Photomorphogenesis, photosynthesis, and seed yield of wheat plants grown under red light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with and without supplemental blue lighting

Red light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are a potential light sourcefor growing plants in spaceflight systems because of their safety,small mass and volume, wavelength specificity, and longevity.Despite these attractive features, red LEDs must satisfy requirementsfor plant photosynthesis and photomorphogenesis for successfulgrowth and seed yield. To determine the influence of galliumaluminium arsenide (GaAIAs) red LEDs on wheat photomorphogenesis,photosynthesis, and seed yield, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.,cv. ‘USU-Super Dwarf’) plants were grown under redLEDs and compared to plants grown under daylight fluorescent(white) lamps and red LEDs supplemented with either 1% or 10%blue light from blue fluorescent (BF) lamps. Compared to whitelight-grown plants, wheat grown under red LEDs alone demonstratedless main culm development during vegetative growth throughpreanthesis, while showing a longer flag leaf at 40 DAP andgreater main culm length at final harvest (70 DAP). As supplementalBF light was increased with red LEDs, shoot dry matter and netleaf photosynthesis rate increased. At final harvest, wheatgrown under red LEDs alone displayed fewer subtillers and alower seed yield compared to plants grown under white light.Wheat grown under red LEDs+10% BF light had comparable shootdry matter accumulation and seed yield relative to wheat grownunder white light. These results indicate that wheat can completeits life cycle under red LEDs alone, but larger plants and greateramounts of seed are produced in the presence of red LEDs supplementedwith a quantity of blue light. Key words: Triticum aestivum L., red light, blue light, subtillering, bioregenerative advanced life support     

Growth Chamber Illumination and Photomorphogenetic Efficacy I. Physiological action of infrared radiation beyond 750 nm

Plants cultivated in growth chambers under such artificial illumination as fluorescent tubes show certain characteristic differences from plants grown in nature or under incandescent lamps. The plants grown under fluorescent light are shorter and more darkly pigmented; they also show different daylength requirements for certain photoperiodic responses. It was assumed that these effects were caused by the relative deficiency of far red irradiation (λ= 700–750 nm) in the emission from the fluorescent lamps. This assumption was tested on such light sensitive phenomena as stem elongation, flowering, the formation of resting organs, chlorophyll synthesis, and production yield in several plant genera. In all cases the plants were grown under long days (16 h). Six common types of growth chamber illumination were tested for their efficacy for long-day induction. The spectral energy distribution of the lamps was measured. The emission from the various lamp types showed only small differences within the region of visible light (λ: 400–750 nm), but much larger diversity in the ratio of visible to infrared radiation (λ: 750–1000 nm). A strong correlation exists between the relative emission of infrared radiation and the photomorphogenetic efficacy of the lamps. Under fluorescent light the long-day effect was weak or missing, but increased with increasing infrared emission. High infrared emission was also favourable for high production yield.     

Effects of Monochromatic Radiations on Growth of Pelargonium Callus Tissue

Pith callus tissues were grown under continuous blue (450 mµ),green (545 mµ), red (650 mµ), and ‘white’(full-spectrum) light, and in the dark for 22 days at 27±2°C at energy levels of 15,000 ergs cm^–2 sec^–1. Mean increases in fresh weight of tissues grown under ‘white’and blue light were significantly greater than those of tissuesgrown in green and red light and in the dark. Tissues grownin the dark yielded mean fresh weight increases significantlylower than tissues grown under blue, red, and ‘white’light. No significant differences were shown between blue and‘white’, red and green, and green and dark treatmentsrespectively. Cell differentiation occurred in all treatmentsonly to the extent of vessel element formation. There were nodifferences in degree of differentiation between treatments. It was proposed that the high-energy reaction of photomorphogenesiswas in operation in the Pelargonium callus tissue. The resultsindicated the presence in the tissue of high-energy photoreceptor(s).The use of high-intensity, incandescent illumination for experimentalprocedures approximating natural conditions of irradiation wasindicated as desirable for pith callus tissues of Pelargoniumzonale var. Enchantress Fiat.     

