Day and night temperature differential (DIF) or the absence of far-red light alters cell elongation in 'Celebrity White' petunia

'Celebrity White' hybrid petunia plants (Petunia xhybrida Hort. Vilm-Andr.) were grown either in chambers constructed of CuSO4-filled panels acting as spectral filters removing the far-red light (-FR) or in environmental control chambers under temperature treatments of 24 degrees C day/18 degrees C night (+DIF) or 18 degrees C day/24 degrees C night (-DIF). Growth responses for plants grown under CuSO4 filter (-FR) or -DIF temperatures were similar in that both treatments resulted in decreased internode length, increased stem diameter, and decreased cell length and cell diameter in epidermal, cortical, and pith tissues. Reduced cortical cell length contributed the largest percentage to internode length reductions compared to epidermal and pith tissue for the -FR treatment while reductions in cell length of all three tissues contributed to internode reduction of -DIF-treated plants. Chlorophyll a increased for plants grown under -FR, but decreased for plants grown in -DIF when compared to the appropriate controls.