Plant Responses to Light: A Potential Tool for Weed Management

Light regulates many facets of plant growth and development through the effects of quantity of total energy and of photons, spectral quality, duration, and photoperiod. Numerous techniques and types of equipment are available for quantifying light in plant canopies. The effect of total quantity of light on weed and crop productivity has been described for many cropping systems. Recent work has focused on other aspects of light, in particular, spectral distribution of light (quality), transient light (sunflecks), and plant adaptation to changing light environments. The altered spectral quality of light in a plant canopy affects plant growth and morphology, which in turn affect competition for light. Dynamic plant response to transient light is also important to canopy photosynthesis and productivity. Plant physiological and morphological adaptation to fluctuating light is another potential factor regulating weed/crop interactions. Current cropping practices such as using smother crops and narrow row spacing exploit plant light responses to promote crop growth and suppress weed growth. A better understanding of plant responses to light quality, transient light, and fluctuating light environments will lead to a better understanding of how to manipulate the light environment in crop canopies to improve weed management.