Technical Notes: The effect of light on adventitious root formation in blue grama

Abstract

Formation of adventitious roots in blue grama seedlings requires that the node between the subcoleoptile and the coleoptile be exposed to light at the 3-leaf or later stages of development. Thus, adventitious root formation will occur only at or near the soil surface. With continuous light, the subcoleoptile approximated zero length, but for those developed in darkness the usual length was about 1 cm. Under usual range conditions, the time between germination and the 3-leaf stage of development is such that it is rare that both of these events will occur with moist soil conditions, and seedling survival will be infrequent.