Re: Would growing plants with colored plexiglass and growth lights work?

I assume you mean to put the plants in a colored plexiglass box to control 
the color of light the plant receives or to put colored plexiglass over 
the light source.  This should work, although you will not be sure exactly 
what wavelengths of light get through, but in general what you see is what 
they are getting.  If you do this in an enclosed area, make sure there is 
some light-free gas exchange allowed with the atmosphere, so the plant 
doesn't run out of carbon dioxide.  Also, if you have a light meter, it is 
good to see if the different plants get the same amount of light 
(different plaxiglasses might absorb more).

If you do this experiment, you may find out that light, especially red and 
blue light, is used in plants not only for energy but to control many 
processes.  A pigment known as "cryptochrome",which senses blue light and 
was first discovered in plants, has recently been found in mammals and 
insects, performing a similar function.  

To find out more about this, search "cryptochrome" on the internet.
Also you might search "photosynthesis wavelength" for more on plant 
interactions with light.

Good luck.
hshep@nola.srrc.usda.gov