Abstract
Light-emitting diode lamps can allow for the optimization of lighting conditions in artificial growing environments, with respect to light quality, quantity, and photoperiod extension, to precisely manage resources and crop performance. Eruca vesicaria (L.) Cav. was hydroponically cultured under three light treatments to investigate the effect on yield and nutritional properties of rocket plants. A treatment of (W-12h) having a12/12 h light/dark at 600 μmol m−2 s−1 provided by LEDs W:FR:R:B = 12:2:71:15 was compared with two treatments of continuous lighting (CL), 24 h light at 300 μmol m−2 s−1 provided by cool white LEDs (W-CL), and by LED R:B = 73:27 (RB-CL). CL enhanced the growth of the rocket plants: total fresh biomass, leaf fresh weight, and shoot/root ratio increased in W-CL, and leaf dry weight, leaf dry matter %, root fresh and dry weight, and specific leaf dry weight (SLDW) increased in RB-CL. Total carbon content was higher in RB-CL, whereas total nitrogen and proteins content increased in W-12h. Both W-CL and RB-CL increased carbohydrate content in the rocket leaves, while W-CL alone increased the sugar content in the roots. Fibers, pigments, antioxidant compounds, and malic acid were increased by CL regardless of the light spectrum applied. Nitrate was significantly reduced in the rocket leaves grown both in W-CL and RB-CL. Thus, the application of CL with low light intensity can increase the yield and quality value of rocket, highlighting that careful scheduling of light spectrum, intensity, and photoperiod can improve the performance of the crop.
Highlights
Light is an essential environmental factor affecting plant growth, development, and phytochemical biosynthesis over short and long periods of growth as a result of the functionality exerted by radiation intensity and spectral composition
The growth and productivity of the rocket plants were significantly affected by different lighting conditions (Table 1), with those grown under W-continuous lighting (CL) treatment conditions outperforming the others in terms of production of total fresh and dry matter, and fresh and dry leaf weight
The specific leaf dry weight (SLDW) was 22 and 36% lower in the plants produced under W-CL and with the photoperiod of 12 h dark/light (W-12h) conditions, respectively, compared with the parameter measured in leaves produced under RB-CL conditions
Summary
Light is an essential environmental factor affecting plant growth, development, and phytochemical biosynthesis over short and long periods of growth as a result of the functionality exerted by radiation intensity and spectral composition. The optimal light setting, in terms of light quantity and quality is a key element of controlled environment agriculture (CEA) where all factors are controlled to optimize productivity and resource use efficiency (Graamans et al, 2018). LEDs have many favorable characteristics when compared with previously available lamp types Among them is their low energy requirement, low radiant heat output, very fast response time and tunability, long duration, and the availability of a large variety of narrowband-emitting diodes. This latter characteristic may allow for the scheduled induction of spectral-dependent physiological responses of plants, ensuring the optimal light setting for both crop yield and quality (Singh et al, 2015). It is clear that a careful evaluation of the response to the light environment should be performed for each species as well as the growing conditions if maximizing efficiency, yield, and quality is the target
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