ABSTRACT
Researchers worldwide gradually began using spectral methods to determine and analyze the nitrogen content in different environments. Pan (2007) used remote sensing to monitor wheat growth and estimated nitrogen accumulation in soil. Zhang and Wang (2008) used fresh leaf spectra and estimated nitrogen nutrition conditions. Tang et al. (2003) used hyperspectral imaging and a chlorophyll meter for the rapid determination of the nitrogen nutrition status of barley. Xue et al. (2003) used the rice canopy reflectance spectrum to monitor the nitrogen nutrition conditions of colony leaves. Song et al. (2004) used data obtained by aviation imaging spectrometry to study the effect of soil nitrogen fertilization and variable rate fertilization on winter wheat growth. Bronson et al. (2003) used spectral information to determine the nitrogen conditions of cotton during irrigation. Nevertheless, the nitrogen content of a semisolid medium (e.g., tissue culture) needs to be determined using near-infrared spectral analysis. The present study aims to use visible and near-infrared spectroscopy for analyzing the nitrogen content of a tissue culture medium to estimate the growth conditions of plantlets cultured in vitro. The results obtained may serve as a reference for industrial plantlet production.
