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The Effects of LED Light Spectra and Intensities on Plant Growth 2.0

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2023) | Viewed by 20457

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Dr. Valeria Cavallaro

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National Research Council (CNR) - Institute of BioEconomy(IBE) Via Gaifami 18, 95126 Catania, Italy
Interests: plant micropropagation; seed dormancy and germination; abiotic stress; conservative agriculture
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Dr. Rosario Muleo

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Department of Agriculture and Forestry Science, University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
Interests: light quality perception and photoregulation of plant development in plant micropropagation and during plant changing phase; genetic, epigenetic, and molecular physiology of plant stress tolerance and plant adaptation to ambience; genetic and molecular physiology of flower and fruit development and accumulation of secondary metabolites
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Dear Colleagues,

The physical properties of light, such as spectral quality, irradiance and intensity, and photoperiod, play a deep role in the morphogenesis, growth, and metabolism of many biochemical pathways in plants.

Light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) have been demonstrated to offer interesting prospects for use in plant lighting designs in controlled environment agriculture (greenhouses) and growth chambers for in vitro cultures.

As compared to previously used light sources, LEDs possess advantages such as wavelength specificity, less heat radiation, longer durability, much lower power consumption, and the possibility to manipulate the spectral qualities of the emitted light.

In high-technology greenhouses, supplemental light provides the opportunity to optimize lighting photosynthetic efficiency, through the possibility of optical regulation of plant photoreceptors to enhance the efficiency of plant production, and the synthesis and accumulation of plant metabolites for obtaining products with improved nutritional properties.

“In vitro” culture is regulated by different factors, and among them light is most important. LED illumination system for “in vitro” cultures should provide light in the spectral region that is involved in photosynthesis and photomorphogenic responses without wasting energy on nonproductive wavelengths. The combined effects of light and growth regulators or other components of culture media is another important issue. Even in in vitro cultures, LED light may regulate gene expression and physiological behavior that in turn influences metabolite productions.

This Special Issue of Plants will concern the effects of LED quality and spectral composition on plant physiological and morphological traits, metabolite production, and productive efficiency, both in in vitro and/or in confined environment cultivation.

Dr. Valeria Cavallaro
Dr. Rosario Muleo
Guest Editors

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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

gene expression
physiological regulation
photoreceptors
photobiology
photomorphogenesis
LEDs
spectral composition
light intensity
in vitro culture
confined environment
productive efficiency
metabolites production

Related Special Issue

The Effects of LED Light Spectra and Intensities on Plant Growth in Plants (22 articles)

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 7057 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Plant Growth in LED-Sourced Biophilic Environments Is Improved by the Biochar Amendment of Low-Fertility Soil, the Reflection of Low-Intensity Light, and a Continuous Photoperiod

by Peter Beatrice, Alessio Miali, Silvia Baronti, Donato Chiatante and Antonio Montagnoli

Plants 2023, 12(18), 3319; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12183319 - 20 Sep 2023

Viewed by 845

Abstract

Introducing plants in the design of biophilic indoor environments is fundamental for improving human health, well-being, and performance. Previous studies showed that the phenotype of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana grown under LED-sourced CoeLux^® lighting systems was characterized by low biomass production rates, a small leaf area, and a low lamina-to-petiole length ratio, suggesting the onset of a strong shade avoidance syndrome. Therefore, it is essential to identify new strategies to improve plant growth under these peculiar light conditions. In the present work, we investigated the effects of two growing media (i.e., low-fertility soil and soil-less substrate), solid and liquid fertilizers, manure, biochar, perlite, mirror reflection of light, and a 24 h photoperiod on A. thaliana plants growing under CoeLux^® lighting systems at a light intensity of 30 μmol m⁻²s⁻¹. We found that the biochar soil amendment to low-fertility soil increases both the above-ground plant biomass and leaf area. Furthermore, the application of a mirror behind the plants and a continuous photoperiod improves not only the biomass and the leaf area but also the lamina-to-petiole length ratio. The combination of different beneficial treatments can further boost plant growth in the low-intensity light environment characterizing the CoeLux^® biophilic lighting systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of LED Light Spectra and Intensities on Plant Growth 2.0)

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11 pages, 1015 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Amber (595 nm) Light Supplemented with Narrow Blue (430 nm) Light on Tomato Biomass

by Bo-Sen Wu, Mahnaz Mansoori, Keli Trumpler, Philip Wiredu Addo, Sarah MacPherson and Mark Lefsrud

Plants 2023, 12(13), 2457; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12132457 - 27 Jun 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1637

