Far-red Light Interacts with Plant Density to Change Photosynthate Allocation of Cucumber Seedlings and Their Subsequent Early Growth after Transplanting

The light competition in dense plant stands may be disadvantageous in transplant production because competition stimulates stem elongation and can reduce photosynthate allocation to leaves; this, in turn, may reduce the early growth rate after transplanting. In this study, we focused on how the proportion of far-red (FR) light affected light competition among cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) seedlings and investigated the effects of the plant density × FR interaction on photosynthate allocation and subsequent early growth after transplanting. Seedlings at the cotyledon stage were planted into plug trays at densities ranging from 109 to 1736 plants/m2; then they were grown for 4 days under light-emitting diode (LED) light containing FR light (FR+) at approximately the same red-to-FR ratio as in sunlight (1.2) or under light containing no FR (FR−). The higher density significantly stimulated stem elongation under both FR+ and FR−, but the effect was small under FR−; this indicates that light competition in the dense stands was inhibited by reducing FR light. The higher plant density significantly increased photosynthate allocation to the stem and decreased allocation to the leaves under both FR+ and FR−; however, again, the effect was smaller under FR−. After transplanting the seedlings to pots, early growth decreased in the seedlings that allocated less photosynthate to their leaves. Our results indicate that light with reduced FR can mitigate the disadvantageous photosynthate allocation of transplants and the reduction of early growth after transplanting that are likely to occur as a result of light competition at high plant density.

Response of photosynthate distribution in potato plants to different LED spectra

Although light is essential to photosynthesis, few studies have examined the effects of different LED spectra on photosynthate distribution in potato plants. Therefore, we exposed tuberising potato plants to white (W), red (R), blue (B) and green (G) LED treatments and compared tuber development and carbohydrate partitioning among the plants. R-treated plants had greater photosynthetic leaf area during tuber development compared with those under other treatments, thus enhancing assimilation. Although R-treated plants had higher 13C assimilation in the leaves, stems and roots than those under B treatment, there was no difference in partitioning of 13C assimilation and yield in the tubers of each plant between R and B treatments. For the tuber size, R-treated plants had a higher ratio of large tubers (>20 g) and a lower ratio of small (2–20 g) and medium-sized (10–20 g) tubers than those under W. B-treated plants had more medium-sized and large tubers than those under W. The reason may be that plants under R treatment distributed more assimilated 13C in their first tuber than those under other treatments. By contrast, plants under B balanced photosynthate distribution among their tubers. Leaves under G treatment had lower photosynthetic efficiency and ΦPSII than those under W, R or B treatment, which resulted in lower 13C photosynthate allocation in organs and lower tuber yield per plant than in R and B treatments. Overall, R treatment promoted 13C assimilation and led to more large tubers than other treatments. B-treated plants distributed more photosynthates into tubers rather than other organs and showed balanced tuber development.