679-703. Springer, Berlin-Heidelberg 2008. Go to original source...
    37. Tsimilli-Michael M.: Revisiting JIP-test: An educative review on concepts, assumptions, approximations, definitions and terminology. - Photosynthetica 58: 275-292, 2020. Go to original source...
    38. Viljevac Vuletić M., Marček T., Španić V.: Photosynthetic and antioxidative strategies of flag leaf maturation and its impact to grain yield of two field-grown wheat varieties. - Theor. Exp. Plant Phys. 31: 387-399, 2019. Go to original source...
    39. Viljevac Vuletić M., Španić V.: Characterization of photosynthetic performance during natural leaf senescence in winter wheat: multivariate analysis as a tool for phenotypic characterization. - Photosynthetica 58: 301-313, 2020. Go to original source...
    40. Yang D.-L., Jing R.-L., Chang X.-P., Li W.: Quantitative trait loci mapping for chlorophyll fluorescence and associated traits in wheat (Triticum aestivum). - J. Integr. Plant Biol. 49: 646-654, 2007. Go to original source...
    41. Yoo C., Gonzalez E., Gong Z., Roy D.: A better mechanistic understanding of big data through an order search using causal Bayesian networks. - Big Data Cogn. Comput. 6: 56, 2022. Go to original source...
    42. Zeng F., Wang G., Liang Y. et al.: Disentangling the photosynthesis performance in japonica rice during natural leaf senescence using OJIP fluorescence transient analysis. - Funct. Plant Biol. 48: 206-217, 2021. Go to original source...
    43. Zhang P., Huang J., Ma Y. et al.: Crop/plant modeling supports plant breeding: II. Guidance of functional plant phenotyping for trait discovery. - Plant Phenomics 5: 0091, 2023. Go to original source...
    44. Živčák M., Brestič M., Olšovská K., Slamka P.: Performance index as a sensitive indicator of water stress in Triticum aestivum L. - Plant Soil Environ. 54: 133-139, 2008. Go to original source...
    45. Živčák M., Olšovská K., Slamka P. et al.: Application of chlorophyll fluorescence performance indices to assess the wheat photosynthetic functions influenced by nitrogen deficiency. - Plant Soil Environ. 60: 210-215, 2014. Go to original source...

    Return