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Plants
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Plant Lighting and Photovoltaic Agriculture: Current Status and Challenges
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Plant Lighting and Photovoltaic Agriculture: Current Status and Challenges

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Crop Physiology and Crop Production".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 3824

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Wen Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Optics and Optical Engineering, Physics School, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
Interests: photovoltaic agriculture; plant lighting; optical sensor; plant factory; polymer multilayer optical film
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Light is the physical foundation of plant photosynthesis. In addition to sunlight, artificial lighting has become more and more popular. Plant photosynthesis is only sensitive to certain light wavelengths, including red, blue, and far-red light. It also has specific requirements for light intensity, as both excessive and insufficient light can lead to low photosynthetic efficiency. Different plants and different stages of plant growth have varying demands for light (including spectral components and intensity). Therefore, there is still a significant amount of research work yet to be completed in the application of artificial lighting for plant factories and greenhouse supplementary lighting. On the other hand, sunlight provides an excess of light for plant photosynthesis most of the time, including 90% of the spectrum and radiation during midday in spring, summer, and autumn. The next generation of photovoltaic agriculture (agrivoltaic) technology will prioritize the lighting needs of crops and utilize the surplus solar energy for photovoltaic power generation. Some remarkable progress has been made, but there is still a considerable amount of research work and experimental demonstration to be completed before large-scale implementation and widespread adoption.

The implementation of agrivoltaics through artificial lighting and scientific light management has the potential to significantly enhance agricultural productivity and accelerate the development of renewable energy, while also reducing water usage and agricultural pollution. Future research in this field holds great significance for the sustainable development of both the agriculture and renewable energy industries.

Prof. Dr. Wen Liu
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

  • plant lighting
  • photovoltaic agriculture
  • agrivoltaic
  • agricultural technology
  • artificial light
  • sustainable development
  • LED

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 1356 KiB  
Article
Plant Factory in a Restaurant: Light Quality Effects on the Development, Physiology, and Quality of Three Baby-Leaf Vegetables
by Filippos Bantis, Nikolaos Simos and Athanasios Koukounaras
Plants 2025, 14(2), 153; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14020153 - 7 Jan 2025
Viewed by 874
Abstract
Plant factories with artificial lighting (PFALs) are a notable choice for urban agriculture due to the system’s benefits, where light can be manipulated to enhance the product’s yield and quality. Our objective was to test the effect of light spectra with different red-blue [...] Read more.
Plant factories with artificial lighting (PFALs) are a notable choice for urban agriculture due to the system’s benefits, where light can be manipulated to enhance the product’s yield and quality. Our objective was to test the effect of light spectra with different red-blue combinations and white light on the growth, physiology, and overall quality of three baby-leaf vegetables (green lettuce, kale, and pak choi) grown in a restaurant’s PFAL. Leaf mass per area was lower under the most blue-containing treatments in all species. The performance indices (PIabs and PItot) of the photosynthetic apparatus were lower under more red light with the exception of PIabs in pak choi. Total soluble solids accumulation was diminished under most of the blue-containing LEDs, while total phenolics and antioxidant activity were induced by red-blue environments rich in blue light. Moreover, chlorophyll and carotenoid accumulation was also enhanced under blue-rich light treatments. Nitrate content was the lowest under monochromatic blue in all species. Finally, the employees were asked about their views on the PFAL within the restaurant’s compounds and they expressed positive opinions. Overall, a light environment including red and blue wavelengths proved beneficial for baby leafy vegetable production in terms of yield and quality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Lighting and Photovoltaic Agriculture: Current Status and Challenges)
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17 pages, 3108 KiB  
Article
Effects of Shading Nets Color on the Internal Environmental Conditions, Light Spectral Distribution, and Strawberry Growth and Yield in Greenhouses
by Ibrahim M. Alhelal, Ammar A. Albadawi, Abdullah A. Alsadon, Mekhled M. Alenazi, Abdullah A. Ibrahim, Mohamed Shady and Abdulhakim A. Al-Dubai
Plants 2024, 13(16), 2318; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13162318 - 20 Aug 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2455
Abstract
Greenhouses are used to create the appropriate environment for plant growth. Controlling the level of lighting using shading nets is one of the most commonly used methods for making suitable environmental modifications in greenhouses. The objective of this study was to examine the [...] Read more.
Greenhouses are used to create the appropriate environment for plant growth. Controlling the level of lighting using shading nets is one of the most commonly used methods for making suitable environmental modifications in greenhouses. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of three colored shading nets (green, black, and beige at shading rates of 50%) on inside air temperature, relative humidity, and spectral distribution of light in a greenhouse, as well as their effect on the growth and yield of strawberry plants. Data were collected during winter (December and January) and spring (March and April) months from shaded and unshaded blocks. The green net had the highest transmittance to solar radiation (τSR) during the two periods (38% and 35%, respectively) and the highest transmittance to photosynthetically active radiation (τPAR) of 34% during spring months, while the beige net had the highest τPAR of 27% during winter months. The black net had the smallest τPAR values during the two periods (22% and 29%, respectively). The lowest total light levels per season for solar radiation (SR) and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) (746.8 and 293.7 MJ·m−2, respectively) were obtained under the black net, compared with (906.7 and 320.8 MJ·m−2, respectively) for the beige net, and (969.6 and 337.2 MJ·m−2, respectively) for the green net. The ratio of PAR to SR (PAR:SR) was 41% and 44% outside and inside the greenhouse for the control (without shade), respectively. The black net had the highest ratio of PAR:SR (39%) among the treatment nets. The green net transmitted more light in the blue–green region (400 to 570 nm) and transmitted the highest photon flux at 480 nm, while the beige net increased the infrared radiation flux from 730 nm and above and transmitted the highest photon flux at 604 nm. The study found that the green net increased the ratio of blue to red light (B/R), while the beige and green nets reduced the red to far-red light (R/FR) ratio. The photosynthetic rate, conductance to water, and transpiration were significantly higher for strawberries grown under the beige net. These results indicate that the beige net positively influenced leaf and stem characteristics, leading to improved strawberry yields. The best yields of strawberries were obtained under the beige net and the control group (no shade), surpassing the yields achieved under the black net by 26.3% and 21.4%, respectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Lighting and Photovoltaic Agriculture: Current Status and Challenges)
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