| Abstract: | Plants of Plantago lanceolata L. and Zea mays L., cv. ‘Campo’were grown at two levels of light intensity. Especially in theroots, the rate of dry matter accumulation decreased at lowlight intensity. The carbohydrate content of both roots andshoots of P. lanceolata was not affected by light intensity.The relative contribution of SHAM1-sensitive respiration, thealternative chain, to total root respiration of both P. lanceolataand Z. mays, was not affected by light intensity during thedaytime. The alternative pathway was somewhat decreased at theend of the dark period, but not in the root tips (0–5mm) where it still contributed 56% in respiration. It was, therefore,concluded that photosynthesis is not a major factor in regulationof root growth in the species investigated. To see whether the effect of light intensity on root growthrate was via transpiration, plants of Z. mays were grown atdifferent air humidities. Both high humidity and low light intensityaffected the root morphology in such a way that the distancebetween the apex and the first laterals on the primary rootaxis increased. It is suggested that this effect on root morphologyis due to transpiration and the subsequent removal of root-producedinhibitors of lateral root growth; although light intensityalso affected the rate of dry matter accumulation of roots andthe rate was not affected by the humidity of the air. It is,therefore, concluded that the effect of light intensity on therate of dry matter accumulation of roots of Z. mays is not viaan effect on transpiration. |
