PHOTOCONTROL OF HYPOCOTYL ELONGATION IN DE‐ETIOLATED Cucumis sativus L. RAPID RESPONSES TO BLUE LIGHT

— Rapid inhibition of hypocotyl extension of de-etiolated Cucumis sativus L. by blue light is described, and compared with responses to white fluorescent light. Rapid inhibition of hypocotyl growth by blue light via the specific blue light photoreceptor requires a minimum Buence rate. Above this minimum value rapid modulations of growth rate accompany changes in blue light fluence rate. An initial response to blue light, or to a step-up in blue fluence rate takes less than 5 min. A drop from high to low fluence rate blue light (or to darkness) is followed by a recovery of the growth rate after about 20 min. A change from a low fluence rate to darkness elicits a more rapid recovery of growth rate (within 7 min). Similar responses were obtained in seedlings de-etiolated for a few hours and for several days.