Recently, the Team of Plant Environmental Engineering of Protected Agriculture at the Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, took a deep dive into the plant light recipes technology based on near-ultraviolet radiation, and revealed the response patterns of plant photosynthesis to near-ultraviolet radiation. The related findings have been published in the Plant Cell and Environment.

Ultraviolet radiation plays a pivotal role in influencing plant growth and development. Although near-ultraviolet radiation accounts for approximately 95% of the total ultraviolet radiation in nature, there has been no systematic report on how plant photosynthesis responds to near-ultraviolet radiation.

Light Response of Photosynthesis in Leaves of Six Typical Horticultural Plants and Open-field Shrubs under Near-ultraviolet and Blue Radiation

The study employed near-ultraviolet semiconductor light sources of different wavelengths, combined with technologies such as photosynthetic gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence analysis, to systematically explore the short-term response and long-term adaptation of plant leaves to near-ultraviolet radiation. The study found that near-ultraviolet radiation can directly drive plant photosynthesis, but the normal functioning of the photosynthetic apparatus is somewhat inhibited. This process depends on the wavelength and radiation intensity, with shorter peak wavelengths causing stronger inhibition of the photosynthetic apparatus. In addition, near-ultraviolet radiation can effectively trigger photosynthesis and photoprotective adaptation processes, with longer peak wavelengths leading to stronger adaptation, and demonstrating a continuous and progressive adaptation trend. The study lays a theoretical foundation for developing ultraviolet light recipes for plants grown in controlled environment, and also contributes to the in-depth analysis of the physiological essence of how near-ultraviolet radiation affects plant photosynthesis.

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the National Key R&D Program of China.

Linkage: https://doi.org/10.1111/pce.15145; https://doi.org/10.1111/pce.15256