Does FR effect on sweet pepper depend on its stem density?
Light spectrum has a huge impact on plant growth and development. FR light (700-800nm) was found to influence a wide range of morphological and physiological processes in plants. Recent studies showed that the fruit set can be influenced by FR light too. Fruit set indicates the initiation of fruit growth derived from flowers, and the cessation of this process is termed as abortion. Fruit set or abortion is a crucial development process in the plant life cycle, and it is also a main determinant of crop yield. In sweet pepper, up to 80% of all flowers can abort, which makes fruit set a limiting factor for its yield. In greenhouse, FR increases the fruit set and further increases the yield of sweet pepper. However, the effect of FR on fruit set is not absolute but may depend on other conditions. In the current study, we would like to investigate if the FR effect on sweet pepper is dependent on the plant density and/or the number of shoots per plant. During the experiment, not only the number of fruit sets will be observed, but also the other plant morphological parameters will be measured. With the completion of this study, the student is expected to have a deeper understanding on the plant reproductive development, and the interaction between plant and light environment.
Used skills
- Performing greenhouse experiment with LED lighting
- Light quality and light intensity measurements
- Plant growth and development measurements (both non-destructive and destructive)
- Laboratory analysis when necessary
- Data analysis and interpretation
Interested in doing a BSc or MSc thesis at HPP? Please contact the HPP student coordinator Katharina Hanika.