High intensity and red enriched LED lights increased the growth of lettuce and endive

Submitted: 19 May 2021
Accepted: 28 November 2021
Published: 27 December 2021
Abstract Views: 1277
PDF: 661
HTML: 186
Publisher's note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Authors

  • Monica Flores Postharvest Studies Center, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile.
  • Miguel Urrestarazu Soilless culture laboratory, CIAIMBITAL, University of Almeria, Almeria, Spain.
  • Asuncion Amorós Department of Applied Biology, Universidad Miguel Hern ndez de Elche, Orihuela, Alicante, Spain.
  • Victor Escalona vescalona@uchile.cl Postharvest Studies Center, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile; Department of Agricultural Production, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile.

Changes in plant responses have been associated with different fractions of the visible spectrum and light intensity. Advances in light-emitting diodes (LED) have enabled the study of the effect of narrow wavelengths on plant growth and antioxidant compound synthesis. LED technology also facilitates the incorporation of light sources in a controlled setting where light spectra and intensity can be regulated. The objective of this study was to compare the effect of two commercial light spectra (S1: standard white light with 32.8% blue, 42.5% green, 21.7% red, and 2.4% far-red; S2: AP67 spectrum, designed for horticultural growth, with 16.9% blue, 20.5% green, 49.7% red and 12.3% far red) at two light intensities [low intensity (78 μmol m–2s–1 of photons for S1 and 62 μmol m–2s–1 for S2, and high intensity (HI) (102 and 100 μmol m–2s–1 for S1 and S2, respectively)] on growth and antioxidant compound contents in two leafy vegetables: endive (Cichorium endivia L.) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). Fresh weight (FW), dry weight (DW), and DW% of plants were taken as growth indicators. In addition, leaf number, soil plant analysis development index, leaf area (LA), and specific leaf area were also evaluated. Antioxidant synthesis was measured as total phenol content, total flavonoid content, and antioxidant activity. The results showed that S2 and HI increased the FW, DW, and LA in both species. On the other hand, antioxidant compound contents were significantly increased by HI but did not vary with the spectrum.

Highlights
- The spectra of LED affected leaf number in lettuce and endive.
- S2 spectrum improved growth parameters of both leafy vegetables.
- Light intensity improved growth parameters of both leafy vegetables.
- Antioxidant compound contents were significantly increased by high intensity LED light.

