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Short photoperiods induce fructan accumulation and tuberous root development in Dahlia seedlings
Author(s) -
Legnani Garry,
Miller William B.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
new phytologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.742
H-Index - 244
eISSN - 1469-8137
pISSN - 0028-646X
DOI - 10.1046/j.1469-8137.2001.00055.x
Subject(s) - dahlia , fructan , photoperiodism , shoot , biology , sugar , sucrose , dendrobium , horticulture , botany , inulin , food science
Summary• The effect is reported here of photoperiod on fructan accumulation in the tuberous roots of Dahlia sp . cv. Sunny Rose seedlings. • Growth parameters were measured of shoots and roots on glasshouse‐grown dahlia seedlings subjected to either short day (SD) or long day (LD; 4 h night photoperiod interruption) light regimes. The carbohydrate concentrations of tuberous roots was analysed by high performance anion exchange chromatography. • Total plant dry weight was unaffected by photoperiod. The LD treatment inhibited tuberous root development but increased shoot dry weight. Tuberous root tissue of SD seedlings showed a 156% increase in total fructan (inulin) concentration compared with LD tuberous root tissue, which had higher reducing sugar concentrations than SD tuberous roots. A wide range of oligomers increased during the SD treatment. • Sucrose appears to be the regulating factor in fructan metabolism in dahlia . Photoperiod is a valuable tool for studying fuctan metabolism in vivo , as it provides a nondestructive means of regulating sucrose partitioning.