Pigment Earns Chemical Landmark

Abstract

How do certain plants, like the black-eyed Susan, know to flower during the summer while others, like the chrysanthemum, wait until the fall to bloom? The answer lies in a light-sensitive pigment called phytochrome that helps regulate plant growth and development by detecting light and darkness. The pigment was isolated in 1959 by scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS), opening up new plant breeding possibilities for crop growers. This seminal achievement has been designated a National Historic Chemical Landmark by the American Chemical Society. A ceremony took place on Oct. 21 at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center in Beltsville, Md., where ACS presented USDA representatives with a plaque that read, in part: “Understanding the role of phytochrome in plant development allows scientists to produce crops for seasons and latitudes not previously possible, both by manipulating the environment through lighting controls and by breeding plants with ...