BALANCING PHOTOSYNTHETIC LIGHT-HARVESTING AND LIGHT-UTILIZATION CAPACITIES IN POTATO LEAF TISSUE DURING ACCLIMATION TO DIFFERENT GROWTH TEMPERATURES

We investigated the effect of temperature during growth and developmen t on the relationship between light-harvesting capacity, indicated by chlorophyll concentration, and light-utilization potential, indicated by light- and bicarbonate-saturated photosynthetic oxygen evolution, i n Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Norland. Clonal plantlets were transplanted and grown at 20 degrees C for 2 weeks before transfer to 12, 16, 20, 24 and 28 degrees C for 6 weeks. After 4 weeks of the temperature trea tments, leaf tissue fresh weights per area were one-third higher in pl ants grown at 12 degrees C vs those grown at 28 degrees C. Conversely, chlorophyll content per area in tissue grown at 12 degrees C was less than one-half of that of tissue grown at 28 degrees C at 4 weeks. Pho tosynthetic capacity measured at a common temperature of 20 degrees C and expressed on a chlorophyll basis was inversely proportional to gro wth temperature. Leaf tissue from plants grown at 12 degrees C for 4 w eeks had photosynthetic rates that were 3-fold higher on a chlorophyll basis than comparable tissue from plants grown at 28 degrees C. These results suggest that the relationship between light-harvesting capaci ty and light-utilization potential varies 3-fold in response to the gr owth temperatures examined. The role of this response in avoidance of photoinhibition is discussed.