Latitudinal cline of requirement for far‐red light for the photoperiodic control of budset and extension growth in Picea abies (Norway spruce)

To test for the effects of far‐red light on preventing budset in Picea abies , seedlings of six populations originating from latitudes between 67°N and 47°N were grown for 4–8 weeks in continuous incandescent (metal halogen) light at 300 µmol m⁻² s⁻¹ and 20°C and then transferred, at the same temperature, to a daily regime of 8 h incandescent light (300 µmol m⁻² s⁻¹) followed by 16 h cool white fluorescent light (40 µmol m⁻² s⁻¹). (Cool white lamps are deficient in far‐red light, with a R/FR ratio of 7.5 compared with 2.0 for the incandescent lamps.) All the seedlings from 67° and 80% of those from 64° stopped extension growth and set terminal buds within 28 days of the change of regime. The seedlings from 61° and further south continued growing, as did control seedlings from 67° grown as above but with incandescent light at 20 µmol m⁻² s⁻¹ replacing cool white illumination. To distinguish between a clinal and ecotypic pattern of variation, the interval between 64° and 59° was investigated by growing populations originating from that area in the same regimes as before. After 28 days in the cool white day‐extension regime, the percentage budset was 86 for the population from 64°, 0 for the population from 59° and 25–50 for the intermediate populations; i.e. the populations showed a clinal variation in requirement for far‐red light according to latitude. Thus northern populations of Picea abies appear to behave as 'light‐dominant' plants for the photoperiodic control of extension growth and budset, whereas the more southern populations behave as 'dark‐dominant' plants.     

Photochemical Apparatus Organization in the Diatom Cylindrotheca fusiformis: Photosystem Stoichiometry and Excitation Distribution in Cells Grown under High and Low Irradiance

The photochemical apparatus organization in the thylakoid membraneof the diatom Cylindrotheca fusiformis was investigated in cellsgrown under high and low irradiance. High light (HL, 200µE.m^–2.s^–1)grown cells displayed a relatively low fucoxanthin to chlorophyll(Chl) ratio, a low photosystem (PS) stoichiometry (PSII/PS I=1.3/1.0)and a smaller photosynthetic unit size in both PS I and PS II.Low light (LL, 30µE.m^–2.s^–1) grown cells displayeda 30% elevated fucoxanthin content, elevated PS II/PS I=3.9/1.0and larger photosynthetic unit size for PS II (a change of about100%) and for PS I (by about 30%). In agreement, SDS polyacrylamidegel electrophoresis of thylakoid membrane polypeptides showedgreater abundance of PS I, RuBP carboxylase and ATP synthasepolypeptides in HL cells. In contrast, LL grown cells exhibitedgreater abundance of light-harvesting complex polypeptides.Assuming an efficiency of red (670 nm) light utilization of1.0, the measured efficiency of blue (481 nm) light utilizationwas 0.64 (HL cells) and 0.72 (LL cells). The lower efficiencyof blue versus red light utilization is attributed to the quenchingof absorbed energy by non-fucoxanthin carotenoids. Differencesin the efficiency of blue light utilization between HL and LLgrown cells are attributed to the variable content of fucoxanthin.The results support the hypothesis of a variable Chl a-Chl c-fucoxanthinlight-harvesting antenna associated with PS II and PS I in Cylindrotheca. (Received February 10, 1988; Accepted April 6, 1988)     

Light Quality and Vernalization Interact in Controlling Late Flowering in Arabidopsis Ecotypes and Mutants

The late flowering ecotypes of Arabidopsis thaliana L. (Heyn.)Eifel, Pitztal and Innsbruck responded to 10 d vernalization(cold treatment) by flowering earlier with less with less thanhalf the number of leaves of non-induced plants. The vernalizationresponse was cumulative: increased numbers of days of vernalizationinduced earlier flowering up to an apparent saturation in responseafter 30 to 40 d. The ratio of red:far-red (R:FR) light alsoaffected non-vernalized time-to-flower. When grown under fluorescentplus incandescent lamps (R:FR = 1·0), time-to-flowerwas approximately half that required by plants grown under fluorescentlamps (R:FR = 5·8) at the same photon flux density andphotoperiod. Leaf production rate was unaffected by either vernalizationor light quality changes and time-to-flower and leaf numberwere highly correlated (r² = 0·973). The late flowering mutants of Landsberg erecta were grown underlighting which displayed a gradient of R:FR. Some mutants likeco, flowered at the same time in all R:FR treatment, while otherlike fca took nearly twice as long to flower, with double thenumber of leaves at R:FR ratio of 5·8 compared with theR:FR = 1 treatment. The ranking of the response from least tomost responsive was co, fe, gi, WT, fd, fwa, ft, fha, fpa, fy,fve and fca. Vernalization of these Landsberg mutants always resulted inearlier flowering, although only fca, fve, fy and fpa were significantlymore sensitive to thermoinduction than the wild type parent.There was a high correlation (r² = 0·89 between the responseto thermoinduction and to R:FR ratio. Vernalization of fca for24 d largely eliminated the R:FR time-to-flower response. Vernalizationand photoinduction similarly affect late flowering and can substitutefor each another.Copyright 1993, 1999 Academic Press Light quality, vernalization, flowering, Arabidopsis thaliana, phytochrome, thermoinduction, photoperiod, photoinduction, growth conditions, photon flux density, daylength, spectral quality, far-red light     

