Abstract
Seedlings of the short-day plant, Chenopodium rubrum L. (Ecotype 60° 47′ N) were irradiated with different intensities and qualities of light for 24 h preceding a single inductive dark period (12 h). Our data shows that a relatively low intensity incandescent light (35–100 ft. c.) is not effective as the photoperiod for flowering. The above effect is not due to a requirement for a relatively high level of photosynthesis. Our results suggest a definite promotory role of a blue High Energy Reaction (HER). We could not demonstrate the involvement of a far-red HER. We suggest that ineffectiveness of far-red may have been due to establishment of rather low Phytochrome, P FR , levels, suboptimal for flowering. A certain critical level of P FR (30–40%, that presumably established by blue light) seems to be necessary for photoreactions involved in flowering of C. rubrum. There are indications in our experiments of the operation of a red radiation mediated flower inhibitory photoreaction.
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Abbreviations
- SD:
-
short day plant
- HER:
-
High Energy Reaction
- P FR :
-
far-red absorbing form of phytochrome
- P R :
-
red absorbing form of phytochrome
- L.I.I.:
-
low intensity incandescent white light
- H.I.I.:
-
high intensity incandescent white light
- L.I.F.:
-
low intensity fluorescent white light
- H.I.F.:
-
high intensity fluorescent white light
- DCMU:
-
3(2, 3, dichlorophenyl) 1, 1 dimethyl urea
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This paper constitutes a part of a Ph.D. thesis submitted to the University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario
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Sawhney, R. Nature of light requirement for the flowering of Chenopodium rubrum L. (Ecotype 60° 47′ N). Planta 133, 97–102 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00391904
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00391904