To evaluate the effect of fluorescent lamps with a high red:far-red (R:FR) light on the potential photosynthesis of transplants, we investigated the photosynthetic light responses of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) seedlings grown under fluorescent lamps with high R:FR light (FLH) and compared them with the responses of the seedlings grown under metal-halide lamps (ML) that provided a spectrum similar to that of natural light and under a fluorescent lamp with low R:FR light (FLL). The seedlings were grown under FLH (R:FR = 7.0), ML (R:FR = 1.2), or FLL (R:FR = 1.1) at a photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) of 350 μmol·m−2·s−1. The gross photosynthetic rate (Pg), quantum yield of photosystem II (ΦPSII), and photosynthetic electron transfer rate (ETR) of the foliage leaves were then evaluated at PPFDs ranging from 0 to 1000 μmol·m−2·s−1. The photosynthetic light response of FLH seedlings was similar to those of sun leaves, and the responses of ML and FLL seedlings were similar to those of shade leaves. The Pg, ETR, and ΦPSII of FLH seedlings at PPFD of 1000 μmol·m−2·s−1 was 1.38, 1.32, and 1.28 times, respectively, those of ML seedlings, and was 1.40, 1.23, and 1.22 times, respectively, those of FLL seedlings. The Pg was closely correlated with ETR in each treatment. FLH seedlings had thicker leaf and greater chlorophyll content per leaf area than ML and FLL seedlings. The greater Pg of FLH seedlings than in the other two groups of seedlings at high PPFD was probably the result of the improved ETR resulting from physiological and morphological changes in response to the high R:FR light.

This study evaluated the photosynthetic responses of Cucumis sativus leaves acclimated to illumination from three-band white fluorescent lamps with a high red:far-red (R:FR) ratio (R:FR = 10.5) and the photosynthetic responses of leaves acclimated to metal-halide lamps that provided a spectrum similar to that of natural light (R:FR = 1.2) at acclimation photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) of 100 to 700 µmol m -2 s -1 . The maximum gross photosynthetic rate (P G ) of the fluorescent-acclimated leaves was approximately 1.4 times that of the metal-halide-acclimated leaves at all acclimation PPFDs. The ratio of quantum efficiency of photosystem II (Ф PSII ) of the fluorescent-acclimated leaves to that of the metal-halide-acclimated leaves tended to increase with increasing acclimation PPFD, whereas the corresponding ratios for the leaf mass per unit area tended to decrease with increasing acclimation PPFD. These results suggest that the greater maximum P G of the fluorescent-acclimated leaves resulted from an interaction between the acclimation light quality and quantity, which was mainly caused by the greater leaf biomass for photosynthesis per area at low acclimation PPFDs and by the higher Ф PSII as a result of changes in characteristics and distribution of chloroplasts, or a combination of these factors at high acclimation PPFDs.

The sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci biotype B, laid eggs on tea leaves in both no-choice and choice tests. However, the number of eggs laid on tea leaves was significantly less than oviposition on cucumber, eggplant and cabbage. The survival rates of eggs and nymphs on tea leaves were extremely low compared to survival on cucumbers, but egg-to-adult development time on both plants was similar.