Blue-green fluorescence, ferulic acid, barley, UV radiation

Blue-green fluorescence (BGF) is emitted by higher plant pigments when excited by UV radiation. The emission spectrum of BGF varied with plant species and was affected by the physiological status of the plants. BGF has been generally attributed to cell-wall-bound ferulic acid, although the contribution of flavonoids and other simple phenols has also been suggested. The blue-green fluorescence signal is of interest due to its potential application in the remote sensing of plant stress, such techniques use ratios of blue and green to chlorophyll red and far red fluorescence emission intensities to estimate plant stress. In this work we investigated response of BGF to UV-radiation stress and characterized changes in the shape of BGF emission spectra.