106(3)_str36

ISSN 1392-3196 / e-ISSN 2335-8947
Zemdirbyste-Agriculture, vol. 106, No. 3 (2019), p. 281–286
DOI 10.13080/z-a.2019.106.036

White, blue and red LED lighting on growth, morphology and accumulation of flavonoid compounds in leafy greens

Bożena MATYSIAK, Artur KOWALSKI

Abstract

Growth, morphology and accumulation of flavonoid compounds in green- and purple-leaved sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.), lamb’s lettuce (Valerianella locusta (L.) Laterr.) and garden rocket (Eruca sativa L.) grown in a greenhouse under natural day light supplemented with white, blue (440 nm) and red (660 nm) light-emitting diodes (LEDs), all at 130 µmol m^-2 s^-1, were studied in winter time. Under white and red LED lights, fresh weights of above-ground parts of lamb’s lettuce and garden rocket were the highest, whereas under blue light they were the lowest, in comparison to the control (natural light). For green- and purple-leaved basil no significant differences in biomass production were observed when different light spectra qualities were applied. Supplementation of daily light with blue light resulted in more compact growth of green-leaved basil, as compared to plants grown under natural light and those supplemented with white and red lights. A non-destructive method using an optical sensor was used for evaluation of flavonol, anthocyanin and chlorophyll indexes in plants. Blue light led to significantly increased flavonol index in both green- and purple-leaved basil, lamb’s lettuce and garden rocket plants.

Key words: crop improvement, Eruca sativa, flavonols, Ocimum basilicum, Valerianella locusta.

Full text: 106_3_str36.pdf