scholarly journals Effect of Pre-Harvest Supplemental UV-A/Blue and Red/Blue LED Lighting on Lettuce Growth and Nutritional Quality

Horticulturae ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 80
Author(s):  
Triston Hooks ◽  
Joseph Masabni ◽  
Ling Sun ◽  
Genhua Niu

Blue light and ultra-violet (UV) light have been shown to influence plant growth, morphology, and quality. In this study, we investigated the effects of pre-harvest supplemental lighting using UV-A and blue (UV-A/Blue) light and red and blue (RB) light on growth and nutritional quality of lettuce grown hydroponically in two greenhouse experiments. The RB spectrum was applied pre-harvest for two days or nights, while the UV-A/Blue spectrum was applied pre-harvest for two or four days or nights. All pre-harvest supplemental lighting treatments had a same duration of 12 h with a photon flux density (PFD) of 171 μmol m−2 s−1. Results of both experiments showed that pre-harvest supplemental lighting using UV A/Blue or RB light can increase the growth and nutritional quality of lettuce grown hydroponically. The enhancement of lettuce growth and nutritional quality by the pre-harvest supplemental lighting was more effective under low daily light integral (DLI) compared to a high DLI and tended to be more effective when applied during the night, regardless of spectrum.

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomohiro Jishi ◽  
Ryo Matsuda ◽  
Kazuhiro Fujiwara

The morphology of plants growing under combined blue- and red-light irradiation is affected by the presence or absence of time slots of blue- and red-light mono-irradiation. The purposes of this study were to investigate the morphology and growth of cos lettuce grown under light irradiation combining several durations of blue and red light simultaneously and independent mono-irradiations of blue and red light during the day, and to clarify the effects of the durations of blue-light mono-irradiation and blue-light irradiation. Young cos lettuce seedlings were grown under 24-h blue-light irradiation with a photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) of 110μmol m−2 s−1 (B+0R) or under 24-h blue-light irradiation with a PPFD of 100μmol m−2 s−1 supplemented with 8 (B+8R), 16 (B+16R), and 24-h (B+24R) red-light irradiation with PPFDs of 30, 15, and 10μmol m−2 s−1, respectively (Experiment 1). The daily light integral was 9.50mol m−2 in all treatments. In Experiment 1, leaf elongation was promoted as the duration of red-light irradiation decreased and the duration of blue-light mono-irradiation increased. The maximum shoot dry weight was observed under the B+8R treatment. Growth was likely promoted by the expansion of the light-receptive area caused by moderate leaf elongation without tilting. In Experiment 2, young cos lettuce seedlings were grown as for Experiment 1, but blue- and red-light irradiation intensities were reversed (R+0B, R+8B, R+16B, and R+24B). Leaf elongation was promoted by the absence of blue-light irradiation (R+0B). The leaf surface was increasingly flattened, and the shoot dry weight was enhanced, as the duration of blue-light irradiation increased. Thus, cos lettuce leaf morphology may be manipulated by adjusting each duration of blue-light mono-irradiation, red-light mono-irradiation, and blue- and red-light simultaneous irradiation, which can, in turn, promote cos lettuce growth.


Agronomy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao Wei ◽  
Jin Zhao ◽  
Jiangtao Hu ◽  
Byoung Ryong Jeong

