Annals of Botany

🌱 Take-home message: Far-red light, particularly during early growth stages, can promote lettuce biomass by improving canopy expansion and photosynthesis, without compromising nutritional quality. (10/10)

👉 doi.org/qt8r

#AoBpapers #FarRed #LettuceResearch #Photosynthesis #Anthocyanins

Figure showing overall comparison of growth and nutritional quality under different light treatments. (A) The radar plot compares four lighting strategies: 1. White light only, 2. White light followed by far-red light, 3. Far-red light followed by white light, and 4. White plus far-red light throughout the experiment. The chart summarizes how each treatment affected several traits, including plant growth (fresh weight and leaf area) and nutritional compounds such as chlorophyll, carotenoids, anthocyanins, and vitamin C (ascorbic acid). These traits are grouped into two main categories: overall plant growth and phytochemical content.

Why this matters for plant factories? In controlled environment agriculture, light is a major cost. Strategically adding far-red, especially during early growth, may:
✅ Increase biomass
✅ Improve canopy architecture
✅ Maintain high anthocyanin levels
✅ Enhance photosynthetic performance (9/10)

Figure showing the expression of genes involved in red pigment production under different light treatments. This figure shows the activity of key genes responsible for anthocyanin production (the pigments that give red lettuce its color) in fresh leaves collected five weeks after sowing. Plants were grown under four lighting conditions: 1. White light only, 2. White light followed by far-red light, 3. Far-red light followed by white light, and 4. White plus far-red light throughout. Different capital letters indicate treatments that were significantly different from one another (statistical test, p ≤ 0.05). Bars show the variability among plants (standard error, n = 10).

🍷What about quality? Anthocyanins, responsible for the red color and antioxidant properties, were highest in plants grown under white light and those that had early FR. Importantly, early FR did not reduce these functional compounds. (8/10)

Figure with four panels showing light conditions and photosynthesis measurements in lettuce. (A) Spectrum of the white light used for plant growth. (B) Spectrum of the white plus far-red light treatment. Spectra are shown both with and without the clear measurement chamber placed on top of the plants. Four weeks after the treatments began, researchers measured: (C) The rate at which plants absorbed carbon dioxide (a measure of photosynthesis). (D) Stomatal conductance, which reflects how open the leaf pores were and how easily gases moved in and out of the leaves. Bars show the variability among plants (standard error, n = 4–5).

☀️Key result #3: Photosynthesis response. Interestingly, plants grown without continuous FR could still ramp up CO₂ assimilation when FR was added during measurement. This suggests lettuce can dynamically respond to far-red light. (7/10)

Figure showing how different light treatments changed lettuce shape and growth. (A) Top view and (B) side view of red leaf lettuce grown under four lighting conditions: white light only, white light followed by white plus far-red light, white plus far-red light followed by white light, and white plus far-red light throughout the experiment. Photos were taken 3, 4, and 5 weeks after the treatments began. The images show clear differences in plant shape. Lettuce grown with far-red light developed larger leaves and a fuller, more expanded canopy compared to plants grown under white light alone.

Key result #2: Bigger canopies. Continuous FR and early FR treatments led to greater canopy expansion. A larger canopy = better light capture = more photosynthesis potential. (6/10)

Figure with eight panels showing how lettuce growth changed depending on the light treatment and the stage of development. (A–B) Fresh weight of the shoots (the above-ground parts of the plant) during weeks 1–4 and weeks 5–6. (C–D) Dry weight of the shoots during weeks 1–4 and weeks 5–6. (E–F) Total leaf area during weeks 1–4 and weeks 5–6. (G–H) Specific leaf area (a measure of leaf thickness and density) during weeks 1–4 and weeks 5–6. Bars show the variability among plants (standard error, n = 5–10). Different capital letters indicate when treatments were significantly different from each other at a given time point (statistical test, p ≤ 0.05).

🌿Key result #1: More biomass. Plants receiving far-red light, especially during early growth, produced more shoot dry weight than plants under white light alone. Timing mattered, but FR clearly boosted growth. (5/10)

The big question. Does when you add far-red light matter? And can you increase biomass without losing valuable compounds like anthocyanins (those red health-promoting pigments)? (4/10)

A student managing lettuce cultivation in an LED-based plant factory at the University of Tokyo.