The Photosynthetic Apparatus of Phytoplankton from a Perennially Ice-Covered Antarctic Lake: Acclimation to an Extreme Shade Environment

Phytoplankton in perennially ice-covered Lake Bonney (Antarctica)are exposed to a limited range of light variation both in termsof intensity (<1–3% of incident) and spectral distribution(blue-green) during the austral spring and summer. This relativeconstancy is due to continuous sunlight, optical filtering throughthe 4.2 m ice cap and an absence of vertical mixing. The effectsof this unique light environment on the structure and functionof the photosynthetic apparatus were studied using measurementsof P₇₀₀ reaction center content and spectral variation in photosystemII (PSII) fluorescence kinetics. Light-induced absorbance changeat both 700 nm and 810 nm was used to measure P₇₀₀ concentration.The average ratio of total Chl/P₇₀₀ was 743 (mol mol^–1),with a range of 480 to 1,039. These ratios were low in comparisonto previous studies of phytoplankton growing in low-light culturesor algae growing beneath Arctic sea ice. A sample from the deep(17 m) layer dominated by Chlamydomonas subcaudata was grownin enriched culture media. PSII fluorescence kinetics were measuredon thylakoid preparations in the presence of DCMU under blue-green(481 nm) and red (660 nm) light. C. subcaudata utilized blue-greenlight for photosynthesis more efficiently than the photobiologicallywell characterized C. reinhardtii (strain CC-124). These results,together with pigment analyses, suggest that carotenoids inLake Bonney phytoplankton are more important in light harvestingas opposed to photoprotection. (Received March 23, 1994; Accepted December 5, 1994)     

Anatomical features of pepper plants (Capsicum annuum L.) grown under red light-emitting diodes supplemented with blue or far-red light

Pepper plants (Capsicum annuum L. cv., Hungarian Wax) were grown under metal halide (MH) lamps or light-emitting diode (LED) arrays with different spectra to determine the effects of light quality on plant anatomy of leaves and stems. One LED (660) array supplied 90% red light at 660 nm (25nm band-width at half-peak height) and 1% far-red light between 700-800nm. A second LED (660/735) array supplied 83% red light at 660nm and 17% far-red light at 735nm (25nm band-width at half-peak height). A third LED (660/blue) array supplied 98% red light at 660nm, 1% blue light between 350-550nm, and 1% far-red light between 700-800nm. Control plants were grown under broad spectrum metal halide lamps. Plants were gron at a mean photon flux (300-800nm) of 330 micromol m-2 s-1 under a 12 h day-night photoperiod. Significant anatomical changes in stem and leaf morphologies were observed in plants grown under the LED arrays compared to plants grown under the broad-spectrum MH lamp. Cross-sectional areas of pepper stems, thickness of secondary xylem, numbers of intraxylary phloem bundles in the periphery of stem pith tissues, leaf thickness, numbers of choloplasts per palisade mesophyll cell, and thickness of palisade and spongy mesophyll tissues were greatest in peppers grown under MH lamps, intermediate in plants grown under the 660/blue LED array, and lowest in peppers grown under the 660 or 660/735 LED arrays. Most anatomical features of pepper stems and leaves were similar among plants grown under 660 or 660/735 LED arrays. The effects of spectral quality on anatomical changes in stem and leaf tissues of peppers generally correlate to the amount of blue light present in the primary light source.     

RED LIGHT, BLUE LIGHT, AND COPPER ION IN THE PHOTOPERIODIC CONTROL OF FLOWERING IN LEMNA PERPUSILLA 6746

L. perpusilla, 6746 grown in HUTNER's medium (containing a highlevel of EDTA) responds as a short-day plant under white orred light, but is almost completely daylength-indifferent underblue. In a medium containing ca. 2µmoles/liter of unchelatedcopper ion, it flowers rapidly under all photoperiods, white,blue or red. Although certain long-day blue schedules permitflowering even on HUTNER's medium, blue is not simply "inactive"photoperiodically, since inclusion of a single brief red exposurein certain blue schedules is sufficient to prevent floweringas though the whole schedules were red. The indicated blue-redinteraction should prove important for further analyses of photoperiodismin this plant. ¹Research carried out at Brookhaven National Laboratory underthe auspices of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission.     

