Abstract
The physiological adaptation responses in plants to environmental stress, such as water stress and salt stress induce changes in physicochemical conditions of the plant, since formation of osmotic-regulatory substances can be formed during the environmental adaptation responses. Strong electrolytes, amino acids, proteins and saccharides are well-known as osmoregulatory substances. Since these substances are ionic conductors and their molecules are lectrically dipolar, it can be considered that these substances cause changes in the dielectric properties of the plant, which can be detected by microwave sensing. The dielectric properties (0.3 to 3 GHz), water content and water potential of plant leaves which reflect the physiological condition of the plant under salt stress were measured and analyzed. Experimental results showed the potential of the microwave sensing as a method for monitoring adaptation responses in plants under saline environment and that suggested the saline environment in rhizosphere can be detected non-invasively and quantitatively by the microwave sensing which detects the changes in complex dielectric properties of the plant.
