A new study by Dorthe H.Larsen, Leo F.M. Marcelis, Diederick van Kempen, Wouter Kohlen, Celine C.S. Nicole, and Ernst J. Wolteringae showed that Far-red light during cultivation improves post-harvest chilling tolerance in basil.
Abstract
Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is a temperature-sensitive plant and suffers from chilling injury (CI), especially during post-harvest storage.
We investigated the effect of additional far-red light (FR) during cultivation at two temperatures on post-harvest chilling tolerance. Basil was cultivated under red-white Light Emitting Diodes (LED) at 25 °C.
During the last three weeks before harvest, plants were maintained at a high temperature (25 ºC) or exposed to a low temperature (15 ºC). Furthermore, plants were exposed to additional FR (180 µmol m−2 s−1) for different durations (0, 1, or 3 weeks). After harvest, leaves were stored at 4 and 12 ºC in darkness.
Overall visual quality and maximum quantum yield of PS II (Fv/Fm) as indicators of chilling injury were monitored every third day for 15 days. Abscisic acid (ABA) and jasmonic acid (JA), carbohydrates, and antioxidants were measured at harvest, and after 9 days of storage at 4 °C. Additional FR improved the chilling tolerance at both cultivation temperatures. Cultivation temperature had no effect on post-harvest chilling tolerance. Hormone levels in basil leaves at harvest were not affected by FR.
This indicates that ABA and JA are not involved in the development of FR-induced chilling tolerance in basil. FR had no effect on the levels of antioxidants at harvest, whereas the levels of soluble sugars and starch increased under additional FR. The positive effect of adding FR during cultivation on chilling tolerance in basil may be due to the increase in soluble sugars and starch.
Click here to access the study at Science Direct.
