Abstract
Inch (Tradescantia zebrina) and spider (Chlorophytum comosum) plants were grown in a growth chamber for two months in plastic containers to evaluate the effects of different light treatments (TO Tube luminescent Dunn (TLD) lamps or control), TB (TLD lamps + blue light emitting diodes (LEDs)), TR (TLD lamps + red LEDs), and TBR (TLD lamps + blue and red LEDs) on biomass, photosynthesis, and physiological parameters. Total dry weight and water content were evaluated at the end of the experimental period. After two months, pigment concentrations and the photosynthetic rate were assessed in both species. The total soluble sugar, starch, and proline concentrations in the leaf as physiological parameters were studied at the end of the experiment. Both species had increased root, shoot, and total dry weight under blue LEDs conditions. The chlorophyll concentration showed a specific response in each species under monochromic or mixed red-blue LEDs. The highest photosynthetic rate was measured under the addition of mixed red-blue LEDs with TLD lamps. At the physiological level, each species triggered different responses with respect to total soluble sugars and the proline concentration in leaves under monochromic or mixed red-blue LEDs. Our study demonstrated that the addition of blue LEDs is advisable for the production of these ornamental foliage species.
Highlights
Foliage plant production represents an important agricultural industry worldwide with a net wholesale value of 50 billion € [1,2]
The values of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) were slightly higher under the light emitting diodes (LEDs)-supplemented conditions
The lack of variation in the root dry weight in both species in our experiment under red light conditions was in line with the results obtained by Randall and Lopez [23], who reported that snapdragon, Madagascar periwinkle, zonal geranium, and French marigold plants did not show significant changes in root dry weight under red light conditions compared to the control treatment
Summary
Foliage plant production represents an important agricultural industry worldwide with a net wholesale value of 50 billion € [1,2]. The use of foliage plants for removing indoor air pollutants in buildings is a fashion trend among consumers since these species are air-filters for volatile compounds such as benzene [3]. The production of indoor foliage plants with an additional capacity of pollutant removal is an added value that should be considered in ornamental horticulture. The choice of species with a well-known capacity to remove pollutants should be done following the recommendations given by Cathey and Campbell [4], who established the lighting requirements for indoor foliage plants. The use of artificial lighting has been related to the improvement of the commercial value which depends on the visual quality characterized by different factors such as stem elongation, compactness, branching, and flowering [7]. LEDs provide options to select specific wavelengths for a targeted plant response which can be desirable for the production of indoor ornamental plants [10]
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