Controlled Environment Agriculture: How Light Shapes Crop Physiology, Yield and Quality

Dear Colleagues,

Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) refers to crop production in enclosed structures where lighting, temperature, humidity, and atmospheric composition are precisely controlled. These high‑tech systems—including greenhouses and vertical farms—are designed to provide optimal growing conditions by manipulating light, nutrients, carbon dioxide, temperature, and humidity. Because the climate inside is decoupled from outdoor conditions, CEA enables year‑round crop production and ensures consistent yields while using less water and fertilizers. It also reduces the need for chemical pesticides by shielding crops from pests and pathogens. As global demand for fresh, high‑quality and nutraceutical produce grows, CEA is emerging as an integral component of sustainable agriculture, offering a means to meet local food needs, decrease resource use, and minimize the environmental impact of farming.

In this context, light is the primary energy source for photosynthesis and acts as an environmental signal that influences morphogenesis and secondary metabolism. In horticultural systems, light quantity is characterized by photoperiod and photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD), whereas light quality refers to the spectral distribution of photon irradiance. Blue (400–500 nm), green (500–600 nm), red (600–700 nm), far‑red (700–800 nm), ultraviolet‑A (315–400 nm), and ultraviolet‑B (280–315 nm) wavelengths each trigger specific physiological responses. The ability to decouple light quantity and quality using LEDs and photoselective covers, shade nets, or semi‑transparent agrivoltaic panels has created new opportunities to tailor the light environment for specific crops. Furthermore, other current lighting strategies include pulsed LED lighting and supplemental LED inter- or toplighting. Exploring how these lighting strategies influence plant growth, yield, and post‑harvest quality is therefore a pressing research priority.

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue, which will provide a comprehensive forum for recent advances in light management within CEA.

This Special Issue seeks to spotlight the latest scientific research about the effects of different light regimes in controlled environments on crop physiology, yield, and quality. The results should focus on mechanisms rather than purely descriptive observations and must clearly articulate how the findings advance the understanding of light–crop interactions in CEA. Our goal is to assemble cutting‑edge research that elucidates the physiological mechanisms through which light quantity and quality shape plant growth, development, resource use efficiency, and product quality in CEA.

We encourage submissions that explore the following topics and related questions; however, this list is not exhaustive: natural sunlight management; artificial illumination strategies; photoselective films and coloured shade nets; semi‑transparent agrivoltaics and spectral‑selective photovoltaic panels; dynamic lighting and sensor‑based control; physiological and quality responses; and multi‑factor interactions.

We look forward to receiving a variety of contributions, including original research papers, reviews or meta‑analyses, short reports, and methodological papers.

Best regards,

Dr. Miriam Distefano
Dr. Victor M. Gallegos-Cedillo
Guest Editors

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• vertical farming
• photosynthesis
• organic farming
• light quality
• soilless culture
• LEDs
• photovoltaic semi-transparent panels
• greenhouse
• plant physiology