Dear Colleagues,

Years of evolution under solar radiation have led plants to develop fine regulation systems involving many photoreceptors, signal transduction pathways, and intracellular responses in order to survive and acclimate to the ever-changing solar conditions. Light plays a key role in plants’ lifespan, affecting several physiological and biochemical processes, e.g., photosynthesis and photomorphogenesis. Irradiance, wavelength, and exposure time are major factors modulating diverse processes, from seed germination to plant growth, flowering, and fruit formation, and also have a profound influence on the nutritional–nutraceutical qualities of plant food. The reaction of plants or fruits towards a specific radiation might largely differ not only from species to species but also among cultivars, thus inducing either acclimation or stress responses. Moreover, exposure to distinct radiations might trigger defensive mechanisms in the exposed plants, changing their susceptibility towards both biotic and abiotic stressors. Recent evidence has also shown that not only directly exposed organs or tissues but also light-screened plant portions can perceive and/or respond to visible and ultraviolet radiation due to signaling mechanisms still partially unknown.

This Special Issue of Plants aims to highlight the fascinating role of light radiations in plant life from diverse perspectives, from perception to specific functions or processes, from gene expression to plant–environment interactions, without forgetting the exploitation of specific wavelengths to improve plant yield or to design plant foods enriched in health-promoting compounds.

Dr. Antonella Castagna
Dr. Marco Santin
Guest Editors

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• visible light
• ultraviolet radiation
• photoreceptors
• signaling
• photomorphogenesis
• plant growth
• primary and secondary metabolism
• hormones
• food quality

• The Multifaceted Responses of Plants to Visible and Ultraviolet Radiation in Plants (13 articles)

Title: Wavelength and Light Intensity Affect Macro and Micronutrient Uptake, Stomata Number and Plant Morphology of Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)
Authors: P.M.C. Bueno; W.A. Vendrame
Affiliation: 1 Instituto Federal do Paraná - Campus Palmas, Palmas, PR, Brazil; 2 University of Florida, Environmental Horticulture Department, Gainesville, FL, USA