Influence of light intensity on the rate of photosynthesis and dry matter accumulation in Oriental hybrid lily ‘Siberia’ at different developmental stages

SummaryWe investigated the effects of light intensity on various photosynthetic characteristics on a whole-plant (WP) basis, focussing on three developmental stages from leafing (when young leaves unfolded) to flowering in the Oriental hybrid lily ‘Siberia’. On a WP basis, the net photosynthetic rate (Pr) was low at the leafing stage, but increased rapidly at the visible flower bud and flowering stages. However, on a leaf area (LA) basis, plants at the leafing stage exhibited a high Pr, peaking at the visible flower bud stage and diminishing slightly at the flowering stage.The rapid increase in total LA due to plant growth and development had a strong influence on Pr on a WP basis. ‘Siberia’ plants were grown under various reduced levels of natural light (0%, 40%, or 60%), achieved by shading, to evaluate the contribution of photosynthetic assimilates at various developmental stages and to compare the consistency of these results with the photosynthetic characteristics of the plants. The final dry matter ...