Growth Control of Plants on the Light Environment

Dear Colleagues,

Solar radiation is one of the most important environmental factors for plant growth because it drives photosynthesis and other physiological processes such as photomorphogenesis and phototropism. For high light requirement crops such as tomato, paprika, aubergine, cucumber, berries, green beans, etc., sub-optimal levels of photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) and/or daily light integral (DLI) and/or photoperiod, easily found during out-of-season greenhouse crop cycles, compromise the yield and the quality of production. To solve these problems, on the first half of the twentieth century, an artificial light technique was introduced to increase horticulture crop performances. Over the years, various types of lamps have been used for artificial lighting: incandescent, fluorescent, high-pressure mercury vapor, high-pressure sodium (HPS), metal halide, and light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Today, LED technology is the most widely adopted for artificial lighting in greenhouses because it can vary the PPFD and the spectra quality according to crop, its phenological stage, and growth environment (greenhouse or growth chamber). Furthermore, the low dispersion of heat as infrared radiation has allowed the development of LED installation in new areas, such as the Mediterranean basin and the development of urban agriculture (vertical farming). Nevertheless, the behavior of the crops upon application of supplemental lighting is influenced by numerous other factors: genotype, phenological stage, growth environment, agricultural technique, fertilization, etc.

Based on this, the aim of this Special Issue is to exchange knowledge on any aspect related to light effects on crop performances, sharing the best practices or the best supplemental or artificial light recipes to improve the development of this technology.

Prof. Dr. Pietro Santamaria
Dr. Onofrio Davide Palmitessa
Guest Editors

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