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The inhibition of potato sprout growth by light.
Author(s) -
MCGEE E.,
BOOTH R. H.,
JARVIS M. C.,
DUNCAN H. J.
Publication year - 1988
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.1744-7348.1988.tb03290.x
Subject(s) - biology , light intensity , daylight , horticulture , sunlight , irradiance , elongation , cultivar , botany , artificial light , growth inhibition , materials science , physics , illuminance , quantum mechanics , astronomy , ultimate tensile strength , optics , metallurgy , apoptosis , biochemistry
SUMMARY The effect of light intensity on sprout growth in seed potato tubers ( Solanum tuberosum ) was examined using diffuse daylight in Peru and diffuse artificial light at Glasgow. Mean temperatures below 20 °C produced strong sprout growth that was inhibited by both daylight and artificial light, at visible irradiances above 0.01 Wm ‐2 . The percentage inhibition of sprout growth increased linearly with the logarithm of the irradiance, 50% inhibition being at 0.04 ‐ 0.1 Wm ‐2 provided that the temperature was suitable for substantial sprout growth in the absence of light. Cultivar and temperature had very little effect on the 50% inhibition point. At high irradiances growth inhibition was up to 95%, but the sprout length was never reduced to zero; short, robust green sprouts remained. Sprout numbers were increased by daylight, but not by artificial light. Diffuse daylight also reduced the total weight loss from seed tubers during a storage season of 180 days. At mean temperatures above 20 °C., sprout growth in the absence of light was much reduced and the effect of light on sprout elongation was less obvious.