EFFECT OF DAYLENGTH ON THE NITROGEN STATUS OF TIMOTHY (PHLEUM-PRATENSE L)

In two experiments timothy plants (Phleum pratense L., cultivars 'Bodin' and 'Grindstad', well established and vernalized in the first experiment and 7 weeks old in the second) were given daylength treatments with 12 h of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and day-lengthening light of low irradiance for from 2 to 13 weeks. Significant daylength effects on dry-matter, total nitrogen, nitrate and soluble protein content in the leaves of plants were demonstrated after only two weeks of treatment. The nitrogen and protein content decreased with increasing daylength, irrespective of the developmental stage of the plants. The dry-matter content increased with daylength when long days had induced generative development and decreased when all treatments at the same harvest were vegetative. The total nitrogen and protein per plant did not decrease from short to long days. The lower nitrogen and protein content in long days can therefore be regarded as a dilution caused by the increased dry-matter production found in these treatments. The observed effects of daylength on the ratio of assimilated nitrogen to assimilated carbon might be direct or indirect, since long days induce both enhanced dry-matter production and generative development in Bodin and Grindstad.