Persisent circadian rhythms in carbon assimilation, stomatal conductance and soluble carbohydrate concentration were investigated during grain filling period in rice plant transferred from a natural photoperiod to constant conditions. A weak rhythm in...
Persisent circadian rhythms in carbon assimilation, stomatal conductance and soluble carbohydrate concentration were investigated during grain filling period in rice plant transferred from a natural photoperiod to constant conditions. A weak rhythm in photosynthesis, measured as carbon assimilation, and stomatal opening, as conductance to water vapor, with a period of approximately 24-hours, occurred under constant condition. Carbon assimilation and stomatal conductance reached maximum values near noon and minimum values near midnight during the early stage (until 72-hour) after transferring to constant condition, and then the amplitude and phase were changed slowly, the rhythms with little damping, reaching maximum values near midnight and minimum values near noon during 96~120-hours after transferring. However, photosynthesis in plants grown for 14days after anthesis under constant moderate light(day and night) did not oscillated in constant condition unlike plants grown under a cycle of light and darkness. These phenomenon was observed in soluble carbohydrate concentration in flag leaves as well. Evidences from several approaches indicate that endogenous rhythms of $CO_2$ assimilation, stomatal conductance and soluble carbohydrate concentration are closely couped with each other and particularly important to plants, which depend on the natural day-night cycle as a external signal.