Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) was chosen to demonstrate that value-added transplant can be relatively easily produced under artificial light in a closed system. Transplant production under artificial light was divided into three periods, and the photoperiod during each period was varied. It was found that the rate of floral development could be controlled by photoperiod treatments, although floral initiation itself could not be manipulated. Short photoperiod treatments retarded floral development and stem elongation. This occurred even when the transplants were transferred for transplanting to natural conditions with long days and high temperatures. In conclusion, by providing the short photoperiod during the transplant production process, marketable plants with negligible bolting can be produced under natural long-day conditions. Moreover, the production cost per transplant in summer could be reduced by using a combination of natural and artificial lighting during the transplant production process. These results open the possibility to produce value-added transplants of different species under artificial lighting conditions and control their floral development and/or stem elongation for a timely and profitable harvest.
Bolting and Growth of Spinacia oleracea L. Can be Altered by Modifying the Photoperiod during Transplant Production
