Light is the primary driving force for photosynthesis and thus dictates carbon assimilation, biomass production, and yield in plants. Light also plays an important role in a myriad of physiological and biochemical processes in plants, from eliciting specific gene responses to whole-plant phenomics. The lighting environment is especially important in controlled environment agriculture (CEA) as it supplements or fully replaces natural light to improve growth and quality. Due to the advancements in lighting technologies and the rapid growth of the CEA industry, lighting research has been propelled into the forefront of the plant science field.

Unlike organisms in the animal kingdom, plants are sessile. The inability to move has forced plants to evolve mechanisms to deal with the lighting environment they are in. For example, in environments that are rich in far-red light, leaf expansion and stem elongation are promoted in an effort to orient themselves in a more advantageous position to absorb photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). We have yet to fully understand the physiological and biochemical implications of plants under all forms of light, from ultraviolet to far-red. The goal of this Research Topic is to collect studies which further our knowledge of how plants interact with their light environment.

This Research Topic aims to assemble information related to the physiological, biochemical, and genetic responses of plants to lighting. We welcome novel research, reviews, mini-reviews, perspective articles, and novel methods-related manuscripts. Research focusing on the following areas, among others, is encouraged:

- Circadian photobiology
- Carbon metabolism and translocation
- Biochemical regulation of secondary metabolites
- Interaction between light and other environmental factors
- Photomorphogenesis
- Photosynthesis
- Regulation of flowering
- Characterization of light within a crop canopy
- Light-related epigenetics of plants
- Light impact on stomata and plant water relationship

Only research that significantly improves the understanding of physiological or biochemical processes will be considered, not those which solely describe plant responses to different lighting environments.

Submit your idea

Impact

Frontiers in Plant Science

Participating Journals

Impact