Photomorphogenesis, photosynthesis, and seed yield of wheat plants grown under red light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with and without supplemental blue lighting

Red light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are a potential light source for growing plants in spaceflight systems because of their safety, small mass and volume, wavelength specificity, and longevity. Despite these attractive features, red LEDs must satisfy requirements for plant photosynthesis and photomorphogenesis for successful growth and seed yield. To determine the influence of gallium aluminium arsenide (GaAlAs) red LEDs on wheat photomorphogenesis, photosynthesis, and seed yield, wheat (Triticum aestivum L., cv. 'USU-Super Dwarf') plants were grown under red LEDs and compared to plants grown under daylight fluorescent (white) lamps and red LEDs supplemented with either 1% or 10% blue light from blue fluorescent (BF) lamps. Compared to white light-grown plants, wheat grown under red LEDs alone demonstrated less main culm development during vegetative growth through preanthesis, while showing a longer flag leaf at 40 DAP and greater main culm length at final harvest (70 DAP). As supplemental BF light was increased with red LEDs, shoot dry matter and net leaf photosynthesis rate increased. At final harvest, wheat grown under red LEDs alone displayed fewer subtillers and a lower seed yield compared to plants grown under white light. Wheat grown under red LEDs+10% BF light had comparable shoot dry matter accumulation and seed yield relative to wheat grown under white light. These results indicate that wheat can complete its life cycle under red LEDs alone, but larger plants and greater amounts of seed are produced in the presence of red LEDs supplemented with a quantity of blue light.     

Photosynthetic Units and Carbon Assimilation in Leaves of Grain Sorghum under Different Light Intensities

The Cyt f and P700 contents in leaves of three Sorghum, varietieswere measured, in relation to their carbon assimilation, underdifferent light intensities during growth. At the maximum irradiationused (1,800 µE m^–2 s^–1) the ratio of P700to Cyt f was close to unity, whereas under low irradiation (450µE m^–2 s^–1) the ratio of P700 to Cyt f rangedfrom two to three. A strikingly positive correlation existedbetween the P700 contents of the leaves and their rates of carbondioxide fixation, dry matter production and Cyt f contents,only when the plants were grown under high light intensities.The P700 content of the leaves in plants grown under low irradiationwas unrelated to the contents of Cyt f. Thus, at a high lightintensity there is a close relationship between the Cyt f andP700 levels, but at low intensities the amounts of electroncarriers and the reaction centre are independent. (Received March 7, 1983; Accepted August 24, 1983)     

Effects of Far-red Light on the Labelling of Acyl Lipids during the Greening of Barley (Hordeum vulgare)

Etiolated Hordeum vulgare (barley) Plants were greened underwhite light or far-red (> 700 nm) light. Exposure to far-redlight inhibited chlorophyll synthesis (especially chlorophyllb) and the development of photosystem II which were seen whengreening took place under white light. Primary leaves were detachedand the labelling of their acyl lipids from [¹⁴C]acetate wasstudied under white light or far-red light illumination. Greeningwith far-red light caused a reduction in the radiolabellingof polyunsaturated fatty acids and diacylgalactosylglycerol.Total fatty acid labelling rates were unaffected. Phosphatidylethanolamine,which was normally poorly labelled, accounted for up to 15 percent of the total radioactivity in acyl moieties of lipids inleaves greened with far-red light. The results are discussedin connection with the role that acyl lipids may play in normalthylakoid structure and function. Hordeum vulgare, barley, acyl lipids, white light, far-red light, chloroplasts, thylakoids     

The Effect of an Incandescent Supplement on the Growth of Tomato Plants in Low Light

Young tomato plants were grown at low light flux densities (21W m^-2 for 8 h days) in growth cabinets under three types offluorescent lamps or under a fluorescent/incandescent mixedsource. Whilst net assimilation rates under the fluorescentlamps were in agreement with those calculated from the lampcharacteristics and the photosynthetic action spectrum, therate under the mixed source was about 20 per cent higher thanexpected. Relative growth rates and relative leaf area growthrates were also higher and leaf area ratios lower under thefluorescent/incandescent lamp combination than under the purefluorescent sources. Small differences in stem elongation, leaftemperature and dry weight distribution which were associatedwith the addition of incandescent radiation were not consideredto be responsible for these increases. When the light flux densityfrom the mixed source was reduced by 20 per cent, the plantgrowth parameters were then similar to those in fluorescentlight alone.     

