THIS PROJECT WILL INVESTIGATE BIOMASS PRODUCTION AT LOW TEMPERATURES THROUGH DETAILED STUDIES OF BOTH PHYSIOLOGICAL PROCESSES AND THEIR BIOCHEMICAL BASIS. INTER- AND INTRA-SPECIFIC DIFFERENCES IN PHYSIOLOGICAL PROCESSES, SUCH AS LEAF GROWTH AND PHOTOSYNTHETIC PERFORMANCE, WILL BE EXAMINED USING A WIDE RANGE OF TECHNICAL APPROACHES INCLUDING CONVENTIONAL GAS-EXCHANGE, RADIOTRACER STUDIES, TLC, GC AND HPLC TECHNIQUES AND CELL SIZING AND COUNTING.

CURRENT WORK SEEKS TO ESTABLISH THE APPROPRIATE CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT EQUIPMENT, IN WHICH TO GROW CONTRASTED MATERIAL AT WELL-DEFINED TEMPERATURES IN THE RANGE 2-15 CELSIUS DEGREES. THE EQUIPMENT WHICH HAS BEEN OR IS BEING CONSTRUCTED AND TESTED INCLUDES TEMPERATURE GRADIENT APPARATUS WITH WHICH THE RESPONSE OF PLANT GROWTH TO TEMPERATURE MAY BE RESOLVED TO C.1 CELSIUS DEGREE. SMALL (1 SQ.M) PLANT CHAMBERS FOR GROWING MATERIAL FOR PHYSIOLOGICAL STUDIES ARE BEING CONSTRUCTED AND WISCONSIN TANKS (FOR CONTROL OF SOIL AND ROOT TEMPERATURES) ARE BEING TESTED; BOTH CAN BE USED OVER MUCH OF THIS TEMPERATURE RANGE.