Abstract

Full-spectrum light-emitting diodes (LEDs) mainly comprising 460-nm + 595-nm light are becoming a mainstay in the horticulture industry, and recent studies indicate that plant productivity under white LEDs is higher than combined blue and red LED lighting. Different light properties (wavelength and bandwidth) in full-spectrum light, particularly for the blue and amber light regions, have only partly been explored. This research aimed to characterize the effects of amber + blue light wavelengths and bandwidths on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum cv. Beefsteak) growth, morphology, and production efficiency. Tomato seedlings were subjected to four different light treatments for 60 days: narrow amber light (595 nm), narrow blue + narrow amber light (430 nm + 595 nm) with a 1:10 ratio, white LED (455 nm + 595 nm), and a high-pressure sodium (HPS) lamp (control). The highest mean fresh mass yield occurred with the narrow blue + narrow amber light (479 g), followed by white LED at 20% less, HPS at 34% less, and narrow amber at 40% less. Dry mass and plant height were similar among light treatments. Supplementing narrow amber light with 430-nm blue light led to a 20% increase in chlorophyll content. Findings indicate that narrow amber light is more efficient in biomass accumulation than broad amber light and that precise selection of different blue and amber wavelengths can greatly impact the growth and development of tomato seedlings. This energy-efficient narrow-wavelength combination shows improvement over white LED lighting for maximizing tomato growth. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of LED Light Spectra and Intensities on Plant Growth 2.0)

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18 pages, 2198 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of a phyA Mutation on Polyamine Metabolism in Arabidopsis Depends on Light Spectral Conditions

by Altafur Rahman, Judit Tajti, Imre Majláth, Tibor Janda, Sylva Prerostova, Mohamed Ahres and Magda Pál

Plants 2023, 12(8), 1689; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12081689 - 18 Apr 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1001

Abstract

The aim of the study was to reveal the influence of phyA mutations on polyamine metabolism in Arabidopsis under different spectral compositions. Polyamine metabolism was also provoked with exogenous spermine. The polyamine metabolism-related gene expression of the wild type and phyA plants responded similarly under white and far-red light conditions but not at blue light. Blue light influences rather the synthesis side, while far red had more pronounced effects on the catabolism and back-conversion of the polyamines. The observed changes under elevated far-red light were less dependent on PhyA than the blue light responses. The polyamine contents were similar under all light conditions in the two genotypes without spermine application, suggesting that a stable polyamine pool is important for normal plant growth conditions even under different spectral conditions. However, after spermine treatment, the blue regime had more similar effects on synthesis/catabolism and back-conversion to the white light than the far-red light conditions. The additive effects of differences observed on the synthesis, back-conversion and catabolism side of metabolism may be responsible for the similar putrescine content pattern under all light conditions, even in the presence of an excess of spermine. Our results demonstrated that both light spectrum and phyA mutation influence polyamine metabolism. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of LED Light Spectra and Intensities on Plant Growth 2.0)

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19 pages, 6413 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Metabolic Profiling of Primary and Secondary Metabolites in Kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes) Sprouts Exposed to Different Light-Emitting Diodes

by Ramaraj Sathasivam, Sang Un Park, Jae Kwang Kim, Young Jin Park, Min Cheol Kim, Bao Van Nguyen and Sook Young Lee

Plants 2023, 12(6), 1296; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12061296 - 13 Mar 2023

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1919

Abstract

Light-emitting diode (LED) technology is one of the most important light sources in the plant industry for enhancing growth and specific metabolites in plants. In this study, we analyzed the growth, primary and secondary metabolites of 10 days old kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes) sprouts exposed to different LED light conditions. The results showed that the highest fresh weight was achieved under red LED light, whereas the highest shoot and root lengths were recorded below the blue LED light. Furthermore, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis revealed the presence of 13 phenylpropanoid compounds, 8 glucosinolates (GSLs), and 5 different carotenoids. The phenylpropanoid and GSL contents were highest under blue LED light. In contrast, the carotenoid content was found to be maximum beneath white LED light. Principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) of the 71 identified metabolites using HPLC and gas chromatography–time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF-MS) showed a clear separation, indicating that different LEDs exhibited variation in the accumulation of primary and secondary metabolites. A heat map and hierarchical clustering analysis revealed that blue LED light accumulated the highest amount of primary and secondary metabolites. Overall, our results demonstrate that exposure of kohlrabi sprouts to blue LED light is the most suitable condition for the highest growth and is effective in increasing the phenylpropanoid and GSL content, whereas white light might be used to enhance carotenoid compounds in kohlrabi sprouts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of LED Light Spectra and Intensities on Plant Growth 2.0)

