scholarly journals Continuous Lighting Promotes Plant Growth, Light Conversion Efficiency, and Nutritional Quality of Eruca vesicaria (L.) Cav. in Controlled Environment With Minor Effects Due to Light Quality

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simona Proietti ◽  
Stefano Moscatello ◽  
Francesca Riccio ◽  
Peter Downey ◽  
Alberto Battistelli

Light-emitting diode lamps can allow for the optimization of lighting conditions in artificial growing environments, with respect to light quality, quantity, and photoperiod extension, to precisely manage resources and crop performance. Eruca vesicaria (L.) Cav. was hydroponically cultured under three light treatments to investigate the effect on yield and nutritional properties of rocket plants. A treatment of (W-12h) having a12/12 h light/dark at 600 μmol m−2 s−1 provided by LEDs W:FR:R:B = 12:2:71:15 was compared with two treatments of continuous lighting (CL), 24 h light at 300 μmol m−2 s−1 provided by cool white LEDs (W-CL), and by LED R:B = 73:27 (RB-CL). CL enhanced the growth of the rocket plants: total fresh biomass, leaf fresh weight, and shoot/root ratio increased in W-CL, and leaf dry weight, leaf dry matter %, root fresh and dry weight, and specific leaf dry weight (SLDW) increased in RB-CL. Total carbon content was higher in RB-CL, whereas total nitrogen and proteins content increased in W-12h. Both W-CL and RB-CL increased carbohydrate content in the rocket leaves, while W-CL alone increased the sugar content in the roots. Fibers, pigments, antioxidant compounds, and malic acid were increased by CL regardless of the light spectrum applied. Nitrate was significantly reduced in the rocket leaves grown both in W-CL and RB-CL. Thus, the application of CL with low light intensity can increase the yield and quality value of rocket, highlighting that careful scheduling of light spectrum, intensity, and photoperiod can improve the performance of the crop.

1990 ◽  
Vol 115 (4) ◽  
pp. 525-529 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Acock ◽  
M.C. Acock ◽  
D. Pasternak

We examined how temperature and stage of vegetative growth affect carbohydrate production and accumulation in Cucumis melo L. `Haogen' grown at various CO2 concentrations ([CO2]). Carbohydrate production was measured by net assimilation rate either on a leaf-area basis (NARa) or a leaf dry-weight basis (NARw); carbohydrate accumulation was measured by leaf starch plus sugar content. Twenty-four- and 35-day-old muskmelon plants were grown for 11 days in artificially lighted cabinets at day/night temperatures of 20/20 or 40/20C and at [CO2] of 300 or 1500 μl·liter-1. NARa and NARw both increased with increasing [CO2], but the CO2 effect was smaller at low temperature, especially for plants at the later stage of vegetative growth. NARw was a better indicator of total dry-weight gain than was NARa. Both suboptimal temperatures and CO2 enrichment caused carbohydrates to accumulate in the leaves at both stages of vegetative growth. NARw was correlated negatively with leaf starch plus sugar content. The rate of decrease in NARw with increasing leaf starch plus sugar content was significantly greater for CO2-enriched plants. Leaf starch plus sugar content >0.03 to 0.04 kg·kg-1 of leaf residual dry weight at the end of a dark period may indicate that temperature is suboptimal for growth. Plants grown at the same temperature had higher leaf starch plus sugar content if they were CO2-enriched than if grown in ambient [CO2], suggesting that an optimal temperature for growth in ambient [CO2] may be suboptimal in elevated [CO2].


Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1584
Author(s):  
Stefania Toscano ◽  
Valeria Cavallaro ◽  
Antonio Ferrante ◽  
Daniela Romano ◽  
Cristina Patané

To improve microgreen yield and nutritional quality, suitable light spectra can be used. Two species—amaranth (Amaranthus tricolor L.) and turnip greens (Brassica rapa L. subsp. oleifera (DC.) Metzg)—were studied. The experiment was performed in a controlled LED environment growth chamber (day/night temperatures of 24 ± 2 °C, 16 h photoperiod, and 50/60% relative humidity). Three emission wavelengths of a light-emitting diode (LED) were adopted for microgreen lighting: (1) white LED (W); (2) blue LED (B), and (3) red LED (R); the photosynthetic photon flux densities were 200 ± 5 µmol for all light spectra. The response to light spectra was often species-specific, and the interaction effects were significant. Morphobiometric parameters were influenced by species, light, and their interaction; at harvest, in both species, the fresh weight was significantly greater under B. In amaranth, Chl a was maximized in B, whereas it did not change with light in turnip greens. Sugar content varied with the species but not with the light spectra. Nitrate content of shoots greatly varied with the species; in amaranth, more nitrates were measured in R, while no difference in turnip greens was registered for the light spectrum effect. Polyphenols were maximized under B in both species, while R depressed the polyphenol content in amaranth.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 28
Author(s):  
Yetti Elidar

