UV-B radiation and photosynthetic irradiance acclimate eggplant for outdoor exposure.
Treatment of greenhouse-grown eggplant (Solanum melongena L. var. esculentum Nees.  'Burpee's Black Beauty') seedlings with supplemental photosynthetically active radiation from cool-white fluorescent lamps increased growth of plants subsequently transferred outdoors relative to growth of plants that received no supplemental radiation or were shaded to 45% of solar irradiation in the greenhouse before transfer outdoors.  Eggplant seedlings transferred outdoors were placed under plastic tarps either to provide relative protection from solar ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation (280-315 nm) using Mylar film or to allow exposure to UV-B using cellulose acetate.  Protection of seedlings from UV-B radiation resulted in greater leaf expansion than for UV-B-exposed seedlings, but no change in leaf or shoot dry weight occurred after 9 days of treatment.  Specific leaf weight increased in response to UV-B exposure outdoors.  Exposure of eggplant to UV-B radiation from fluorescent sunlamps in the greenhouse also decreased leaf expansion and leaf and shoot dry weight gain after 5 days of treatment.  However, there were no differences in leaf or shoot dry weight relative to control plants after 12 days of UV-B treatment, indicating that UV-B treated plants had acclimated to the treatment and actually had caught up with non-UV-B-irradiated plants in terms of growth.
Latimer
J G
JG
Department of Horticulture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
Mitchell
C A
CA
Mitchell
G A
GA
D000064:Acclimatization / Q000502:physiology*; D018533:Biomass; D002482:Cellulose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D009929:Organ Size; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000254:growth & development*; D010945:Plants, Edible / Q000254:growth & development / Q000528:radiation effects*; D011093:Polyethylene Terephthalates; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000379:methods*; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays / Q000009:adverse effects*
D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D011093:Polyethylene Terephthalates; C025539:Lavsan; C005062:acetylcellulose; D002482:Cellulose