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13 pages, 2162 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Blue Photons from Broad-Spectrum LEDs Control Growth, Morphology, and Coloration of Indoor Hydroponic Red-Leaf Lettuce

by Qingwu Meng and Erik S. Runkle

Plants 2023, 12(5), 1127; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12051127 - 02 Mar 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2224

Abstract

For indoor crop production, blue + red light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have high photosynthetic efficacy but create pink or purple hues unsuitable for workers to inspect crops. Adding green light to blue + red light forms a broad spectrum (white light), which is created by: phosphor-converted blue LEDs that cast photons with longer wavelengths, or a combination of blue, green, and red LEDs. A broad spectrum typically has a lower energy efficiency than dichromatic blue + red light but increases color rendering and creates a visually pleasing work environment. Lettuce growth depends on the interactions of blue and green light, but it is not clear how phosphor-converted broad spectra, with or without supplemental blue and red light, influence crop growth and quality. We grew red-leaf lettuce ‘Rouxai’ in an indoor deep-flow hydroponic system at 22 °C air temperature and ambient CO₂. Upon germination, plants received six LED treatments delivering different blue fractions (from 7% to 35%) but the same total photon flux density (400 to 799 nm) of 180 μmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ under a 20 h photoperiod. The six LED treatments were: (1) warm white (WW₁₈₀); (2) mint white (MW₁₈₀); (3) MW₁₀₀ + blue₁₀ + red₇₀; (4) blue₂₀ + green₆₀ + red₁₀₀; (5) MW₁₀₀ + blue₅₀ + red₃₀; and (6) blue₆₀ + green₆₀ + red₆₀. Subscripts denote photon flux densities in μmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹. Treatments 3 and 4 had similar blue, green, and red photon flux densities, as did treatments 5 and 6. At the harvest of mature plants, lettuce biomass, morphology, and color were similar under WW₁₈₀ and MW₁₈₀, which had different green and red fractions but similar blue fractions. As the blue fraction in broad spectra increased, shoot fresh mass, shoot dry mass, leaf number, leaf size, and plant diameter generally decreased and red leaf coloration intensified. Compared to blue + green + red LEDs, white LEDs supplemented with blue + red LEDs had similar effects on lettuce when they delivered similar blue, green, and red photon flux densities. We conclude that the blue photon flux density in broad spectra predominantly controls lettuce biomass, morphology, and coloration. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of LED Light Spectra and Intensities on Plant Growth 2.0)

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20 pages, 3324 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Growth, Biomass Partitioning, and Photosynthetic Performance of Chrysanthemum Cuttings in Response to Different Light Spectra

by Moein Moosavi-Nezhad, Boshra Alibeigi, Ahmad Estaji, Nazim S. Gruda and Sasan Aliniaeifard

Plants 2022, 11(23), 3337; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11233337 - 01 Dec 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2203

Abstract

Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium) is among the most popular ornamental plants, propagated mainly through stem cuttings. There is a lack of information regarding the impact of the lighting environment on the successful production of cuttings and underlying mechanisms. The light spectrum affects plant morphology, growth, and photosynthesis. In the present study, chrysanthemum, cv. ‘Katinka’ cuttings, were exposed to five lighting spectra, including monochromatic red (R), blue (B) lights, and multichromatic lights, including a combination of R and B (R:B), a combination of R, B, and far red (R:B:FR) and white (W), for 30 days. B light enhanced areal growth, as indicated by a higher shoot mass ratio, while R light directed the biomass towards the underground parts of the cuttings. Monochromatic R and B lights promoted the emergence of new leaves. In contrast, individual leaf area was largest under multichromatic lights. Exposing the cuttings to R light led to the accumulation of carbohydrates in the leaves. Cuttings exposed to multichromatic lights showed higher chlorophyll content than monochromatic R- and B-exposed cuttings. Conversely, carotenoid and anthocyanin contents were the highest in monochromatic R- and B-exposed plants. B-exposed cuttings showed higher photosynthetic performance, exhibited by the highest performance index on the basis of light absorption, and maximal quantum yield of PSII efficiency. Although R light increased biomass toward roots, B light improved above-ground growth, photosynthetic functionality, and the visual performance of Chrysanthemum cuttings. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of LED Light Spectra and Intensities on Plant Growth 2.0)

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21 pages, 5095 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Far-Red Light Effects on Lettuce Growth and Morphology in Indoor Production Are Cultivar Specific

by Jun Liu and Marc W. van Iersel

Plants 2022, 11(20), 2714; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11202714 - 14 Oct 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1934

