Evidence for Absence of Diurnal Variation of Chlorophyll Content in Mature Leaves of Soybean

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The chlorophyll contents in nonexpanding leaves of soybean were measured at 2-hour intervals during a 24-hour period. The method of sampling involved a relatively large number of samples and gave a standard error of 0.6% in the measurements of the time means. The results support the conclusion that the chlorophyll content of non- expanding (mature) soybean leaves under greenhouse conditions does not fluctuate significantly during a 24-hour period. The physiological significance of this finding is discussed. The importance of inherent biological variability in measurements of chlorophyll changes in leaves is emphasized.