Lower quality and longer production periods of grafted seedlings, especially grafted plug seedlings of fruit vegetables, may result from insufficient amounts of light, particularly in rainy seasons and winter. Supplemental artificial lighting may be a feasible solution to such problems. This study was conducted to evaluate light intensity’s influence on the quality of grafted tomato seedlings, ‘Super Sunload’ and ‘Super Dotaerang’ were grafted onto the ‘B-Blocking’ rootstock. To improve their quality, grafted seedlings were moved to a glasshouse and grown for 10 days. The glasshouse had a combination of natural lighting from the sun and supplemental lighting from LEDs (W1R2B2) for 16 h/day. Light intensity of natural lighting was 490 μmol·m−2·s−1 photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) and that of supplemental lighting was 50, 100, or 150 μmol·m−2·s−1 PPFD. The culture environment had 30/25 °C day/night temperatures, 70% ± 5% relative humidity (RH), and a natural photoperiod of 14 h as well. Compared with quality of seedlings in supplemental lighting of 50 μmol·m−2·s−1 PPFD, that of seedlings in supplement lighting of 100 or 150 μmol·m−2·s−1 PPFD improved significantly. With increasing light intensity, diameter, fresh weight, and dry weight, which were used to measure shoot growth, greatly improved. Leaf area, leaf thickness, and root biomass were also greater. However, for quality of seedlings, no significant differences were discovered between supplement lighting of 100 μmol·m−2·s−1 PPFD and supplement lighting of 150 μmol·m−2·s−1 PPFD. Expressions of PsaA and PsbA (two photosynthetic genes) as well as the corresponding proteins increased significantly in supplement lightning of 100 and 150 μmol·m−2·s−1 PPFD, especially in 100 μmol·m−2·s−1 PPFD. Overall, considering quality and expressions of two photosynthetic genes and proteins, supplemental light of 100 μmol·m−2·s−1 PPFD (W1R2B1) would be the best choice to cultivate grafted tomato seedlings.


1990 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 118-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.J. McMahon ◽  
J.W. Kelly ◽  
D.R. Decoteau

Abstract Spectral transmittance properties of several greenhouse construction and shading materials were determined by measuring the quantity and quality of solar radiation transmission on non-clouded (sunny) days at solar noon. Spectral transmittance parameters included photosynthetic radiation (400–700 nm) and photomorphogenic radiation (660 nm (red light), 730 nm (far-red light), and 400–500 nm (blue light). Light available for photosynthesis was measured as photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) and photosynthetic radiation (PI). Photomorphogenic radiation was measured as far-red/red (FR/R) and blue light. Greenhouse construction materials included glass, chambered acrylic, chambered polycarbonate, and inflated plastic film. Various shade materials of different colors were evaluated. Photosynthetically active radiation transmission of construction materials ranged from approximately 95% transmission of direct sunlight with Exolite to less than 50% with tinted Lexan. Far-red/red values of shade materials ranged from 0.94 for Enduro Green to 5.58 for Cravo LS-7.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lie Li ◽  
Yu-xin Tong ◽  
Jun-ling Lu ◽  
Yang-mei Li ◽  
Xin Liu ◽  
...  

Green light, as part of the photosynthetically active radiation, has been proven to have high photosynthetic efficiency once absorbed by plant leaves and can regulate plant physiological activities. However, few studies have investigated the appropriate and efficient way of using the green light for plant production. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate a moderate amount of green light, partially replacing red and blue light, for plant growth and development. In this experiment, four treatments were set up by adjusting the relative amount of green light as 0 (RB), 30 (G30), 60 (G60), and 90 (G90) μmol m−2 s−1, respectively, with a total photosynthetic photon flux density of 200 μmol m−2 s−1 and a fixed red-to-blue ratio of 4:1. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa cv. ‘Tiberius’) plant growth and morphology, stomatal characteristics, light absorptance and transmittance, photosynthetic characteristics, and nutritional quality were investigated. The results showed that: (1) shoot dry weight increased by 16.3 and 24.5% and leaf area increased by 11.9 and 16.2% under G30 and G60, respectively, compared with those under RB. Plant stem length increased linearly with increasing green-to-blue light ratio; (2) light transmittance of lettuce leaf under treatments employing green light was higher than that under RB, especially in the green region; (3) stomatal density increased, whereas stomatal aperture area decreased with the increase in the relative amount of green light; and (4) carbohydrate accumulation increased under G60 and G90. Soluble sugar contents under G60 and G90 increased by 39.4 and 19.4%, respectively. Nitrate contents under G30, G60, and G90 decreased by 26.2, 40.3, and 43.4%, respectively. The above results indicated that 15–30% green light replacing red and blue light effectively increased the yield and nutritional quality of lettuce plants.


