Preconditioning under high par of exposure to UV-A radiation both allow acclimation of the photosynthetic apparatus of barley transferred to UV-B radiation

The acclimation response of the barley photosynthetic apparatus was examined aft er transfer of plants grown under low and high PAR to common conditions both with the same PAR and acute dose of UV-A and/or UV-B radiation. The aim was to evaluate how PAR received during growth aff ects the induction of regulatory and protective mechanisms during UV exposure. Contrary to UV-B radiation, UV-A exposure of barley plants acclimated to low PAR had no negative impact on the function of photosynthetic apparatus. Th e UV-A spectral region we used (350–400 nm) can be eff ectively utilised in photosynthetic reactions, thus compensating low PAR. Th e presence of UV-A radiation during acclimation to simultaneous UVA and UVB treatment not only mitigated but completely eliminated any negative eff ect of UV-B radiation on the photosynthetic function. Th e eff ect of UV-A and UV-B exposure was similar in plants grown under high PAR – causing moderately enhanced photosystem II (PSII) photoinhibition. We proposed that the ability to accumulate a considerable amount of UVscreening compounds under high PAR itself contributes to the resistance of PSII to UV-B radiation