ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Plant Sci.

Sec. Technical Advances in Plant Science

Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpls.2025.1613503

This article is part of the Research TopicAdvancement in Photonic Sensing for Abiotic Stress Management in Horticultural and Plant Nursery SectorsView all articles

Integrating Raman Spectroscopy and Optical Meters for Nitrogen Management in Broccoli Seedlings

Provisionally accepted
Lorenza TuccioLorenza Tuccio1Sonia CaciniSonia Cacini2Giulia AratiGiulia Arati2Carmelo DistefanoCarmelo Distefano1Silvia TraversariSilvia Traversari3Giacomo FontanelliGiacomo Fontanelli1Gina Rosalinda De NicolaGina Rosalinda De Nicola2Paolo MatteiniPaolo Matteini1,4*
  • 1Institute of Applied Physics “Nello Carrara”, National Research Council (IFAC-CNR), Firenze, Italy
  • 2Research Center for Vegetable and Ornamental Crops, Council of Agricultural Research and Economics, Pescia, Italy
  • 3Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems, National Research Council (CNR), Pisa, Italy
  • 4Department of Agrifood Production and Environmental Sciences, University of Florence, Firenze, Italy

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Raman spectroscopy enables non-destructive detection of nitrates and other nitrogen-related biochemical markers, including chlorophyll and polyphenols, with unparalleled specificity and sensitivity. Integrating Raman spectroscopy with proximal optical sensors, such as Dualex (Dx) and Multiplex (Mx), offers a transformative approach to precision nitrogen management in broccoli seedlings, complementing their ability to rapidly estimate nitrogen balance indices and key vegetation compounds. The integration demonstrated strong correlations between Raman spectral bands, optical indices, and biochemical parameters across varying nitrogen levels, enhancing the precision of nitrogen status assessment, resulting in a robust, scalable, and information-rich system. By combining molecular-level detail with practical field applications, this hybrid strategy represents a significant advancement in sustainable agriculture. Future research will explore the applicability of this integrated methodology to other plant species.

Keywords: Raman spectroscopy, Dualex, Multiplex, Nitrogen, nitrate, Chlorophyll, Polyphenols

Received: 17 Apr 2025; Accepted: 01 Jul 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Tuccio, Cacini, Arati, Distefano, Traversari, Fontanelli, De Nicola and Matteini. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Paolo Matteini, Institute of Applied Physics “Nello Carrara”, National Research Council (IFAC-CNR), Firenze, Italy

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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