EFFECTS OF RED LIGHT ON THE GROWTH AND MORPHOLOGY OF POTATO PLANTLETS IN VITRO: USING LIGHT EMITTING DIODES (LEDS) AS A LIGHT SOURCE FOR MICROPROPAGATION

Red light emitting diodes (LEDs, peak wavelength: 660 nm) and white fluorescent lamps were used as light sources for growth of potato plantlets in vitro. Red (630–690 nm) photon flux (R-PF) on the empty culture shelf were adjusted at 11, 15, 28, 47 or 64 μmol m^-2s^-1. Photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) on the empty culture shelf was adjusted at 100 μmol m^-2s^-1 in all the treatments.
Potato plantlets were cultured on Murashige & Skoog (1962) medium with or without sugar at an air temperature of 25°C and a photoperiod of 16 h.
Shoot length and chlorophyll concentration of the plantlets increased with increasing R-PF, while there were no significant differences in dry weight and leaf area of the plantlets regardless of R-PF levels.
Red light affected the morphology rather than the growth rate of potato plantlets in vitro. Red LEDs can be used for controlling plantlet morphology in micropropagation.

III International Symposium on Artificial Lighting in Horticulture

Y. Miyashita, T. Kimura, Y. Kitaya, C. Kubota, T. Kozai

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1997.418.23