We present a nondestructive technique for the detection of certain vitamins with in living plants; vitamins that emit fluorescence under UV-light excitation are able to be detected. This will be useful for the precise control of the growing conditions in greenhouses and farms. The optical source used was an LED, emitting a 365 nm band of UV light; the light beam was focused on a 3 mm area of leaf. Tossa jute (Corchorus olitorius) was used as the experimental plant. The fluorescence emitted from

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... vitamin B 2 and other components in the leaf was coupled with an optical silica fiber and guided into a spectroscope for monitoring. The spectroscope was compact (less than 200 g) and controlled by a personal computer. A peak was observed in the fluorescence spectrum at 530 nm, coinciding with the fluorescence of vitamin B 2 . To verify this, a leaf extract was analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography, and vitamin B 2 was clearly indicated in the leaves. This non-destructive technique will suit the detection of vitamin B 2 in living plants.