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The photosynthetic activity of the developing hop cone
Author(s) -
PEAT W. E.,
THOMAS G. G.
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
annals of applied biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1744-7348
pISSN - 0003-4746
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7348.1974.tb01372.x
Subject(s) - photosynthesis , biology , carbon dioxide , light intensity , hop (telecommunications) , botany , biophysics , ecology , optics , physics , computer network , computer science
SUMMARY Carbon dioxide exchange of the developing hop cone was measured in field and laboratory experiments. Older cones showed a clear response of CO 2 exchange to light intensity, indicating photosynthetic activity, but this rarely exceeded respiratory loss. Cones therefore made little photosynthetic contribution to their growth. Young cones showed no response of CO 2 exchange to light intensity and therefore possessed negligible photosynthetic activity. The initiation of photosynthesis was sudden and coincided with the onset of rapid cone growth and with the response of water loss to light intensity. It is suggested that the maturation of stomata is linked with the initiation of gas exchange.