Abstract

Understanding crop responses to the light spectrum is critical for optimal indoor production. Far-red light is of particular interest, because it can accelerate growth through both physiological and morphological mechanisms. However, the optimal amount of supplemental far-red light for indoor lettuce production is yet to be quantified. Lettuce ‘Cherokee’, ‘Green SaladBowl’, and ‘Little Gem’ were grown under 204 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ warm-white light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with supplemental far-red ranging from 5.3 to 75.9 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹. Supplemental far-red light increased canopy light interception 5 days after the start of far-red light treatment (DAT) for ‘Green SaladBowl’ and ‘Little Gem’ and 7 DAT for ‘Cherokee’. The increase in light interception was no longer evident after 12 and 16 DAT for ‘Green SaladBowl’ and ‘Little Gem’, respectively. We did not find evidence that supplemental far-red light increased leaf-level photosynthesis. At the final harvest, shoot dry weights of ‘Cherokee’ and ‘Little Gem’ increased by 39.4% and 19.0%, respectively, while ‘Green SaladBowl’ was not affected. In conclusion, adding far-red light in indoor production increased light interception during early growth and likely increased whole plant photosynthesis thus growth, but those effects were cultivar-specific; the increase in dry weight was linear up to 75.9 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ far-red light. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of LED Light Spectra and Intensities on Plant Growth 2.0)

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Review

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18 pages, 1324 KiB

Open AccessReview

LED Lighting to Produce High-Quality Ornamental Plants

by Alice Trivellini, Stefania Toscano, Daniela Romano and Antonio Ferrante

Plants 2023, 12(8), 1667; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12081667 - 16 Apr 2023

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3866

Abstract

The flexibility of LED technology, in terms of energy efficiency, robustness, compactness, long lifetime, and low heat emission, as well as its applications as a sole source or supplemental lighting system, offers interesting potential, giving the ornamental industry an edge over traditional production practices. Light is a fundamental environmental factor that provides energy for plants through photosynthesis, but it also acts as a signal and coordinates multifaceted plant-growth and development processes. With manipulations of light quality affecting specific plant traits such as flowering, plant architecture, and pigmentation, the focus has been placed on the ability to precisely manage the light growing environment, proving to be an effective tool to produce tailored plants according to market request. Applying lighting technology grants growers several productive advantages, such as planned production (early flowering, continuous production, and predictable yield), improved plant habitus (rooting and height), regulated leaf and flower color, and overall improved quality attributes of commodities. Potential LED benefits to the floriculture industry are not limited to the aesthetic and economic value of the product obtained; LED technology also represents a solid, sustainable option for reducing agrochemical (plant-growth regulators and pesticides) and energy inputs (power energy). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of LED Light Spectra and Intensities on Plant Growth 2.0)

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17 pages, 570 KiB

Open AccessReview

LED Technology Applied to Plant Development for Promoting the Accumulation of Bioactive Compounds: A Review

by Oana Livadariu, Carmen Maximilian, Behnaz Rahmanifar and Calina Petruta Cornea

Plants 2023, 12(5), 1075; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12051075 - 28 Feb 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3671

Abstract

Light is an important environmental factor for plants. The quality of light and the wavelength stimulate enzyme activation, regulate enzyme synthesis pathways and promote bioactive compound accumulation. In this respect, the utilization of LED light under controlled conditions in agriculture and horticulture could be the most suitable choice for increasing the nutritional values of various crops. In recent decades, LED lighting has been increasingly used in horticulture and agriculture for commercial-scale breeding of many species of economic interest. Most studies on the influence of LED lighting on the accumulation of bioactive compounds in any type of plants (horticultural, agricultural species or sprouts) and also biomass production, were carried out in growth chambers under controlled conditions, without natural light. Illumination with LED could be a solution for obtaining an important crop with maximum efficiency, with a high nutritional value and minimum effort. To demonstrate the importance of LED lighting in agriculture and horticulture, we carried out a review based on a large number of results cited in the literature. The results were collected from 95 articles and were obtained using the keyword LED combined with plant growth; flavonoids; phenols; carotenoids; terpenes; glucosinolates; food preservation. We found the subject regarding the LED effect on plant growth and development in 11 of the articles analyzed. The treatment of LED on phenol content was registered in 19 articles, while information regarding flavonoid concentrations was revealed by 11 articles. Two articles we reviewed debate the accumulation of glucosinolates and four articles analyzed the synthesis of terpenes under LED illumination and 14 papers analyzed the variation in content of carotenoids. The effect of LED on food preservation was reported in 18 of the works analyzed. Some of the 95 papers contained references which included more keywords. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of LED Light Spectra and Intensities on Plant Growth 2.0)

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