Lesson
14 of 15
Translate

🌻Photoperiodism and Vernalisation — How Day Length and Temperature Control Flowering

Short day, long day, and day neutral plants, phytochrome system, night break experiments, vernalisation, and kharif vs rabi crop classification with comparison tables and exam mnemonics

From Field to Lab — Why Rice Flowers in October and Wheat in March

In the previous lesson, we studied the five major plant hormones that control growth, dormancy, and ripening. But hormones do not act in isolation — they respond to environmental signals. The two most powerful external signals that trigger flowering are day length (photoperiod) and temperature (vernalisation). This lesson explains how plants sense these signals and translate them into the decision to flower.

Indian farmers have known for centuries that rice (a kharif crop) flowers during the short days of September-October, while wheat (a rabi crop) flowers during the lengthening days of February-March. But why? The answer lies in photoperiodism — the plant’s ability to measure day length (or more precisely, the length of the uninterrupted dark period) and use it as a signal to initiate flowering. Understanding photoperiodism explains why crops cannot be arbitrarily shifted between seasons and why certain varieties perform differently at different latitudes.

This lesson covers:

  1. Photoperiodism — definition, Garner and Allard’s discovery
  2. Three plant categories — Short Day Plants (kharif), Long Day Plants (rabi), Day Neutral Plants
  3. Night break experiments — how red light interrupts the dark period
  4. Phytochrome system — Pr/Pfr interconversion as the molecular clock
  5. Vernalisation — cold-induced flowering, Lysenko, devernalisation
  6. Photoperiodism vs vernalisation — comparison for exams

This is a very high-yield topic — expect MCQs on SDP/LDP examples, night break effects, and vernalisation details.


What is Photoperiodism?

Photoperiodism is the physiological response of plants to the relative length of light (day) and dark (night) periods. It is the mechanism by which plants synchronise their flowering with the most favourable season.

  • Term coined by Garner and Allard (1920)
  • Discovered through experiments with Maryland Mammoth tobacco and soybeans at USDA
  • Phototropism (growth toward light) is a different concept — do not confuse
Diagram comparing the light and dark period requirements for short day plants, long day plants, and day neutral plants with critical day length marked
Photoperiod requirements of SDP, LDP, and DNP — note that the critical factor is the length of the uninterrupted dark period, not the light period

IMPORTANT

The critical factor is NOT the length of the day but the length of the uninterrupted dark period. Short day plants are actually “long night plants” and long day plants are actually “short night plants”.


Three Categories of Plants

Based on their photoperiod response, plants fall into three categories. This classification directly maps to Indian agricultural seasons — SDP crops are kharif, LDP crops are rabi, and DNP crops can be grown in any season.

1. Short Day Plants (SDP) — Actually “Long Night Plants”

FeatureDetail
Light requirement8–10 hours of light
Dark requirement14–16 hours of continuous dark
Critical factorUninterrupted dark period must exceed critical length
Season in IndiaKharif (rainy season)
Night break effectRed light (660–665 nm) during dark period prevents flowering

Examples: Rice, Jowar (Sorghum), Pearl millet, Soybean, Sesame, Green gram, Black gram, Niger, Tobacco, Cowpea, Chrysanthemum, Xanthium (Cocklebur), Sugarcane — generally kharif crops

TIP

Xanthium (Cocklebur) is the classic experimental SDP — it requires only one single long night to be induced to flower, making it the standard plant for photoperiodism research.

Night break in SDP:

  • If the dark period is broken by a flash of red light (660 nm) → SDP will NOT flower
  • The night break is most effective during the middle of the dark period
  • Prolonging the continuous dark period initiates early flowering

2. Long Day Plants (LDP) — Actually “Short Night Plants”

FeatureDetail
Light requirement14–16 hours of light
Dark requirementShort or none
Critical factorLong dark periods inhibit flowering
Season in IndiaRabi (winter season — flowers in spring as days lengthen)
Night break effectRed light during dark period promotes flowering

Examples: Wheat, Barley, Oat, Sugarbeet, Spinach, Radish, Lettuce, Castor, Rapeseed-Mustardgenerally rabi crops

TIP

Night break has opposite effects: In SDP, it prevents flowering. In LDP, it promotes flowering. This is because it effectively breaks a long night into two short nights — satisfying LDP requirements but disrupting SDP requirements.