Effects of Light on Chlorophyll Formation in Cultured Tobacco Cells I. Chlorophyll Accumulation and Phototransformation of Protochlorophyll(ide) in Callus Cells under Blue and Red light

A marked accumulation of chlorophyll was observed in calluscells of Nicotiana glutinosa when they were grown under bluelight, while under strong red light no chlorophyll accumulated.This blue light effect saturated at an intensity of about 500mW.m^–2. The effects of white, blue and red light on the transformationof protochlorophyll (ide) (Pchl) accumulated in dark-grown calluscells were studied by following the changes in the intensityof fluorescence emitted by Pchl and different forms of chlorophyll(ide) (Chi). Pchl with a fluorescence maximum at 633 nm (absorptionmaximum: 630 nm) decreased slowly, concomitant with an increasein Chl having a fluorescence maximum at 677 nm (absorption maximum:675 nm), which was subsequently transformed, independently oflight, to Chi with a fluorescence maximum at 683 nm (absorptionmaximum: 680 nm). Both blue and red light of low intensitieswere effective for the phototransformation, while red light,but not blue light, of high intensities caused significant destructionof Pchl. An action spectrum for this photodestruction showedthat the maximum destruction took place at 630 nm. White lightof high intensities was effective for the photoreduction withonly slight destruction of Pchl, suggesting that blue lightcounteracts the destructive effect of red light. At low temperatures,however, blue light as well as red light of low intensitiescaused photodestruction of Pchl. It was inferred that blue lightenhances a certain step or steps involved in the productionof a reductant required for the photoreduction of Pchl to Chl. (Received July 3, 1981; Accepted November 11, 1981)     

Effect of Photoperiod on Growth of Sugar Beet

Sugar beet grown in controlled environments were given similardaily amounts of visible radiation during three different photoperiodtreatments. Plants were given (a) 115 W m^–2 visible irradiancefrom fluorescent and tungsten lamps for 12 h; (b) 88 W m^–2of the same light for 16 h or (c) 115 W m^–2 from fluorescentand tungsten lamps for 12 h extended to 16 h with low intensity(3 W m^–2) incandescent light from the tungsten lamps only.Plant growth was increased similarly in both long day treatments[(b) and (c)] and dry weights were 25 per cent greater thanin the 12 h photoperiod (a) after 6 weeks. Leaf area was increasedby 18 per cent and net assimilation rate by 10 per cent in the16 h photoperiod at 88 W ^m–2 (b). By contrast, extendingthe photoperiod with 4 h of incandescent light (c) triggereda photomorphogenic increase in leaf expansion which increasedleaf area per plant by 47 per cent and leaf-area ratio by 12per cent.     

Green Light Drives CO2 Fixation Deep within Leaves

Maximal ^l4CO₂-fixation in spinach occurs in the middle of thepalisade mesophyll [Nishio et al. (1993) Plant Cell 5: 953],however, ninety percent of the blue and red light is attenuatedin the upper twenty percent of a spinach leaf [Cui et al. (1991)Plant Cell Environ. 14: 493]. In this report, we showed thatgreen light drives ¹⁴CO₂-fixation deep within spinach leavescompared to red and blue light. Blue light caused fixation mainlyin the palisade mesophyll of the leaf, whereas red light drovefixation slightly deeper into the leaf than did blue light.¹⁴CO₂-fixation measured under green light resulted in less fixationin the upper epidermal layer (guard cells) and upper most palisademesophyll compared to red and blue light, but led to more fixationdeeper in the leaf than that caused by either red or blue light.Saturating white, red, or green light resulted in similar maximal¹⁴CO₂-fixation rates, whereas under the highest irradiance ofblue light given, carbon fixation was not saturated, but itasymptotically approached the maximal ¹⁴CO₂-fixation rates attainedunder the other types of light. The importance of green lightin photosynthesis is discussed. ¹Supported in part by grants from Competitive Research GrantsOffice, U.S. Department of Agriculture (Nos. 91-37100-6672 and93-37100-8855).     

