Contributions of green light to plant growth and development

Abstract

Light passing through or refl ected from adjacent foliage provides a developing plant with information that is used to guide specifi c genetic and physiological processes. Changes in gene expression underlie adaptation to, or avoidance of, the light-compromised environment. These changes have been well described and are mostly attributed to a decrease in the red light to far-red light ratio and/or a reduction in blue light fl uence rate. In most cases, these changes rely on the integration of red/far-red/blue light signals, leading to changes in phytohormone levels. Studies over the last decade have described distinct responses to green light and/or a shift of the blue-green, or red-green ratio. Responses to green light are typically low-light responses, suggesting that they may contribute to the adaptation to growth under foliage or within close proximity to other plants. This review summarizes the growth responses in artifi cially manipulated light environments with an emphasis on the roles of green wavebands. The information may be extended to understanding the infl uence of green light in shade avoidance responses as well as other plant developmental and physiological processes.

Effects of Light Quality on Growth and Phytonutrient Accumulation of Herbs under Controlled Environments

“…'Akito'). In addition to intercepting red and blue light, phytochromes and cryptochromes are also green light receptors, which explains why green light affects vegetative growth, organ growth, and plant tropism [42], although the effects of green light may be less significant as light intensity increases [48].…”

Toward an optimal spectral quality for plant growth and development: the importance of radiation capture

“…Green light can alter plant development (Folta and Maruhnich 2007), although its effects may decrease as PPF increases (Wang and Folta 2013). Sun et al (1998) found that red and blue light drive CO2 fixation primarily in the upper leaf layers while green light penetrates deeper and drives CO2 fixation in the lower leaf cells.…”

Responses to intermittent exposure to green light during the dark period in <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> and possible involvement of cryptochrome 2

“…It is proposed that green light is effective for photosynthesis in certain environments that are green light enriched (Terashima et al 2009). In addition, green light induces shade avoidance symptoms that result in rapid growth (Wang and Folta 2013;Zhang et al 2011).…”

“…However, little is known about the mechanisms of the action of green light in plants, and studies on the physiological responses to green light are limited thus far (Wang and Folta 2013). In this study, as a first step of a comprehensive study of green light effects on plants, the effects of intermittent green light treatment during the dark period, which was used in our strawberry cultivation, were examined in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana.…”

“…Although a green light specific sensory system has not been elucidated in plants, monochromatic green light acts as a signal to control plant growth (Chory 1997;Folta 2004;Folta and Maruhnich 2007;von Arnim and Deng 1996;Wang and Folta 2013;Zhang et al 2011). In addition, some, but not all green light responses are mediated via blue-light receptors, i.e., cryptochromes (Zhang et al 2011).…”