3. Day Neutral Plants (DNP)

FeatureDetail
Light requirementFlower in all photoperiods (5–24 hours)
Flowering triggerBased on age/developmental stage, not day length
SeasonAny season

Examples: Cotton, Sunflower, Safflower, Maize, Tomato, Cucumber, Balsam


Master Comparison Table — SDP vs LDP vs DNP

FeatureSDP (Long Night Plants)LDP (Short Night Plants)DNP
Light required8–10 hours14–16 hours5–24 hours
Dark required14–16 hours (continuous)Short or noneAny
Night break effectInhibits floweringPromotes floweringNo effect
Season (India)KharifRabiAny
Critical factorLong uninterrupted nightShort night (long day)Age/development
ExamplesRice, Soybean, JowarWheat, Barley, MustardCotton, Sunflower
Effective light for night breakRed (660 nm)Red (660 nm)

TIP

Mnemonic — “Short days, Kharif crops; Long days, Rabi crops”:

  • SDP = Kharif (Rice, Jowar, Soybean, Millet)
  • LDP = Rabi (Wheat, Barley, Mustard, Oat)
  • DNP = Any season (Cotton, Sunflower, Safflower)

Important Terms

The molecular mechanism behind photoperiodism centres on phytochrome, a light-sensitive pigment that acts as the plant’s internal clock. Understanding the Pr/Pfr system explains why red light night breaks work and why the dark period — not the light period — is what truly matters.

TermDefinition
Critical Period / Critical Day LengthThe photoperiod threshold for flowering. SDP flower when days are shorter than this; LDP flower when days are longer
PhotoperiodThe favourable day length for a particular plant
PhytochromeThe light-receptor pigment that measures day/night length
Pr (P660)Red-absorbing form of phytochrome → converts to Pfr upon absorbing red light
Pfr (P730)Far-red absorbing form → the active form that triggers responses
FlorigenHypothetical flowering hormone (proposed by Chailakhyan, 1936)

Phytochrome System

FormAbsorbsConverts ToPresent In
Pr (P660)Red light (660 nm)→ PfrDarkness (predominant at night)
Pfr (P730)Far-red light (730 nm)→ PrLight (predominant during day)
  • Pfr is the active form that triggers biological responses
  • In SDP: High Pfr (from red night break) inhibits flowering
  • In LDP: High Pfr promotes flowering

IMPORTANT

The phytochrome system is the molecular clock that plants use to measure night length. Red light converts Pr → Pfr; during long dark periods, Pfr slowly converts back to Pr. This Pfr/Pr ratio is what the plant “reads” to decide whether to flower.


Vernalisation — Cold Treatment for Flowering

While photoperiodism uses light as the flowering signal, some plants require a period of cold before they can flower. This is especially important for winter cereals and biennial crops that must “experience” winter before transitioning to the reproductive phase.

Vernalisation is the promotion of flowering by exposure to low temperature (0–5°C) during the seedling stage or seed imbibition stage.

FeatureDetail
Term coined byLysenko (Soviet scientist)
Temperature0–5°C for several weeks
Applied toImbibed seeds or young seedlings
Site of perceptionShoot apex (meristem)
StimulusPerceived by dividing cells at the growing point

Crops Requiring Vernalisation

Crop TypeExamplesAgricultural Significance
Winter cerealsWinter wheat, winter barley, winter ryeMust be sown in autumn to experience winter cold
Biennial cropsCabbage, carrot, sugarbeet, turnipNeed cold period between vegetative and flowering phases

TIP

Vernalisation can be replaced by gibberellins in some crops — GA₃ application can substitute for cold treatment and induce flowering. This is useful in tropical regions where natural vernalisation conditions do not exist.

Devernalisation

Exposure to high temperature (30–35°C) immediately after vernalisation can reverse the effect — this is called devernalisation.


Comparison — Photoperiodism vs Vernalisation

Both photoperiodism and vernalisation are environmental signals that control flowering, but they differ in the type of stimulus, the organ that perceives it, and the hypothetical signal molecule. This comparison is a frequent MCQ topic.

