title: Morphological responses of wheat to blue light.
abstract: Blue light significantly increased tillering in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants grown at the same photosynthetic photon flux (PPF).  Plants were grown under two levels of blue light (400-500 nm) in a controlled environment with continuous irradiation.  Plants received either 50 micromoles m-2 s-1 of blue light or 2 micromoles m-2 s-1 blue light from filtered metal halide lamps at a total irradiance of 200 micromoles m-2 s-1 PPF (400-700 nm).  Plants tillered an average of 25% more under the higher level of blue light.  Blue light also caused a small, but consistent, increase in main culm development, measured as Haun stage.  Leaf length was reduced by higher levels of blue light, while plant dry-mass was not significantly affected by blue light.  Applying the principle of equivalent light action, the results suggest that tillering and leaf elongation are mediated by the blue-UV light receptor(s) because phytochrome photoequilibrium for each treatment were nearly identical.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plants, Soils, and Biometeorology, Utah State University, Logan 84322-4820.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bugbee
mesh_terms: D018533:Biomass; D008021:Life Support Systems; D008027:Light; D017785:Photons; D010834:Phytochrome / Q000528:radiation effects; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D018520:Plant Shoots / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D018547:Plant Stems / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D014908:Triticum / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects
chemical_list: D010834:Phytochrome