Dimensions

Altmetric

PlumX Metrics

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Citations

Ainsworth EA, Gillespie KM, 2007. Estimation of total phenolic content and other oxidation substrates in plant tissues using Folin–Ciocalteu reagent. Nat. Protoc. 2:875-7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nprot.2007.102
Bartucca ML, Guiducci M, Falcinelli B, Del Buono D, Benincasa P, 2020. Blue:Red LED light proportion affects vegetative parameters, pigment content, and oxidative status of einkorn (Triticum monococcum L. ssp. monococcum) wheatgrass. J Agr Food Chem. 68:8757-63. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.0c03851
Benincasa P, Tosti G, Farneselli M, Maranghi S, Bravi E, Marconi O, Falcinelli B, Guiducci M, 2020. Phenolic content and antioxidant activity of einkorn and emmer sprouts and wheatgrass obtained under different radiation wavelengths. Ann. Agric. Sci. 65:68-76. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aoas.2020.02.001
Benzie IF, Strain JJ, 1996. The ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) as a measure of ‘antioxidant power’: The FRAP Assay. ‎Anal. Biochem. 239:70-6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1006/abio.1996.0292
Bowyer JB, Leeggood RC, 1997. Phtosynthesis. In: P.M. Dey, J.B. Harborne (Eds.), Plant biochemistry. Academic Press Ltd., San Diego, CA, USA, pp. 49-110.
Chen X-L, Li Y-L, Wang L-C, Guo W-Z, 2021. Red and blue wavelengths affect the morphology, energy use efficiency and nutritional content of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). Sci. Rep. 11:8374. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-87911-7
Choi HG, Moon BY, Kang NJ, 2015. Effects of LED light on the production of strawberry during cultivation in a plastic greenhouse and in a growth chamber. Sci. Hortic. 189:22-31. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2015.03.022
Colonna E, Rouphael Y, Barbieri G, De Pascale S, 2015. Nutritional quality of ten leafy vegetables harvested at two light intensities. Food Chem. 199:702-10. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2015.12.068
Cometti, N.N., Martins MQ, Bremenkamp CA, Nunes JA, 2011. Nitrate concentration in lettuce leaves depending on photosynthetic photon flux and nitrate concentration in the nutrient solution. Hortic. Bras. 29:548-53. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/S0102-05362011000400018
Craver JK, Gerovac JR, Lopez RG, Kopsell DA, 2017. Light quality from sole-source light-emitting diodes impact phytochemical concentrations within Brassica microgreens. J. Am. Soc. Hortic. Sci. 142:3-12. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21273/JASHS03830-16
Crozier A, Jaganath IB, Clifford MN, 2006. Phenols, polyphenols and tannins: an overview. In: A. Crozier, M.N. Clifford, H. Ashihara (Eds.), Plant secondary metabolites: occurrence, structure, and role in the human diet. Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, UK, pp. 1-24. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470988558.ch1
Di Rienzo JA, Casanoves F, Balzarini MG, Gonzalez L, Tablada M, Robledo CW, 2017. InfoStat versión. Grupo InfoStat, FCA, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina.
Ebisawa M, Shoiji K, Kato M, Shimomura K, Goto F, Yoshihara T, 2008. Supplementary ultraviolet radiation B together with blue light at night increased quercetin content and flavonol synthase gene expression in leaf lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). Envirom. Control Biol. 46:1-11. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2525/ecb.46.1
Edreva A, 2005. The importance of non-photosynthetic pigments and cinnamic acid derivatives in photoprotection. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 106:135-46. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2004.10.002
Fan XX, Xu ZG, Liu XY, Tang CM, Wang LW, Han XL, 2013. Effects of light intensity on the growth and leaf development of young tomato plants grown under a combination of red and blue light. Sci. Hort. 153:50-5. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2013.01.017
Farquhar GD, Sharkey TD, 1982. Stomatal conductance and photosynthesis. Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. 33:317-45. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.pp.33.060182.001533
FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), 2020. FAOSTAT, Crops. Metadata last update 29-07-2020. Last actualization: 22/12/2020. Accessed: 17/02/2021.
Galieni A, Di Mattia C, De Gregorio M, Speca S, Mastrocola D, Pisante M, Stagnari F, 2015. Effects of nutrient deficiency and abiotic environmental stresses on yield, phenolic compounds, and antiradical activity in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). Sci. Hort. 187:93-101. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2015.02.036
Gupta S, Prakash J, 2009. Studies on Indian green leafy vegetables for their antioxidant Activity. Plant Foods Hum. Nutr. 64:39-45. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-008-0096-6
Hao X, Zheng JM, Little C, Khosla S, 2012. LED inter-lighting in year-round greenhouse mini-cucumber production. Acta Hortic. 956:335-40. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2012.956.38
Hasan M, Bashir T, Ghosh R, Lee SK, Bae H, 2017. An overview of LEDs’ effects on the production of bioactive compounds and crop quality. Molecules 22:1420. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules22091420
Huché-Thélier L, Crespel L, Le Gourrierec J, Morel P, Sakr S, Leduc N, 2016. Light signaling and plant responses to blue and UV radiations-perspectives for applications in horticulture. Environ. Exper. Bot. 121:22-38. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envexpbot.2015.06.009
Johkan M, Shoji K, Goto F, Hashida S, Yoshihara T, 2010. Blue light-emitting diode light irradiation of seedlings improves seedling quality and growth after transplanting in red leaf lettuce. HortSci. 45:1809-14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI.45.12.1809
Kozai T, Niu G, 2016. Chapter 1-Introduction. In: T. Kozai, G. Niu, M. Takagaki (Eds.), Plant factory: An indoor vertical farming system for efficient quality food production. Elsevier, Boston, MA, USA pp. 3-5.
