ﺑﺮ اﺳﺎس ﻧﺘﺎﯾﺞ ﺗﺤﻘﯿﻖ ﺟﺪﯾﺪ اﻧﺠﺎم ﺷﺪه در داﻧﺸﮕﺎه ﻟﻨﮑﺴﺘﺮ، اﻧﮕﻠﺴﺘﺎن، از ﻃﺮﯾﻖ اﻓﺰاﯾﺶ ﮐﺎرآﺋﯽ ﺗﺒﺪﯾﻞ اﻧﺮژي ﺧﻮرﺷﯿﺪي ﺑﻪ ﻣﻮاد ﻏﺬاﯾﯽ در ﮔﯿﺎه، ﻋﻤﻠﮑﺮد ﻣﺤﺼﻮﻻﺗﯽ ﻣﺜﻞ ﮔﻨﺪم را ﻣﯽﺗﻮان ﺗﺎ 21 درﺻﺪ ﺑﺎﻻ ﺑﺮد. زﻧﺠﯿﺮه ﻏﺬاﯾﯽ واﺑﺴﺘﻪ ﺑﻪ ﻣﯿﺰان ﻣﺼﺮف اﻧﺮژي ﺧﻮرﺷﯿﺪي ﺗﻮﺳﻂ ﮔﯿﺎﻫﺎن ﺑﺮاي ﺗﺒﺪﯾﻞ دي-اﮐﺴﯿﺪﮐﺮﺑﻦ ﺑﻪ ﻣﻮاد ﻏﺬاﯾﯽ اﺳﺖ و اﯾﻦ ﻓﺮاﯾﻨﺪ ﻓﺘﻮﺳﻨﺘﺰ ﻧﺎم دارد. زﻣﺎﻧﯽ ﮐﻪ ﺑﺮگﻫﺎ ﭘﺲ از ﻗﺮار ﮔﺮﻓﺘﻦ در ﺳﺎﯾﻪ در ﻣﻌﺮض ﺗﺎﺑﺶ ﻧﻮر ﻗﺮار ﻣﯽﮔﯿﺮﻧﺪ، ﺑﺮاي رﺳﯿﺪن ﻣﯿﺰان ﻓﺘﻮﺳﻨﺘﺰ ﺑﻪ ﺣﺪاﮐﺜﺮ ﮐﺎرآﺋﯽ، ﻣﺪﺗﯽ زﻣﺎن ﻣﯽﺑﺮد. ﺑﺪﯾﻦ ﻣﻌﻨﯽ ﮐﻪ در اﯾﻦ ﻓﺎﺻﻠﻪ زﻣﺎﻧﯽ اﻧﺮژي ﺑﺎارزش ﺧﻮرﺷﯿﺪي ﻫﺪر رﻓﺘﻪ و ﺳﺒﺐ ﮐﺎﻫﺶ ﺑﻬﺮه وري ﮔﯿﺎه ﻣﯽ ﺷﻮد. اﻣﺎ ﺗﺎﮐﻨﻮن ﻣﯿﺰان اﯾﻦ ﮐﺎﻫﺶ ﺑﺼﻮرت ﮐﻤّﯽ ﻣﺤﺎﺳﺒﻪ ﻧﺸﺪه ﺑﻮد. ﺑﺎ اﺳﺘﻔﺎده آﻧﺎﻟﯿﺰور ﻣﺎدون ﻗﺮﻣﺰ ﮔﺎزي در اﺗﺎﻗﮑﯽ ﺑﺎ ﺷﺮاﯾﻂ ﻣﺤﯿﻄﯽ ﮐﻨﺘﺮل ﺷﺪه، ﻣﺤﻘﻘﺎن اﯾﻦ داﻧﺸﮕﺎه ﻣﻮﻓﻖ ﺑﻪ ﺷﺒﯿﻪ ﺳﺎزي ﺗﺎﺑﺶ ﻧﺎﮔﻬﺎﻧﯽ ﻧﻮر ﺑﻪ ﮔﯿﺎه ﭘﺲ از ﻗﺮار ﮔﺮﻓﺘﻦ آن در ﺳﺎﯾﻪ ﺷﺪﻧﺪ و زﻣﺎن ﻻزم ﺑﺮاي ﮐﺎرآﺋﯽ ﻣﺎﮐﺰﯾﻤﻢ ﻓﺘﻮﺳﻨﺘﺰ را اﻧﺪازه ﮔﯿﺮي ﮐﺮدﻧﺪ. آﻧﻬﺎ درﯾﺎﻓﺘﻨﺪ ﺣﺪود 15 دﻗﯿﻘﻪ ﻃﻮل ﻣﯽ ﮐﺸﺪ ﺗﺎ ﮐﺎرآﺋﯽ ﻓﺘﻮﺳﻨﺘﺰ ﺑﻪ ﺣﺪاﮐﺜﺮ ﻣﯿﺰان ﺧﻮد ﺑﺮﺳﺪ و ﻣﺤﺎﺳﺒﻪ ﮐﺮدﻧﺪ در اﯾﻦ ﻓﺎﺻﻠﻪ زﻣﺎﻧﯽ، ﻣﯿﺰان ﮐﺎﻫﺶ دي اﮐﺴﯿﺪ ﮐﺮﺑﻦ ﺟﺬب ﺷﺪه ﻣﻌﺎدل اﻓﺰاﯾﺶ 21 درﺻﺪي در ﻋﻤﻠﮑﺮد ﻧﻬﺎﺋﯽ ﮔﻨﺪم ﻣﯽ ﺗﻮاﻧﺪ ﺑﺎﺷﺪ.
Crops such as wheat could be up to 21% more efficient at turning the sun’s energy into food, according to new research by Lancaster University. The food chain relies on plants using sunlight to turn carbon dioxide from the air into food. This process, known as photosynthesis, is essential for plants to grow, including crops like wheat.
However, when a leaf returns to full sunlight after a period in the shade, it takes some time for photosynthesis to regain peak efficiency, meaning valuable energy from the sun is wasted. This clearly reduces crop productivity, but until now, the scale of the issue had not been experimentally quantified.
Using infra-red gas analysers connected to a miniature controlled environment chamber, Dr Samuel Taylor and Professor Steve Long, at the Lancaster Environment Centre (LEC) simulated a sudden increase in sunlight following shade, and measured the time it took for the plant to regain its maximum photosynthesis efficiency and take full advantage of the extra energy from light. They found it took about 15 minutes for photosynthesis to reach maximum efficiency. Based on the light fluctuations that would occur in a wheat crop, they then calculated how much less carbon dioxide the crop was absorbing over the course of a day because of this slow adjustment. The surprising result was 21%.
