Plant development and physiology are strongly influenced by the light spectrum of the growth environment. The modulation of specific wavelengths affects a wide range of plant processes and also determine structural changes. The control light quality in the environment may promote several physiological, morphological and biochemical traits in the plant, such as gas exchanges, biomass production, pigment composition and antioxidant synthesis. In this work, we evaluate if appropriate light fertilisation protocols could improve Spinacia oleracea L. growth and quality regarding photosynthesis, biomass and bioactive compound production. Spinach seeds were germinated in a growth chamber and exposed to four different light quality treatments of 350 ?mol photons m-2 s-1: white light (WL), "pure" Red (R), Red-Blue (RB, 60% Red - 40% Blue), Red-Green-Cyan (RGC, 60% Red - 20% Green - 20% Cyan). Plants have been monitored until 100 days after sowing (DAS) and biometrical (leaf area, root and shoot biomass), physiological (gas exchanges and fluorescence emission) and biochemical (photosynthetic pigments, antioxidants, sugars and total protein content) traits were determined. Compared to WL and R treatments, the growth under RB induced the decrease of leaf area, a more compact plant size as well as higher photosynthetic and transpiration rates, likely due to the blue light stimulation on stomata opening. As additional valuable characteristics, the RB treatment determined an increase of carbohydrates and total chlorophylls as well as a reduction of phenolic compounds compared to the other treatments, increasing the palatability of leaves. The overall results confirm the light manipulation as a valuable tool to obtain favourable traits in plants.
Influence of light quality on development and photosynthetic activity of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) plants
L Vitale;
2018
Abstract
Plant development and physiology are strongly influenced by the light spectrum of the growth environment. The modulation of specific wavelengths affects a wide range of plant processes and also determine structural changes. The control light quality in the environment may promote several physiological, morphological and biochemical traits in the plant, such as gas exchanges, biomass production, pigment composition and antioxidant synthesis. In this work, we evaluate if appropriate light fertilisation protocols could improve Spinacia oleracea L. growth and quality regarding photosynthesis, biomass and bioactive compound production. Spinach seeds were germinated in a growth chamber and exposed to four different light quality treatments of 350 ?mol photons m-2 s-1: white light (WL), "pure" Red (R), Red-Blue (RB, 60% Red - 40% Blue), Red-Green-Cyan (RGC, 60% Red - 20% Green - 20% Cyan). Plants have been monitored until 100 days after sowing (DAS) and biometrical (leaf area, root and shoot biomass), physiological (gas exchanges and fluorescence emission) and biochemical (photosynthetic pigments, antioxidants, sugars and total protein content) traits were determined. Compared to WL and R treatments, the growth under RB induced the decrease of leaf area, a more compact plant size as well as higher photosynthetic and transpiration rates, likely due to the blue light stimulation on stomata opening. As additional valuable characteristics, the RB treatment determined an increase of carbohydrates and total chlorophylls as well as a reduction of phenolic compounds compared to the other treatments, increasing the palatability of leaves. The overall results confirm the light manipulation as a valuable tool to obtain favourable traits in plants.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
