Does a leaf absorb radiation in the near infrared (780–900 nm) region? A new approach to quantifying optical reflection, absorption and transmission of leaves

The following question is addressed here: do healthy leaves absorb, as the spectra published over the last 50 years indicate, some 5–20% of incident radiation in the 780–900 nm region? The answer is found to be negative, and previous findings result from incomplete collection of the transmitted light by the detection system (even when the leaf is placed next to, but outside, the entrance port of an integrating sphere). A simple remedy for this inherent flaw in the experimental arrangement is applied successfully to leaves (of 10 unrelated species) differing in thickness, age and pigment content. The study has shown that, from an optical standpoint, a leaf tissue is a highly scattering material, and the infinite reflectance of a leaf is exceedingly sensitive to trace amounts of absorbing components. It is shown that water contributes, in a thick leaf (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana), an easily detectable signal even in the 780–900 nm region. The practical benefits resulting from improved measurements of leaf spectra are pointed out.