INFRARED LIGHT-EMITTING DIODE RADIATION CAUSES GRAVITROPIC AND MORPHOLOGICAL EFFECTS IN DARK-GROWN OAT SEEDLINGS

Oat (Avena sativa cv Seger) seedlings were irradiated with IR Light-em itting diode (LED) radiation passed through a visible-light-blocking f ilter. Infrared LED irradiated seedlings exhibited differences in grow th and gravitropic response when compared to seedlings grown in darkne ss at the same temperature, Thus, the oat seedlings in this study were able to detect IR LED radiation. These findings call into question th e use of IR LED as a safe-light for some photosensitive plant response experiments. These findings also expand the defined range of waveleng ths involved in radiation-gravity (light-gravity) interactions to incl ude wavelengths in the IR region of the spectrum.