2017 Eclipse: Once in a Generation Opportunity to Educate about Plant Responses to Light.

August 21^st marks an exciting event with a total eclipse passing through the heart of the US. Although these occur each year, rarely are they over a large populated land mass. How can we can we take advantage of this once in a generation event and use it as an educational tool about Agronomy? The total eclipse will pass over the University of Missouri-Columbia campus as approximately 1:00 PM there will be 45 minutes of a gradual decrease in light followed by 2 minutes and 36 seconds of total eclipse and then followed by 45 minutes of a gradual increase in light. How will plants respond? Will leaves fold up for the night or will their circadian rhythm keep them from doing so? What about drought stressed plants or those that have a nutrient deficiency, how will they respond? We will set up cameras on selected plant species that have been pretreated to break any circadian rhythms and others that have not to video what happens before, during and after the total eclipse. This video will be superimposed upon the phases of the eclipse along with a light meter reading. Others variables such as drought and nutrient stress may also be documented as time allows. These videos can be used for K-12 as well as college students to demonstrate various agronomic principles.