The experiment.Researchers grew red leaf lettuce (Lactuca sativa ‘Red Fire’) for 6 weeks under four lighting strategies:

💡 White light only
💡 White → late FR
💡 Early FR → white
💡 White + FR the whole time
All in a commercial plant factory using LEDs. (3/10)

Figure showing lighting treatments used in the experiment. (A) Plants were grown under four different light schedules. Each treatment included 16 hours of light followed by 8 hours of darkness: White light only for 6 weeks (control). White light for 4 weeks, then white plus far-red light for 2 weeks. White plus far-red light for 4 weeks, followed by white light only for 2 weeks. White plus far-red light for the full 6 weeks. (B) The spectrum of the white LED light used in the experiment (5000K). This light provided the standard level of photosynthetically active radiation needed for plant growth. (C) The spectrum of the white plus far-red treatment. In this case, plants received the same amount of white light as the control, with additional far-red light added on top.

Why far-red light? Light isn’t just energy for plants, it also shapes how they grow. Far-red (FR) radiation has gained attention because it can expand plant canopies, helping crops capture more light and potentially increase yield. (2/10)

Far-red light in early growth stages boosts lettuce biomass and preserves anthocyanins

🌿Just published in @annbot.bsky.social : “Far-red light in early growth stages boosts lettuce biomass and preserves anthocyanins” by Christopher Levine and co-authors. 🧵(1/10)

👉 doi.org/qt8r

#AoBpapers #PlantFactory #LEDLighting #FarRed #LettuceResearch #Photosynthesis #Anthocyanins

C460- From Kranz to Crops: Celebrating 60 Years of C4 Discovery and Innovation

23-25 July 2026 at Lancaster University, UK

Generously funded by @annbot.bsky.social , @newphyt.bsky.social, @plantspeopleplanet.bsky.social, @westsyduhie.bsky.social and others! 🧪🌱

registration.lancaster.ac.uk/C460

🎉🆕📰🎉: Evolutionary history of Australian samphires (Salicornieae, Amaranthaceae)
doi.org/10.1093/aob/...

#PlantScience

♻️🆓: Variations in wood anatomy in Afrotropical trees with a particular emphasis on radial and axial parenchyma
doi.org/10.1093/aob/...

#PlantScience

✅📄Now Free Access: Species that require long-day conditions to flower are not advancing their flowering phenology as fast as species without photoperiod requirements
Get the Paper: doi.org/10.1093/aob/...

🎉🆕📰🎉: Phylogenetics and evolution of Digitaria grasses, including cereal crops fonio, raishan and Polish millet
doi.org/10.1093/aob/...

#PlantScience

✅📄Now Free Access: Flowering time responses to warming drive reproductive fitness in a changing Arctic
Get the Paper: doi.org/10.1093/aob/...

#PlantScience

🎉🆕📰🎉: Decoding a unique double flower pattern in herbaceous peony: insight into proliferate flower bud development
doi.org/10.1093/aob/...

#PlantScience

✅📄 Now Free Access: The effect of global change on the expression and evolution of floral traits
Get the Paper: doi.org/10.1093/aob/...

♻️🆓: Epiphytes as leading indicators of climate and other changes. A commentary on ‘Interactions of moisture and light drive lichen growth and the response to climate change scenarios – experimental evidence for Lobaria pulmonaria’
doi.org/10.1093/aob/...

♻️🆓: Plant kleptomaniacs: geographical genetic patterns in the amphi-apomictic Rubus ser. Glandulosi (Rosaceae) reveal complex reticulate evolution of Eurasian brambles
doi.org/10.1093/aob/...

#PlantScience

♻️🆓: Niche and phenotypic differentiation in fern hybrid speciation, a case study of Pteris fauriei (Pteridaceae)
doi.org/10.1093/aob/...

🎉🆕📰🎉: Exploring the role of β-1,3-glucanase in aerenchyma development in sugarcane roots
doi.org/10.1093/aob/...

#PlantScience

🎉🆕📰🎉: Morphological innovation and lineage-specific history drive disparification in the aggregated pollen of mimosoid plants
doi.org/10.1093/aob/...

#PlantScience

✅📄Now Free Access: Does pollination interact with the abiotic environment to affect plant reproduction?
Get the Paper: doi.org/10.1093/aob/...

Climate change may alter seed and seedling traits and shift germination and mortality patterns in alpine environments AbstractBackground and Aims. The early life-history stages of alpine plants are strongly influenced by climatic factors. Predicted changes in alpine climat

🙌 Don’t forget to read Jerónimo’s recent article doi.org/qs3t at @annbot.bsky.social and our related thread
👉 botany.fyi/x9pb3z

#AoBauthors #PlantScience #Botany (9/9)

What do people usually get wrong about plants? "Many people think that seeds only need water to germinate, as if you could simply bury a seed and a plant would immediately grow. However, seeds are more sophisticated than that. They respond to environmental signals such as temperature, light, winter chilling (cold stratification), moisture pulses, smoke or fire cues, soil chemistry and even signals from microbes or animals. Seeds essentially 'wait' for the right combination of conditions to ensure that they do not germinate at the wrong time, when seedlings would be unlikely to survive. This makes plant regeneration far more complex and interesting than it might seem."

