CAN PLANTS DETECT SMALL DIFFERENCES IN IRRADIANCE OBTAINED BY VARYING THE REFLECTANCE PROPERTIES OF THE GROWTH CHAMBER WALLS?
A controlled-environment study was conducted in separate growth chambers with the wall surface covered either with white enamel paint (WEP) or polished aluminum (PA). `Williams' soybean were grown under 1500 mA cool white fluorescent lamps and internodes measured at 7, 14, and 21 days. Photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) levels in the center of each chamber were set at 320 μmol m-2 s-1 with a quantum sensor. Means ± SD for PPF levels in the WEP and PA chambers were 286 ± 28 and 307 ± 11 μmol m-2 s-1, respectively. This increase in mean PPF and decrease in variance of PPF in the PA chamber was reflected in: a) a decrease in hypocotyl, first internode, and total shoot elongation: and b) an increase in enlargement of the primary and the first trifoliolate leaves. These findings demonstrate that plants can detect small differences in irradiance within a growth chamber and suggest the advantages of using a highly polished wall surface to improve uniformity of irradiance and reduce variability in growth.