HortScience ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 55 (5) ◽  
pp. 613-620 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lie Li ◽  
Yu-xin Tong ◽  
Jun-ling Lu ◽  
Yang-mei Li ◽  
Qi-chang Yang

Light, as the energy and signal sources for plant growth and development, is one of the most important environment factors in recently developed plant factories with artificial light (PFALs). To find the optimal combination of light wavelengths for lettuce (Lactuca sativa cv. ‘Tiberius’) plant growth in a PFAL, four treatments, each using red (R; 662 nm) and blue light (B; 447 nm) with a ratio of 4:1 and photon flux density (PFD) of 150 μmol·m−2·s−1, and mixing, respectively, with 50 μmol·m−2·s−1 of green light (G; 525 nm; RBG), yellow light (Y; 592 nm; RBY), orange light (O; 605 nm; RBO) and far-red light (FR; 742 nm; RBFR), were set up during this experiment. A combination of R and B with a ratio of 4:1 and PFD of 200 μmol·m−2·s−1 was set as the control (RB). The responses of lettuce growth, morphology, anatomical structure of the lettuce leaf, photosynthetic performance, lettuce nutritional quality, and energy use efficiency were investigated. The results showed that RBG, RBO, and RBFR increased the shoot fresh weight of lettuce by 20.5%, 19.6%, and 40.4%, and they increased the shoot dry weight of lettuce by 24.2%, 13.4%, and 45.2%, respectively, compared with those under RB. The Pn under RBY was significantly lower than that under RB, although no significant differences in chlorophyll or carotenoid content were found between RBY and RB. RBG increased the lettuce leaf area, the thickness of the leaf palisade tissue, Pn, and light use efficiency compared with those under RB. Plants grown under RBO showed better photosynthetic capacity, such as higher Pn, ΦPSII, and other photosynthetic parameters. RBFR caused an increase in lettuce leaf area and energy use efficiency, but a decrease in leaf thickness and Pn of the single leaf. Moreover, tipburn injury was observed under RBFR. Therefore, these results demonstrate that RBG and RBO can be considered optimal combinations of light wavelengths for lettuce growth in a PFAL in this experiment, although plant growth can also be improved by using RBFR.


Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 303
Author(s):  
Sungeun Lim ◽  
Jongyun Kim

Different light qualities affect plant growth and physiological responses, including stomatal openings. However, most researchers have focused on stomatal responses to red and blue light only, and the direct measurement of evapotranspiration has not been examined. Therefore, we quantified the evapotranspiration of sweet basil under various red (R), green (G), and blue (B) combinations using light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and investigated its stomatal responses. Seedlings were subjected to five different spectral treatments for two weeks at a photosynthetic photon flux density of 200 µmol m−2 s−1. The ratios of the RGB light intensities were as follows: R 100% (R100), R:G = 75:25 (R75G25), R:B = 75:25 (R75B25), R:G:B = 60:20:20 (R60G20B20), and R:G:B = 31:42:27 (R31G42B27). During the experiment, the evapotranspiration of the plants was measured using load cells. Although there were no significant differences in growth parameters among the treatments, the photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance were higher in plants grown under blue LEDs (R75B25, R60G20B20, and R31G42B27) than in the R100 treatment. The amount of water used was different among the treatments (663.5, 726.5, 728.7, 778.0, and 782.1 mL for the R100, R75G25, R60G20B20, R75B25, and R31G42B27 treatments, respectively). The stomatal density was correlated with the blue light intensity (p = 0.0024) and with the combined intensity of green and blue light (p = 0.0029); therefore, green light was considered to promote the stomatal development of plants together with blue light. Overall, different light qualities affected the water use of plants by regulating stomatal conductance, including changes in stomatal density.


Agronomy ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao Wei ◽  
Jiangtao Hu ◽  
Chen Liu ◽  
Mengzhao Wang ◽  
Jin Zhao ◽  
...  