What do people usually get wrong about plants? “Many people think that seeds only need water to germinate, as if you could simply bury a seed and a plant would immediately grow. However, seeds are more sophisticated than that.” (8/9)

What advice would you give young scientists considering a career in plant biology? "There are two things I would like to point out. Firstly, science is both a career and a community. Find mentors who can help you grow in a positive environment. Be generous with your collaborators and surround yourself with colleagues who are supportive and encourage your professional grow. Secondly, remember that plant biology is not just about academia/universities. Careers in NGOs, the public sector, or industry can be just as meaningful and rewarding. Some of the work that has given me the greatest personal satisfaction has involved collaborating with local communities on hands-on projects while working for NGOs. If you choose an academic career, don't worry if your path is non-linear. A scientific career does not have to follow a strict sequence from undergraduate studies to faculty positions. Staying flexible and following what genuinely interests you can lead to a more fulfilling and rewarding career."

What advice would you give young scientists considering a career in plant biology? “Firstly, science is both a career and a community. Find mentors who can help you grow in a positive environment…Secondly, remember that plant biology is not just about academia/universities.” (7/9)

Could you share an experience or anecdote from your work that has marked your career and reaffirmed your fascination with plants? "I have many stories like this, one of the perks of loving fieldwork and being easily impressed by plants. I could mention witnessing a massive bamboo (Olmeca recta) flowering event in the jungles of Mexico, finding Aboriginal rock art in the Australian outback while searching for native Sorghum, or joining expeditions where species new to science were discovered. Those are objectively cool. But the moment that truly convinced me I might belong in plant science happened during my undergraduate thesis fieldwork. I recorded Sedum minimum, a small stonecrop, in the alpine grasslands of Cofre de Perote Mtn. as a new species record for Veracruz State and eastern Mexico. I remember thinking, this looks unusual, keying it out, showing it to experts, and realising I had found something new for the region. It felt like a small but deeply satisfying personal milestone. You might argue that it is just a tiny plant found in a few other places, but it gave me a real confidence boost. After all, Humboldt and several other renowned botanists had visited that same site and missed it… and I didn’t. Sometimes botany is about discovering new species, and sometimes it is about noticing the small plants everyone else walked past."

Could you share an experience or anecdote from your work that has reaffirmed your fascination with plants? “I could mention witnessing a massive bamboo (Olmeca recta) flowering event in the jungles of Mexico, finding Aboriginal rock art in the Australian outback…” (6/9)

Are any specific plants or species that have intrigued or inspired your research? If so, what are they and why? "For some reason, conifers have always attracted me. This might be because I grew up surrounded by pines (Pinus montezumae and P. pseudostrobus) and cypresses (Cupressus lusitanica), or because, as a child, I was amazed by “El Árbol del Tule”, a Taxodium mucronatum individual in southern Mexico that is famous for having one of the largest trunk circumferences in the world (around 42 meters!). Later in my career, this interest deepened through my work on high-altitude pine forest restoration (Pinus hartwegii), the conservation of endangered conifers such as the Mexican yew (Taxus globosa) and Hickel’s fir (Abies hickelii), and studying the regeneration of the beautiful mountain plum-pine (Podocarpus lawrencei) in the Australian Alps. Conifers may not be the most fashionable plants, but their evolutionary history and ecological importance in the places I have worked make them particularly compelling study systems. And, admittedly, I also enjoy pine nuts."

Are any specific plants or species that have intrigued or inspired your research? “For some reason, conifers have always attracted me. This might be because I grew up surrounded by pines and cypresses or because, as a child, I was amazed by “El Árbol del Tule” (5/9)

What is your favourite part of your work related to plants? "That’s a difficult question, because I genuinely enjoy my work and feel lucky to do what I do. But if I had to choose one, it would be fieldwork. Being outdoors, observing plants in their natural environments, and experiencing firsthand the environmental conditions they are exposed to is incredibly rewarding. Every time I return from a field campaign, I come back with new questions and research ideas. Fieldwork is what sparks my curiosity and keeps my enthusiasm for science alive. That said, more recently, due to the nature of my research, I’ve also grown to appreciate laboratory work. I’ve learned that even large germination experiments, which can initially seem overwhelming with thousands of seeds and Petri dishes and feel repetitive (mostly counting seeds), can be surprisingly enjoyable while listening a good podcast or chatting with colleagues."

What is your favourite part of your work related to plants? “... if I had to choose one, it would be fieldwork. Being outdoors, observing plants in their natural environments…Every time I return from a field campaign, I come back with new questions and research ideas...” (4/9)