We present the results of optical studies of InxGa1−xN alloys (0<x<0.2) grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition on top of thick GaN epitaxial layers with sapphire as substrates. Photoluminescence (PL) and photoreflectance measurements were performed at various temperatures to determine the band gap and its variation as a function of temperature for samples with different indium concentrations. Carrier recombination dynamics in the alloy samples were studied using time‐resolved luminescence spectroscopy. While the measured decay time for the alloy near‐band‐edge PL emissions was observed to be generally around a few hundred picoseconds at 10 K, it was found that the decay time decreased rapidly as the sample temperatures increased. This indicates a strong influence of temperature on the processes of trapping and recombination of excited carriers at impurities and defects in the InGaN alloys. ©1996 American Institute of Physics.