FeaturePhotoperiodismVernalisation
StimulusDay/night length (light)Low temperature (cold)
Perceived byLeaves (phytochrome in leaf cells)Shoot apex (meristem)
Signal moleculeFlorigen (hypothetical)Vernalin (hypothetical)
Can be substituted byNight break (red light)Gibberellins
Reversed byChanging photoperiodDevernalisation (high temperature)
ExamplesKharif vs Rabi cropsWinter wheat, cabbage, sugarbeet

Summary Table — Key Facts at a Glance

FactAnswer
Term “photoperiodism” coined byGarner and Allard (1920)
Critical factor in SDPLength of uninterrupted dark period
SDP light requirement8–10 hours
LDP light requirement14–16 hours
Night break in SDPPrevents flowering
Night break in LDPPromotes flowering
Effective night break lightRed (660 nm)
SDP = which seasonKharif
LDP = which seasonRabi
SDP examplesRice, Soybean, Jowar, Sesame
LDP examplesWheat, Barley, Mustard, Oat
DNP examplesCotton, Sunflower, Safflower
Active phytochrome formPfr (P730)
Florigen proposed byChailakhyan (1936)
Vernalisation coined byLysenko
Vernalisation temperature0–5°C
Vernalisation perceived atShoot apex
Vernalisation substituteGibberellins (GA₃)
Devernalisation byHigh temperature (30–35°C)
Xanthium needsOne long night to flower
ThermoperiodismResponse of plants to alternating day/night temperatures; coined by F. Went

NOTE

This lesson concludes the Plant Growth chapter. You have now covered growth definition, measurement, phases, growth rates, all five plant hormones, growth retardants, photoperiodism, phytochrome, and vernalisation — a complete foundation for plant physiology questions in competitive exams.

Summary Cheat Sheet

FactAnswer
Photoperiodism coined byGarner and Allard (1920)
Experimental plant for photoperiodism discoveryMaryland Mammoth tobacco and soybeans
Critical factor in photoperiodismLength of uninterrupted dark period, not light
SDP are actuallyLong night plants
SDP light requirement8–10 hours
SDP dark requirement14–16 hours continuous
LDP light requirement14–16 hours
SDP season in IndiaKharif
LDP season in IndiaRabi
SDP crop examplesRice, Jowar, Soybean, Sesame, Pearl millet
LDP crop examplesWheat, Barley, Oat, Mustard, Spinach
DNP crop examplesCotton, Sunflower, Safflower
Night break effect on SDPPrevents (inhibits) flowering
Night break effect on LDPPromotes flowering
Effective wavelength for night breakRed light — 660 nm
Classic experimental SDPXanthium (Cocklebur) — needs only one long night
Light-receptor pigment in plantsPhytochrome
Active form of phytochromePfr (P730)
Pr absorbs and converts toAbsorbs red light (660 nm) → converts to Pfr
Pfr absorbs and converts toAbsorbs far-red light (730 nm) → converts to Pr
Florigen proposed byChailakhyan (1936)
Vernalisation coined byLysenko
Vernalisation temperature0–5°C for several weeks
Site of vernalisation perceptionShoot apex (meristem)
Vernalisation can be substituted byGibberellins (GA₃)
Devernalisation caused byHigh temperature (30–35°C)
Photoperiodism perceived byLeaves (phytochrome in leaf cells)
Vernalisation signal moleculeVernalin (hypothetical)
Thermoperiodism coined byF. Went
Crops requiring vernalisationWinter wheat, winter barley, cabbage, sugarbeet
🔐

Pro Content Locked

Upgrade to Pro to access this lesson and all other premium content.

Pro Popular
199 /mo

₹2388 billed yearly

  • All Agriculture & Banking Courses
  • AI Lesson Questions (100/day)
  • AI Doubt Solver (50/day)
  • Glows & Grows Feedback (30/day)
  • AI Section Quiz (20/day)
  • 22-Language Translation (30/day)
  • Recall Questions (20/day)
  • AI Quiz (15/day)
  • AI Quiz Paper Analysis
  • AI Step-by-Step Explanations
  • Spaced Repetition Recall (FSRS)
  • AI Tutor
  • Immersive Text Questions
  • Audio Lessons — Hindi & English
  • Mock Tests & Previous Year Papers
  • Summary & Mind Maps
  • XP, Levels, Leaderboard & Badges
  • Generate New Classrooms
  • Voice AI Teacher (AgriDots Live)
  • AI Revision Assistant
  • Knowledge Gap Analysis
  • Interactive Revision (LangGraph)

🔒 Secure via Razorpay · Cancel anytime · No hidden fees

Lesson Doubts

Ask questions, get expert answers

Lesson Doubts is a Pro feature.Upgrade