Leyva A, Jarillo JA, Salinas J, Martinezzapate, JM, 1995. Low temperature induces the accumulation of phenylalanine ammonia lyase and chalcone synthase messenger RNAs of Arabidopsis thaliana in a light dependent manner. Plat Physiol. 108:39-46. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.108.1.39
Liu XY, Xu ZG, Chang TT, Guo SR, 2010. Growth and photosynthesis of cherry tomato seedling exposed to different low light of LED light quality. Acta Bot. Boreal-Occid. Sin. 30:645-51.
Liu Y, Qian C, Ding S, Shang X, Yang W. Fang S, 2016. Effect of light regime and provenance on leaf characteristics, growth, and flavonoid accumulation in Cyclocarya paliurus (Batal) Iljinskaja coppices. Bot. Stud. 57:28. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40529-016-0145-7
Llorach R, Martínez-Sánchez A, Tomás-Barberán FA, Gil MI, Ferreres F, 2008. Characterization of polyphenols and antioxidant properties of five lettuce varieties and escarole. Food Chem. 108:1028-38. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2007.11.032
Murakami K, Matsuda R, 2016. Optical and physiological properties of a leaf. In: T. Kozai, K. Fujiwara, E. Runkle (Eds.), LED lighting for urban agriculture. Springer, Singapore, pp. 113-23. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-1848-0_8
McCree KJ, 1972. The action spectrum, absorbance, and quantum yield of photosynthesis in crop plants. Agr. Meteorol. 9:191-216. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0002-1571(71)90022-7
Oh MM, Carey EE, Rajashekar CB, 2009. Environmental stresses induce health-promoting phytochemicals in lettuce. Plant Physiol. Biochem. 47:578-83. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plaphy.2009.02.008
Pérez-López U, Miranda-Apodaca J, Muñóz-Rueda A, Mena-Petite A, 2013. Lettuce production and antioxidant capacity are differentially modified by salt stress and light intensity under ambient and elevated CO2. J. Plant Physiol. 170:1517-25. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jplph.2013.06.004
Pérez-López U, Sgherri C, Miranda-Apodaca J, Micaelli F, Lacuesta M, Mena-Petite A, Quartacci MF, Muñóz-Rueda A, 2018. Concentration of phenolic compounds is increased in lettuce grown under high light intensity and elevated CO2. Plant Physiol. Biochem. 123:233-41. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plaphy.2017.12.010
Sabzalian MR, Heydarizadeh P, Zahedi M, Boroomand A, Agharokh M, Sahba MR, Schoefs B, 2014. High performance of vegetables, flowers, and medicinal plants in a red-blue LED incubator for indoor plant production. Agron. Sustain. Dev. 34:879-86. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-014-0209-6
Schneider CA, Rasband WS, Eliceiri KW, 2012. NIH Image to ImageJ: 25 years of image analysis. Nature Methods 9:671-5. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nmeth.2089
Shirke PA, Pathre UV, 2003. Diurnal and seasonal changes in photosynthesis and photosystem 2 photochemical efficiency in Prosopis juliflora leaves subjected to natural environmental stress. Photosynthetica. 41:83-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025864513663
Snowden MC, Cope KR, Bugbee B, 2016. Sensitivity of seven diverse species to blue and green light: interactions with photon flux. PLoS One 11:e0163121. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0163121
Son KH, Oh MM, 2013. Leaf shape, growth, and antioxidant phenolic compounds of two lettuce cultivars grown under various combinations of blue and red light-emitting diodes. HortSci. 48:988-95. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI.48.8.988
Son KH, Oh MM, 2015. Growth, photosynthetic and antioxidant parameters of two lettuce cultivars as affected by red, green, and blue light-emitting diode. Hortic. Environ. Biotechnol. 56:639-53. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13580-015-1064-3
Sonneveld C, Straver N, 1994. Voedingsoplossingen voor groenten en bloemen geteeld in water of substraten [Nutrient solutions for vegetables and flower grown in water or substrates]. 10th ed. Proefstation voor Tuinbouw onder Glas, Naaldwijk, Netherlands.
Stenbaek A, Jensen PE, 2010. Redox regulation of chlorophyll biosynthesis. Phytochemistry. 71:853-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phytochem.2010.03.022
Tharasena B, Lawan S, 2014. Phenolics, flavonoids and antioxidant activity of vegetables as thai side dish. APCBEE Procedia 8:99-104. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcbee.2014.03.008
Tosti G, Benincasa P, Cortona R, Falcinelli B, Farneselli M, Guiducci M, Onofri A, Pannacci E, Tei F, Giulietti M, 2018. Growing lettuce under multispectral light-emitting diodes lamps with adjustable light intensity. Ital. J. Agron. 13:57-62. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4081/ija.2017.883
Urrestarazu M, Nájera C, Gea M, 2016. Effect of the spectral quality and intensity of light-emitting diodes on several horticultural crops. HortSci. 51:268-71. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI.51.3.268
Wang J, Lu W, Tong Y, Yang Q, 2016. Leaf morphology, photosynthetic performance, chlorophyll fluorescence, stomatal development of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) exposed to different ratios of red light to blue light. Front. Plant Sci. 7:250. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2016.00250
Yao X, Liu X, Xu Z, Jiao X, 2017. Effects of light intensity on leaf microstructure and growth of rape seedlings cultivated under a combination of red and blue LEDs. J. Integr. Agric. 16:97-105. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2095-3119(16)61393-X
Yorio NC, Goins GD, Kagie HR, Wheeler RM, Sager JC, 2001. Improving spinach, radish, and lettuce growth under red light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with blue light supplementation. HortSci. 36:380-3. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI.36.2.380

How to Cite

Flores, M., Urrestarazu, M., Amorós, A., & Escalona, V. (2021). High intensity and red enriched LED lights increased the growth of lettuce and endive. Italian Journal of Agronomy, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.4081/ija.2021.1915