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Impacts of ambient solar uv (280-400 nm) radiation on three tropical legumes

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Abstract

Tropical regions receive the highest level of global solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation especially UV-B (280-320 nm). The average daily dose of the UV-B radiation in Madurai, South India (10°N) is 10 kJ m-2. This is approximately 50% more than the average daily UV-B radiation in many European countries. A field study was conducted using selective filters to remove either the UV-B (< 320 nm) or UV-B/A (<400 nm) of the solar spectrum, and the effects were followed inCyamopsis tetragonoloba, Vigna mungo, andVigna radiata to determine their sensitivity to UV. When compared to ambient radiation, exclusion of solar UV-B increased the seedling height, leaf area, fresh weight and dry weight and the crop yield by 50% in the case ofCyamopsis, and the extent of such increase was slightly less under UV-B/A exclusion. InV. mungo a significant reduction was seen in solar UV excluded plants whileV. radiata was found to be unaffected.

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Correspondence to Muthukrishnan Jayakumar.

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Amudha, P., Jayakumar, M. & Kulandaivelu, G. Impacts of ambient solar uv (280-400 nm) radiation on three tropical legumes. J. Plant Biol. 48, 284–291 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03030524

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