Research on the response of roots of palm sugar palm seeds (Arenga pinnata) in nurseries at doses and intervals of Nasa liquid organic fertilizer. Aims to determine the dosage, interval and combination of dosages and fertilization intervals with Nasa liquid organic fertilizer which can provide the best dry weight of the roots in the nursery. The research design used was a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with 3x3 factorial experiments and each treatment was repeated 8 (eight) times, consisting of: the first factor was the treatment of POC Nasa dose in a concentration of 3 cc POC Nasa per liter of water (D) consists of 3 levels, namely: d1 = 300 ml POC Nasa, d2 = 400 ml POC Nasa, d3 = 500 ml POC Nasa, while the second factor is the treatment of POC Nasa Interval (I) consisting of 3 levels, namely: i1 = 2 once a week, i2 = once every 3 weeks, i3 = once every 4 weeks. The results of the POC Nasa dose study had a significant effect on leaf wet weight, leaf dry weight, root wet weight and root dry weight. The best dose at this level are: d2 (400 ml of Nasa liquid organic fertilizer), the interval of liquid organic fertilizer Nasa has a significant effect on leaf wet weight, leaf dry weight, root wet weight and root dry weight. The best dose at this level is: i1 (once every 2 weeks). The treatment combination has no significant effect on all parameters. 


HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 452a-452
Author(s):  
Richard Buchner ◽  
Seeley Mudd ◽  
Bruce Carroll ◽  
Mark Gilles

Overall profitability is a major goal in successful prune production and a major component in any prune management system. Large prune crops in 1996 and 1997 have stimulated considerable interest in undersize fruit. Undersize prunes currently have marginal value and may represent a net loss because of costs to haul, dry, and to market order payments on low value prunes. One technique to control delivery size is to field size at harvest. Field sizing involves installing size-sorting devices on harvesters, which allow small prunes to fall out while valuable fruit is collected. Field sizing is considered a “risky” strategy because of the potential to remove prunes with economic value. During the 1997 harvest, 21 infield harvest sizing evaluations were made in prune orchards throughout Tehama county. The first evaluation occurred on 12 Aug. 1997, at the start of prune harvest. The final evaluation was done on 5 Sept. 1997, at the tail end of harvest. The objective was to sample throughout the harvest period to test field sizing under various sugar, size, and fruit pressure scenarios. The test machine was 1-inch bar sizer. Of the 21 sample dates, undersize fruit was clearly not marketable in 20 of the 21 samples. Discarded fruit averaged 133 dry count per pound. Only one sample out of 21 may have had market value at 86 dry count per pound. Although small in size, these prunes had very high sugar content contributing to their dry weight. In this evaluation, a 1-inch bar sizer did a good job of separating fruit with and without market value under the 1997 price schedule. As harvest date becomes later and soluble solids increase, the chances of sorting out marketable prunes also increases.


Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 503
Author(s):  
Malika Tassoult ◽  
Djamel Edine Kati ◽  
María África Fernández-Prior ◽  
Alejandra Bermúdez-Oria ◽  
Juan Fernandez-Bolanos ◽  
...  

The study investigated the phenols, sugar and the antioxidant capacities of date fruit extracts obtained by organic solvents and by hydrothermal treatment from six different Algerian cultivars at two ripening stages for the first time. The analyzed cultivars exhibited potent antioxidant properties (ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) scavenging capacities) and different phenols regardless of the solvents and the maturity stages. About 18 phenols were identified and quantified, mainly in the hydrothermal extracts. The earlier stages were characterized by high amounts of o-coumaric acid, cinnamic acid and luteolin, with a noticeable absence of quercetin. The tamr stage presented the highest sugar content (78.15–86.85 mg/100 mg dry weight (DW)) with an abundance of glucose. Galactose was present only in some cultivars from the kimri stage (tamjouhert). Uronic acids were mostly detected at the tamr stage (4.02–8.82 mg gallic acid equivalent/100 mg dried weight). The obtained results highlight the potential of using date fruit extracts as natural antioxidants, especially at industrial scales that tend use hydrothermal extraction.


1999 ◽  
Vol 79 (2) ◽  
pp. 303-310 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. L. Wang ◽  
A. K. Alva

