The Use of Canonical Correlation Analysis in the Investigation of Relationships Between Plant Growth and Environmental Factors

The relationship between environmental factors and growth inImpatiens parviflora was analysed by the method of canonicalcorrelation analysis. The method was able to identify the majorrelationships which had been detected by conventional methodsof analysis. The method was also able to detect relationshipsnot identified by conventional methods. The canonical correlationanalysis also clearly showed that relationships between growthand environment detected at a plant dry weight of 100 mg couldalso be detected at 300 mg despite masking due to ontogeneticdrift and confusion by different patterns of adaptation. Itis concluded that the method of canonical correlation analysisis most useful for the analysis of considerable bodies of datarelating plant growth to environmental factors. Marked effectsof spectral composition on growth and development of both leavesand stems were demonstrated. Different spectral compositioneffects on hypocotyl and internode elongation exist. Impatiens parviflora, growth analysis, canonical correlation analysis, spectral composition, stemelongation