Effect of light on growth of Cryptocoryne elliptica plantlets

Abstract

Light induce various plant responses, including morphogenesis in which they were greatly affected by the light quality. The aim of study is to determine the effect of different light colors on the growth of tissue culture-derived plantlets of Cryptocoryne elliptica. The plantlets were grown with 24 hour daylight under fluorescent lamps with different light colors; white, blue, red and green. The effects of these light colors were evaluated based on the plant growth which measured by the petiole and leaves elongation and also leaves width, including the chlorophyll content of the leaves, the addition of new leaves and also new shoot tips. The growth of the plantlets grown for ten weeks under blue light color treatment rose rapidly compared with other light color treatment. Nevertheless, the white, red and green light colors give out different effects towards the growth of the plantlets. The values of the chlorophyll content after ten weeks of cultivation was higher in the white light color treatment, but reduced in blue, green and red light color treatment from the initial chlorophyll content. This outcome demonstrates that different light sources during growth affects the pattern of the plant growth as well as the chlorophyll contents in the leaves.