Leaching of water soluble soil carbon plays an important role in downward transport of soil nutrients and pollutants and may be influenced by soil and management factors. We examined the leaching of water soluble carbon from two sandy soils under nitrogen fertilization by adapting an intermittent leaching-incubation technique using packed soil columns (94 × 10 cm). After 30 d, cumulative amounts of water-soluble organic carbon (SOC) leached from the Candler and Wabasso sand for various treatments in mg C column−1 were: 77 and 302 (NH4NO3), 64 and 265 (control), and 45 and 239 (isobutylidene diurea, IBDU), respectively. The IBDU and NH4NO3 treatments increased the leaching of water-soluble inorganic carbon (SIC), which ranged from 2 to 38 mg C column−1 over 30 d. At the end of eight cycles of leaching/incubation, the total carbon content increased at depth (control and NH4NO3 treatment) in the Candler sand, but decreased in the Wabasso sand. In the first leaching event, the average rate of SOC leaching from the Wabasso sand was 26 mg C column−1 d−1 which dropped rapidly to about 5 mg C column−1 d−1 towards the end of the experiment. The rate of SOC leaching from the Candler sand was much lower (<8 mg C column−1 d−1) than the rate of SOC leaching from the Wabasso sand. Compared with the unamended treatments, application of NH4NO3 increased and IBDU decreased the leaching of SOC in both soils. These effects of N application were considerable during the initial two to three leaching events only. Our results suggest that the initial rainfalls that follow a dry period may be critical for transporting SOC from the upper layer of these sandy soils. Key words: C leaching, sandy soil, intermittent leaching condition, isobutylidene


Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 960
Author(s):  
Jenny Manuela Tabbert ◽  
Hartwig Schulz ◽  
Andrea Krähmer

A light-emitting diode (LED) system covering plant-receptive wavebands from ultraviolet to far-red radiation (360 to 760 nm, “white” light spectrum) was investigated for greenhouse productions of Thymus vulgaris L. Biomass yields and amounts of terpenoids were examined, and the lights’ productivity and electrical efficiency were determined. All results were compared to two conventionally used light fixture types (high-pressure sodium lamps (HPS) and fluorescent lights (FL)) under naturally low irradiation conditions during fall and winter in Berlin, Germany. Under LED, development of Thymus vulgaris L. was highly accelerated resulting in distinct fresh yield increases per square meter by 43% and 82.4% compared to HPS and FL, respectively. Dry yields per square meter also increased by 43.1% and 88.6% under LED compared to the HPS and FL lighting systems. While composition of terpenoids remained unaffected, their quantity per gram of leaf dry matter significantly increased under LED and HPS as compared to FL. Further, the power consumption calculations revealed energy savings of 31.3% and 20.1% for LED and FL, respectively, compared to HPS. In conclusion, the implementation of a broad-spectrum LED system has tremendous potential for increasing quantity and quality of Thymus vulgaris L. during naturally insufficient light conditions while significantly reducing energy consumption.


2020 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 151-162
Author(s):  
Danuta Urban ◽  
Joanna Sender ◽  
Ewelina Tokarz ◽  
Andrzej Różycki

AbstractIn view of the sensitivity of Liparis loeselii to changes in habitat conditions, we carried out a study with the aim to monitor population numbers, identify the individual features of the Liparis loeselii population, analyse habitat conditions, identify threats and propose conservation measures to preserve the species. The investigations were conducted in seven unmanaged objects located in three Natura 2000 areas in eastern Poland. The results of this study provide a new insight into Liparis loeselii ecology. The analysed populations inhabited some habitat types: extremely poor fen, transitional mire, rich fen, calcareous fen, spring-fed fen. The content of nutrients was similar in all the habitats. A CCA analysis revealed that the total carbon content, pH, and redox potential of the substrate determine differences between the habitats analysed. Juvenile individuals represented a maximum of 12% of the analysed populations and were the least abundant group of these plants. The flowering was primarily influenced by hydrological conditions. Based on the long-term observations reported in this article, it can be assumed that the species stands a chance of surviving at the localities analysed, provided that the habitat conditions do not change dramatically.


2016 ◽  
Vol 62 (6) ◽  
pp. 485-491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samiran Banerjee ◽  
Nabla Kennedy ◽  
Alan E. Richardson ◽  
Keith N. Egger ◽  
Steven D. Siciliano

Archaea are ubiquitous and highly abundant in Arctic soils. Because of their oligotrophic nature, archaea play an important role in biogeochemical processes in nutrient-limited Arctic soils. With the existing knowledge of high archaeal abundance and functional potential in Arctic soils, this study employed terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (t-RFLP) profiling and geostatistical analysis to explore spatial dependency and edaphic determinants of the overall archaeal (ARC) and ammonia-oxidizing archaeal (AOA) communities in a high Arctic polar oasis soil. ARC communities were spatially dependent at the 2–5 m scale (P < 0.05), whereas AOA communities were dependent at the ∼1 m scale (P < 0.0001). Soil moisture, pH, and total carbon content were key edaphic factors driving both the ARC and AOA community structure. However, AOA evenness had simultaneous correlations with dissolved organic nitrogen and mineral nitrogen, indicating a possible niche differentiation for AOA in which dry mineral and wet organic soil microsites support different AOA genotypes. Richness, evenness, and diversity indices of both ARC and AOA communities showed high spatial dependency along the landscape and resembled scaling of edaphic factors. The spatial link between archaeal community structure and soil resources found in this study has implications for predictive understanding of archaea-driven processes in polar oases.


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