soybeans and light

[John S-B]

I read in the paper today that a farmer tried to sue the Oh. DOT because the light from the highway lights stunted the growth of about 7 acres. (They're the real tall tower lights) I've never heard of this, any of you guys heard about this kind of thing?

 

[Rich Va]

Photo period. It confuses the plants.

 

[Anonymous-0]

High pressure sodium vapor lights do confuse trees too.

Year before last, I noticed beans under street lights at the edge of town stayed green weeks longer than the rest of the field. I didn't check to see if the pods filled the same or if the pods dried down to be harvested with the rest.

Gerald J.

 

[NEsota]

There was a Pagoda Dogwood Bush, growing in my backyard. This is named pagoda because it develops horizontally, with a shelf like appearance, typically with two or three shelves. After the city installed an over-head sodium light the bush forgot about growing shelves and sent up vertical branches. The sodium light had a wave length that affected the growth. We did not notice other plants being affected. This light was about 30 feet from the bush.

 

[Paul from MI]

Street lights definitely affect soybeans. Street lights on the highway in front of my Dad's farm on OH would make the beans stay green for a week or two after the rest of the field dropped leaves. The pattern was very noticeable, in a half circle around each light. Can't remember what kind of lights they were, probably mercury-vapor.
Paul

 

[paul]

Northern beans are affected by this more than southern beans. Up here they don't know when to stop growing - normally they are triggered to shut down when the days get shorter.

Saw that next to a car dealership here, circles of green beans under the lights. They never dry down.

--->Paul

 

[rrlund]

Not quite the same,but a blueberry grower here in Michigan sued the DOT because road salt was killing his bushes. He won. The state is appealing,naturally.