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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Florence, South Carolina » Coastal Plain Soil, Water and Plant Conservation Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #104590
Title: COTTON FIBER LENGTH IS AFFECTED BY FAR-RED LIGHT IMPINGING ON DEVELOPING BOLLS

Author
item Kasperbauer, Michael

Submitted to: Agronomy Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/30/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Far-red (FR) light received by seedlings results in longer and slimmer hypocotyls which contain longer and slimmer cells. It was hypothesized that FR received by developing cotton fibers (single cells) could also affect their length and diameter. Cotton plants were grown in trickle irrigated field plots over panels that reflected high or low FR/R photon ratios and low or high amounts of photosynthetic light to developing bolls Some bolls were left bare and others were shielded from any light during fiber development. Fibers that developed in bolls that received the increased FR/R photon ratios were longer than those that received elevated photosynthetic light. The difference in fiber length between shielded and bare bolls was influenced more by elevated FR/R than by increased photosynthetic light. This is important in developing new plant spacing and conservation tillage systems because the amount of FR received by the developing boll is influenced by FR reflected from nearby green plants and dead plant residue.