American botanists from Michigan State University have discovered a mechanism that allows plants to survive in short daylight conditions during winter. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine Plant Physiology.
To understand how plants adapt to different lengths of daylight, the team studied a plant called camellia (Camelina sativa) using mass spectrometry and metabolomics (metabolic analysis). Camelina sativa belongs to the cabbage family and is grown to produce vegetable oil.
The team found that as daylight hours shorten, plants’ photosynthesis rates increase and their respiration rates decrease. They also transfer more energy to their shoots, where photosynthesis takes place.
As an additional mechanism, plants store more sugar in the form of starch during the day, so they have energy to use for longer nights. They also slow down the exchange of metabolites between cavities and other cellular structures, which helps them maintain carbon balance at night.
According to scientists, their discoveries will help develop more efficient and sustainable crop varieties.
Previous scientists warned About the risk of photosynthesis stopping in the forest due to rising global temperatures.