Abstract
When containerized black spruce seedlings (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) are grown rapidly in greenhouse culture, they sometimes bend over, grow horizontally and become deformed. This phenomenon has been known to affect between 5% and 10% of a winter greenhouse crop. In this study, near-ultraviolet lamps were used to supplement the artificial light received from high-pressure sodium lamps and the effects on seedling morphology and lignin contents were examined. Neither height to diameter ratios nor lignin concentrations were significantly affected by UV radiation flux density. However, seedling biomass, height, root collar diameter, lignin content, and lignin to cellulose ratios of stems were significantly correlated with total photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) received during photoperiod extension. Height to diameter ratios were negatively correlated with PPFD during photoperiod enhancement because of a greater relative increase in diameter growth compared with height growth. Neither UV nor PAR flux density affected the percentage of black spruce seedlings having stem deformations greater than 30 ° from the vertical.
Résumé
Lorsque des semis d'épinette noire (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) en conteneur sont forcés d'avoir une croissance rapide en serre, leur tige est parfois courbée ou déformée. Ce phénomène peut affecter entre 5% et 10% d'une culture serricole hivernale. Dans la présente étude, un enrichissement du rayonnement près de l'ultraviolet a été appliqué sur des semis en complément à l'éclairage artificiel procuré par des lampes au sodium à haute pression. La morphologie et le contenu en lignine des semis ont alors été examinés. Le rapport entre la hauteur et le diamètre des semis, et la concentration en lignine n'ont pas été significativement affectés par la densité du flux photonique ultraviolet. Cependant, la biomasse, la hauteur, le diamètre au collet, le contenu en lignine et le ratio lignine: cellulose des tiges des semis ont été significativement corrélés à la densité du flux photonique photosynthétique (PPFD) reçue pendant l'extension de la photo′priode. Le rapport entre la hauteur et le diamètre a été négativement corrélé à la PPFD pendant l'augmentation de la photopériode à cause de la plus grande croissance en diamètre des semis comparativement à leur croissance en hauteur. La densité du flux photonique au niveau de l'ultraviolet comme au niveau de la radiation photosynthétiquement active n'a pas affecté le pourcentage de semis d'épinette noire ayant des déformations de leur tige plus grande que 30 ° comparativement à la verticale.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Attridge, T. H., Johnson, C. B. and Smith, H. 1974. Density-labelling evidence for the phytochrome-mediated activation of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase in mustard cotyledons. Biochim. Acta 343: 440–451.
Brouillette, I. G., Tétreault, J. P. and Lortie, J. 1987. Guide d'évaluation de la qualité des plants de reboisement produits en récipients. Ministère de l'Énergie et des Ressources du Québec, Service de la régénération forestière. 50 pp.
Dancause, A. 1991. Seedling production in Quebec. In: Bélanger, P. and Caron, S. (Eds) Proceedings of the northeatern nursery's conference, 24–26 July 1990, Montreal. Ministère de l'Énergie et des Ressources du Quebec, pp. 7–18.
Goering, H. K. and Van Soest, P. J. 1970. Forage fiber analysis. Agricultural Research Service, Agric. Handb. No. 379. U.S. Dep. Agric. Sci. Educ. Adm.
Klein, R. M. 1978. Plants and near ultraviolet radiation. Bot. Rev. 44: 1–127.
Lowry, B., Lee, D. and Hebant, C. 1980. The origin of land plants: a new look at an old problem. Taxon 29: 183–197.
Lamb, C. J. and Lawton, M. A. 1983. Photocontrol of gene expression. In: Shropshire, W. Jr and Mohr, H. (Eds) Encyclopedia of Plant Physiology New Series, Volume 16A, Photomorphogenesis, pp 213–257. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
Margolis, H. 1987. Seedling production and reforestation in Quebec. J. For. 85(8): 39–43.
Margolis, H. A., Bégin, J., Beeson, R. and Bellefleur, P. 1988. The influence of metal halide and high-pressure sodium lamps during photoperiod extension on the allocation of carbon between lignin and cellulose in black spruce seedlings. Can. J. For. Res. 18: 962–964.
Margolis, H. A., Delaney, S., Vézina, L.-P., and Bellefleur, P. 1991. Partitioning of 14carbon between growth and differentiation within stem-deformed and healthy black spruce seedlings. Can. J. Bot. 69: 1225–1231.
Margolis, H. A. and Lord, D. 1991. Deformation of the stem of containerized black spruce, pp 107–118. In: Bélanger, P. and Caron, S. (Eds) Proceedings, northeastern nurseryman's c conference, 24–26 July, Montreal. Ministère de l'Énergie et des Ressources du Québec.
Wellman, E. 1983. UV radiation in photomorphogenesis, pp. 745–763. In: Shropshire, W. Jr and Mohr, H. (Eds) Encyclopedia of Plant Physiology, New Series, Volume 16B, Photomorphogenesis. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
Zangerl, A. R. and Berenbaum, M. R. 1987. Environmental effects on furanocouramin production in Pastina sativa. Ecology 68: 516–520.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Margolis, H., Vézina, L.P. & Bellefleur, P. Influence of near-ultraviolet light enhancement and photosynthetic photon flux density during photoperiod extension on the morphology and lignin content of black spruce seedlings. New Forest 5, 131–138 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00029303
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00029303