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Alternating high and low intensity of blue light affects PSII photochemistry and raises the contents of carotenoids and anthocyanins in pepper leaves

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Abstract

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the morphological and physiological response of pepper plants (Capsicum annuum L.) as affected by different light regimes. In this context, we hypothesized that the illumination with proportionally high blue light under low light conditions induces stress-related responses and leads to stronger accumulation of protective pigments. For this purpose, pepper plants of the cultivar Yolo Wonder B were cultivated in a climate chamber under compact fluorescence lamps (CFL) or light emitting diodes (LED). Light provided by LEDs was composed by either 15 or 75 % of blue, and completed by red light. In general, high blue light led to a stronger increase in heat dissipation, whereas the maximal photochemical efficiency remained almost unaffected. Biomass formation was lower under the LED light as compared to plants grown under CFL. However, different amounts of blue light did not impact plant morphological parameters such as stem length, leaf area and plant FM. Concentration of Chl a + b was significantly higher in plants grown under CFL, whereas the Chl a/Chl b ratio and leaf mass per area were increased under the LED treatments. In general, plants grown under blue and red LEDs accumulated significantly more flavonoids compared to plants grown under CFL. Additionally, the illumination with high blue light increased the synthesis and accumulation of anthocyanins and carotenoids, whereas flavonoid contents were not affected.

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Abbreviations

A:

Absorbance

AOI:

Area of interest

Chl:

Chlorophyll

ChlF:

Chlorophyll fluorescence

CFL:

Compact fluorescence lamps

das:

Days after sowing

DM:

Dry mass

ETR:

Electron transport rate

FLAV:

Epidermal flavonols

FM:

Fresh mass

Fm:

Maximum chlorophyll fluorescence of dark adapted leaf

Fm´:

Maximum chlorophyll fluorescence in the light adapted state

Fo:

Ground chlorophyll fluorescence of dark adapted leaf

Fv:

Variable chlorophyll fluorescence of dark adapted leaf

Fv/Fm:

Maximum photochemical efficiency of photosystem II

LEDs:

Light emitting diodes

LMA:

Leaf mass per area

NPQ:

Non photochemical quenching

n.s.:

Non significant

PAR:

Photosynthetic active radiation

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Mr. Toshihiko Oishi, Ushio Europe B.V. (The Netherlands), and the group of technical engineers from Ushio Lighting Inc. (Japan) for developing and making the LED panels available for this study. Many thanks to Libeth Schwager for her support in pigment analysis, and to Brigitta Teschner and Judith Spielmanns for their assistance during the experimental phase. Finally, we acknowledge the Theodor-Brinkmann-Graduate School (Faculty of Agriculture, University of Bonn) for providing a scholarship to the first author.

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  1. Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation – Horticultural Science, University of Bonn, Auf dem Huegel 6, 53121, Bonn, Germany

    Anna M. Hoffmann, Georg Noga & Mauricio Hunsche

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  1. Anna M. Hoffmann
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  2. Georg Noga
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  3. Mauricio Hunsche
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Correspondence to Anna M. Hoffmann or Mauricio Hunsche.

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Hoffmann, A.M., Noga, G. & Hunsche, M. Alternating high and low intensity of blue light affects PSII photochemistry and raises the contents of carotenoids and anthocyanins in pepper leaves. Plant Growth Regul 79, 275–285 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-015-0132-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-015-0132-0

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