Phytochrome Responses to End-of-Day Irradiations in Light-grown Corn Grown in the Presence and Absence of Sandoz 9789

Corn seedlings were grown in white light in the absence and presence of the chlorosis-inducing herbicide San 9789. The resulting green and achlorophyllous seedlings were used to investigate phytochrome-mediated responses to end-of-day far red irradiation and reversal of these responses by subsequent red irradiation. Mesocotyl and coleoptile elongation increased in response to end-of-day far red irradiation, whereas the anthocyanin content of the coleoptiles was decreased. All three responses were reversible by red irradiation following the far red. Dose-response curves for far red induction and red reversal of these responses did not differ significantly for plants grown in the presence or absence of San 9789. Thus, San 9789 appears to affect neither phytochrome itself nor the response system involved. Chlorophyll screening likewise does not affect phytochrome relationships for these responses.