Supplementary lighting is commonly used in high-quality seedling production. In this study, grafted tomato seedlings were grown for 10 days in a glasshouse with 16-h daily supplementary lighting at 100 μmol·m−2·s−1 PPFD (Photosynthetic photon flux density) from either high-pressure sodium (HPS), metal halide (MH), far-red (FR), white LEDs (Light emitting diodes) (W), or mixed LEDs (W1R2B1, where the subscript numbers indicate the ratio of the LED chips) to determine which light sources improve the seedling quality. The control seedlings did not receive any supplementary light. Physiological parameters and the expression of genes related to photosynthesis were analyzed. The results showed that root length, biomass, number of leaves, chlorophyll (SPAD), scion dry weight to height ratio (WHR), and specific leaf weight (SLW) were the greatest for grafted seedlings grown in W1R2B1. The level of root ball formation was the greatest for seedlings grown in W1R2B1, followed by those grown in W, HPS, and MH. Seedlings grown in FR did not fare well, as they were very thin and weak. Moreover, the expression of two photosynthetic genes (PsaA and PsbA) was significantly increased by W1R2B1 and W, which suggests that the plastid or nuclear genes might be regulated. The overall results suggest that W1R2B1 was the most suitable light source to enhance the quality of grafted tomato seedlings. The results of this study could be used as a reference for seedling production in glasshouses, and may provide new insights in the research on lights affecting the development of plants.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Liu ◽  
Marc W. van Iersel

Red and blue light are traditionally believed to have a higher quantum yield of CO2 assimilation (QY, moles of CO2 assimilated per mole of photons) than green light, because green light is absorbed less efficiently. However, because of its lower absorptance, green light can penetrate deeper and excite chlorophyll deeper in leaves. We hypothesized that, at high photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD), green light may achieve higher QY and net CO2 assimilation rate (An) than red or blue light, because of its more uniform absorption throughtout leaves. To test the interactive effects of PPFD and light spectrum on photosynthesis, we measured leaf An of “Green Tower” lettuce (Lactuca sativa) under red, blue, and green light, and combinations of those at PPFDs from 30 to 1,300 μmol⋅m–2⋅s–1. The electron transport rates (J) and the maximum Rubisco carboxylation rate (Vc,max) at low (200 μmol⋅m–2⋅s–1) and high PPFD (1,000 μmol⋅m–2⋅s–1) were estimated from photosynthetic CO2 response curves. Both QYm,inc (maximum QY on incident PPFD basis) and J at low PPFD were higher under red light than under blue and green light. Factoring in light absorption, QYm,abs (the maximum QY on absorbed PPFD basis) under green and red light were both higher than under blue light, indicating that the low QYm,inc under green light was due to lower absorptance, while absorbed blue photons were used inherently least efficiently. At high PPFD, the QYinc [gross CO2 assimilation (Ag)/incident PPFD] and J under red and green light were similar, and higher than under blue light, confirming our hypothesis. Vc,max may not limit photosynthesis at a PPFD of 200 μmol m–2 s–1 and was largely unaffected by light spectrum at 1,000 μmol⋅m–2⋅s–1. Ag and J under different spectra were positively correlated, suggesting that the interactive effect between light spectrum and PPFD on photosynthesis was due to effects on J. No interaction between the three colors of light was detected. In summary, at low PPFD, green light had the lowest photosynthetic efficiency because of its low absorptance. Contrary, at high PPFD, QYinc under green light was among the highest, likely resulting from more uniform distribution of green light in leaves.


Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1996
Author(s):  
Yali Li ◽  
Jie Xiao ◽  
Jiangtao Hu ◽  
Byoung Ryong Jeong

The optimal photoperiod and light quality for runner induction in strawberries ‘Sulhyang’ and ‘Maehyang’ were investigated. Two experiments were carried out in a semi-closed walk-in growth chamber with 25/15 °C day/night temperatures and a light intensity of 250 μmol·m–2·s–1photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) provided from white light-emitting diodes (LEDs). In the first experiment, plants were treated with a photoperiod of either 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, or 22 h In the second experiment, a total of 4 h of night interruption (NI) light at an intensity of 70 μmol·m–2·s–1PPFD provided from either red, blue, green, white, or far-red LED in addition to 11 h short day (SD). The results showed that both ‘Sulhyang’ and ‘Maehyang’ produced runners when a photoperiod was longer than 16 h, and the number of runners induced positively correlated with the length of photoperiod. However, the plant growth, contents of chlorophyll, sugar and starch, and Fv/Fo decreased in a 22 h photoperiod. All qualities of the NI light, especially red light, significantly increased the number of runners and daughter plants induced per plant as compared with those in the SD treatment in both cultivars. In a conclusion, a photoperiod between 16 and 20 h and NI light, especially red NI light, can be used for quality runner induction in both ‘Sulhyang’ and ‘Maehyang’.


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