The brightness of the short arctic summer has an important effect on wild and farmed plants. There is no other place on earth where grain is farmed during a growing season when the days are as long as in Finland.

In fact, above the Arctic Circle the sun does not dip below the horizon at any point of the day. There is much to offer during the growing season when the days are long. At the height of the summer, southern Finland has 19 hours of daylight as the sun sets late and rises early. Lots of light makes for intense cereal growth. The longer the day, the faster the grain develops.

In arctic conditions, perennial crops take advantage of the early spring light. High levels of chlorophyll in Arctic plants accelerate photosynthe-sis whose optimum temperature is lower than the species in other areas. The plant’s breathing ac-celerates sharply and is faster than usual at night, too. During the growing season, the daily rate of growth matches that of the warmer climate plants.