Interaction between photoperiod, photosynthesis and ethylene formation in tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum cv. Ailsa Craig and ACC-oxidase antisense pTOM13)

Wild-type and ACC-oxidase antisense tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Ailsa Craig and pTOM13) were grown in environment-controlled rooms for 21 days under photoperiods of 8, 16 or 23.5 h at an irradiance of 300 mu mol m(-2) s(-1) Photosynthetic pigments, photosynthesis, soluble carbohydrates, starch and ethylene were measured on the last fully expanded leaf. Increasing the photoperiod from 8 to 16 h stimulated all measured growth parameters in both cultivars. However, when the photoperiod was increased to 23.5 h, foliar yellowing and deformation were observed in the wild-type Ailsa Craig whereas no change was observed in pTOM13. It was not possible to relate these foliar changes in Ailsa Craig to destruction of the photosynthetic apparatus by excess carbohydrate levels in the leaves. Because pTOM13 was antisense to ACC-oxidase, it is proposed that yellowing and deformation in leaves of wild-type tomato plants grown under long photoperiods may be caused by stress ethylene induced by a long photoperiod.