Mathematical model of the fast phase of the chlorophyll fluorescence induction curve

Abstract In natural conditions, plants are affected by various adverse environmental factors that can disrupt the photosynthetic apparatus, which can reduce the productivity of plants and ultimately reduce their yield. Measurement of the chlorophyll fluorescence induction (CFI) curve is a simple, non-destructive, inexpensive, and fast tool that can be used to analyze photosynthetic reactions and plant conditions. Mathematical modeling of the chlorophyll fluorescence induction curve is important not only for understanding the complex processes of photosynthesis but also can have practical applications in predicting ways to increase plant productivity. Currently, there are a sufficient number of models of varying complexity and detail that describe the processes of photosynthesis, however, no final agreement has been reached. A new model of reactions occurring in the process of the fast phase of the CFI curve, i.e. in the process of electron transport in the electron transport chain (ETC), is presented here. In the ETC model, it is considered as a system of elements in which electrons are sequentially transferred from one element of the system to another, according to the properties of the elements themselves and the connections between them. In addition, the mathematical model is based on the idea of dividing the entire flow of electrons, which moves through the ETC, into a sequence of individual flows. The proposed mathematical model differs in that each stage of electron transfer along the ETC is described separately and sequentially with the help of connection functions. This makes it possible to write the equations for the real OJIP curve and, as a result of their solution, to obtain the parameters of the entire electron transfer process.