Effects of Blue Light on the Vertical Colonization of Space by White Clover and their Consequences for Dry Matter Distribution

The morphology of white clover is very sensitive to the lightenvironment, especially to the ratio of red:far-red light andto photon irradiance. However, less is known about the effectsof blue light on clover morphogenesis. Cuttings of white cloverwere grown for 56 d in two controlled chambers receiving lightwith similar photosynthetic efficiency and phytochrome photoequilibriumstate but different levels of blue light: some plants were grownunder orange light (very low blue light, 0.02 µmol m^-2s^-1)or under white light containing blue light (83 µmol m^-2s^-1).Other plants were switched from white light to orange lightorvice versa,after 30 d. The absence of blue light modifiedthe growth habit of clover and raised the laminae in the upperlayer of the canopy by increasing petiole length, and petioleangle from the horizontal, and by raising stolons above theground surface. Moreover, the absence of blue light had no effecton total leaf area and total dry weight per plant, but increasedthe leaf area and biomass of petioles of the main axis. Largerpetioles and laminae were associated with the allocation ofmore dry weight to the petiole at the same petiole thicknessbut with thinner laminae. These results indicate that a decreasein blue light is involved in the perception of, and adaptationto, shading by the plant.Copyright 1997 Annals of Botany Company Biomass allocation; blue light; growth habit; leaf area; light quality; photomorphogenesis; Trifolium repensL.; white clover     

Spectral quality influence of light during development of Arabidopsis thaliana plants in regulating seed germination

During development of Arabidopsis thaliana plants, the spectralquality of light can influence the phytochrome controlled germinationof the progeny. Plants grown under light rich in far red energiesproduce light requiring seed that contain phytochrome in thered absorbing or inactive form. Plants grown under light deficientin far red energies produce dark germinating seed that containphytochrome converted mainly to the far red absorbing or activeform. These responses are determined locally within the developingseed without influence from the vegetative portion of the plant.The developing seed is sensitive to spectral changes throughoutembryogenesis until the seed begins to dehydrate just beforefull maturation. At that point the phytochrome is stabilizedin the form photoinduced before dehydration. In relation tothe induction of phytochrome controlled germination responses,the developing seed appears to act independently of the parentplant. (Received April 16, 1974; )     

Photomorphogenesis in Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh: Threshold Intensities and Blue-Far-red Synergism in Floral Induction

Arabidopsis seeds were germinated on sterile mineral agar supplemented with 1% glucose and cultured under continuous light regimes. With 4-hour incandescent plus 20-hour monochromatic illumination in the region from 400 to 485 nanometers there was effective floral induction at an intensity of 100 microwatts per square centimeter. Exclusion of far red wave lengths from the 4-hour incandescent period sharply reduced the effectiveness of subsequent monochromatic blue light in promoting floral induction. Delayed floral induction occurred under continuous incandescent light lacking far red and was attributable to the blue wave lengths. Continuous 485 nanometer (100 microwatts per square centimeter) exposure without any white light treatment during the postgermination growth period was ineffective in floral induction and meristem development. Light at 730 nanometers under the same conditions was partially effective, whereas energy between 500 and 700 nanometers was completely ineffective. When continuous monochromatic light at a 3-fold higher energy level was administered, all photomorphogenic responses were accomplished with 485 nanometer light, including germination and 100% floral induction without any white light treatment at any time during the experiment. Almost equal quantum effectiveness was calculated when equivalent quantum flux densities in the region from 710 to 740 nanometers or at 485 nanometers were used. It is postulated that floral induction in Arabidopsis may be the result of a continuous excitation of a stable form of far red-absorbing phytochrome localized in or on a membrane, and that excitation can be either by direct absorption of energy by far red-absorbing phytochrome or by transfer from an accessory pigment.     

Photoresponses of the copepod Mesocyclops edax

The predatory copepod Mesocyclops edax is an important componentof many zooplankton communities where it typically makes extensivedid vertical migrations. To describe the effect of light onadults we measured their photoresponses in the laboratory. Theresponse spectrum is characterized by a wide plateau of greatestsensitivity from about 480 – 580 nm. These animals areadapted to perceive light during the day since their regionof maximum sensitivity overlaps the spectral region of highestquantal intensity underwater (575 – 700 nm). The thresholdintensity for positive phototaxis by dark adapted animals wasabout 5 x 10^–1 Wm^–2 at 540 nm, and they were positivelyphototactic up to an intensity of 5 x 10^–1 Wm^–2.Above this intensity phototaxis is no longer observed. Light-adaptedanimals were less sensitive than dark-adapted, but their generalpattern of response to light intensity did not differ. Thereis no rhythm in phototaxis. Their photoresponses may providea mechanism for controlling vertical migration so as to minimizeexposure to planktivorous fish. ¹Contribution No. 1375-AEL from UM-CEES, Appalachian EnvironmentalLaboratory.