The involvement of gibberellins in phytochrome-controlled flowering of Pharbitis nil

Abstract

The seedlings of Pharbitis nil, a sesitive short-day plant (SDP), were cultivated under special photoperiodic conditions: 72-h-long darkness, 24-h-long white light with low intensity, 24-h-long inductive night. During 24-h-long inductive darkness the total content of gibberellins in cotyledons underwent fluctuations with a maximum at 0 h and 8 h, and a decrease at the end of the dark period. FR light applied at the end of the 24-h-long white-light period inhibited flowering. R light flash and partially exogenous GA3 added on cotyledons could reverse the effect of FR. The seedling growth was not affected by FR and R light irradiation, but was promoted by exogenous GA3 application. The obtained results suggest that gibberellins are involved in photoperiodic control of SDP P. nil flowering. This involvement has nothing in common with participation of gibberellins in the control of the elongation growth of seedlings.