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Plants
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Impact of Light on Plant Growth and Development
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Impact of Light on Plant Growth and Development

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Development and Morphogenesis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 April 2026 | Viewed by 933

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Mao Xia

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Chemical Materials for Agricultural Cross Disciplinary Joint Laboratory, Hunan Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Optical Agriculture, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
Interests: seedling growth; agricultural science; light

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As a key environmental factor for plant growth, light regulates critical physiological processes of plants, such as morphogenesis, photosynthesis, reproductive development and stress response, which are influenced by various conditions including light quality, light intensity and photoperiod. This Special Issue, “Impact of Light on Plant Growth and Development”, aims to systematically review the molecular mechanisms of light signal regulation in plant growth and development, patterns of environmental adaptability, and applications in agricultural production. Moreover, it seeks to explore the differential effects of different light qualities (e.g., UV, blue, red, far-red light) on plant morphology (e.g., plant height, leaf angle, leaf area) and metabolism (e.g., the accumulation of photosynthetic products); the molecular networks underlying the photoperiod regulation of flowering time and dormancy/germination; and practical strategies for optimizing artificial light environments (e.g., vertical farms) to enhance crop yield and quality. We welcome contributions from interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary fields, including molecular biology, plant physiology, horticultural science, and agricultural engineering, advancing theoretical innovation and technological translation.

Prof. Dr. Mao Xia
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • light regulation
  • light quality/photoperiod
  • light signal transduction
  • far-red light
  • artificial light environments
  • photomorphogenesis

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 853 KB  
Article
Examining the “Night Break” Method in Cannabis sativa Horticulture: Vegetative Daily Light Integral Affects Yield of Extractable Biomass in C. sativa
by Evan F. Grover, Samuel R. Haiden and Gerald A. Berkowitz
Plants 2025, 14(19), 3095; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14193095 - 8 Oct 2025
Viewed by 499
Abstract
Cannabis sativa is a short-day (SD) plant, producing inflorescences when the daily scotoperiod (period of darkness) exceeds approximately 10 h of length. As such, the vegetative photoperiod is typically maintained at 16 to 18 h, which limits the scotoperiod to no more than [...] Read more.
Cannabis sativa is a short-day (SD) plant, producing inflorescences when the daily scotoperiod (period of darkness) exceeds approximately 10 h of length. As such, the vegetative photoperiod is typically maintained at 16 to 18 h, which limits the scotoperiod to no more than 6 to 8 h and keeps plants in the vegetative stage. The electricity cost associated with supplemental lighting is a major concern for controlled environment cannabis cultivation. Therefore, the strategy of utilizing a 12 h photoperiod while interrupting the scotoperiod with a 1 h “night break” (NB) is appealing, as it reduces the overall electricity required for supplemental lighting by nearly one third, while maintaining vegetative growth. Our study tested the feasibility of this method under controlled indoor conditions. We studied the effect of the NB method (as compared to conventional light/dark periods) on cannabinoid and extractable biomass yields, as well as phenotype. Reducing vegetative DLI via the NB method (29.4 → 21.2 mol m−2 d−1) reduced extractable floral biomass by ~22% (control 1295 g vs. NB 1015 g per tent), while cannabinoid concentrations were similar between treatments. We also found that NB plants were less vigorous and shorter, with shorter internodes and fewer branches. This evidence suggests that although the NB method may reduce electricity costs during the vegetative stage of controlled environment cannabis growth, the method is not economically feasible due to the loss of yield and plant vigor. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Light on Plant Growth and Development)
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18 pages, 3447 KB  
Article
Effects of Deep Shading on Agronomic Traits, Coloration, and Antioxidant Properties in Sweetpotato Leaves
by Yang Lu, Jian Wang, Yizhao Chen, Jingjing Li, Zengrui Li, Sunjeet Kumar, Zhixin Zhu, Yong-Hua Liu and Guopeng Zhu
Plants 2025, 14(19), 2969; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14192969 - 25 Sep 2025
Viewed by 297
Abstract
The vegetable sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L.) is a novel, specialized type, cultivated for its tender stems and leaves, which are rich in nutrients and bioactive compounds. To clarify its growth adaptation to weak light conditions often encountered during cultivation, this study examined [...] Read more.
The vegetable sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L.) is a novel, specialized type, cultivated for its tender stems and leaves, which are rich in nutrients and bioactive compounds. To clarify its growth adaptation to weak light conditions often encountered during cultivation, this study examined the impact of 70% shading on 12 representative cultivars from 4 leaf color types. Agronomic traits, color, and nutritional and antioxidant properties were assessed in both young and mature leaves. Shading promoted leaf expansion, plant height, and vine length, but reduced stem thickness and dry-matter content. Leaf shape shifted from lobed to more cordate, with the foliage becoming darker green and lighter red due to elevated chlorophylls and reduced anthocyanins. Shading generally reduced soluble protein, sugar, cellulose, total phenols, flavonoids, and total antioxidant capacity. Antioxidant capacity correlated most strongly with soluble sugar and dry-matter content, followed by total phenols and flavonoids. Gene expression analysis of key light- and leaf color-related genes revealed up-regulation of chlorophyll genes and down-regulation of anthocyanin genes under shading, with light-responsive genes potentially affected by pigment feedback. These results elucidate the sweetpotato’s adaptive responses to deep shading and provide valuable guidance for optimized cultivation and breeding of vegetable sweetpotato in light-limited environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Light on Plant Growth and Development)
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