Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
6.2
3.3
Journals
Agronomy
Special Issues
Advanced Lighting Strategies for Controlling Crop Development and Quality
share announcement

Advanced Lighting Strategies for Controlling Crop Development and Quality

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant-Crop Biology and Biochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2025 | Viewed by 2916

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Onofrio davide Palmitessa

E-Mail
Guest Editor
Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Via Amendola 165/a, 70126 Bari, Italy
Interests: vegetables; greenhouse; plant physiology; artificial light; growth chamber; soilless; hydroponic; aquaponic; microgreens; sprouts; water management; nutrient solution; horticulturae; tomato; cucumber; melon; leafy vegetables; vegetables quality; agronomic technique; open field; grow media
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Giacomo Cocetta

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences-Production, Landscape, Agroenergy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milano, MI, Italy
Interests: soilless systems; artificial light application; biostimulants; abiotic stresses
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Currently, with the introduction of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as a source of artificial lighting in horticulture, there has been considerable developments in the applications of this technique for both greenhouse and indoor applications. Similarly, the use of this technology has slowed down considerably due to the surge in electricity costs that occurred in the post-pandemic period and still carries some repercussions today.

This Special Issues aims to provide a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in lighting strategies and their impact on the development and quality of vegetable, flower, and ornamental crops. It aims to explore cutting-edge research on the utilization of innovative light management systems with different wavelengths, light intensities, photoperiods, and lighting technologies to manipulate various aspects of plant growth, reducing electric energy requirement, and increasing the agronomic inputs’ use efficiency.

We are soliciting papers presenting original research, reviews, and perspectives on spectral manipulation, lighting technology innovations, physiological responses of plants to light, and practical applications of advanced lighting strategies in agriculture, horticulture, and controlled environment settings.

Dr. Onofrio Davide Palmitessa
Dr. Giacomo Cocetta
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Agronomy is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2600 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

  • smart light management systems
  • input use efficiency
  • light emitting diodes (LEDs)
  • greenhouse horticulture
  • vertical farming
  • indoor farming
  • vegetables quality

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

15 pages, 2795 KiB  
Article
Compensation Mechanisms for Early Maturity and High Yield in Tartary Buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum): A Study on ‘Source–Sink’ Relationship and Phosphorus Utilization
by Xuling Chen, Li Yang, Chunxia Zhao, Shunjiang Zhao, Ziye Meng, Xiaona Zhang, Qijiao Chen, Kesu Wei, Dabing Xiang, Yan Wan, Yu Fan, Yan Wang and Chenggang Liang
Agronomy 2025, 15(1), 173; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15010173 - 12 Jan 2025
Viewed by 493
Abstract
The regulatory mechanisms underlying the ‘source–sink’ relationship in Tartary buckwheat remain largely unexplored. This study selected an early-maturing, high-yield variety, ‘Zhukuzao1’ (ZKZ1), to delve into the ‘source–sink’ relationship and the regulatory mechanisms of phosphorus utilization. Compared with Jinqiao2 (JQ2), ZKZ1 matured approximately 10 [...] Read more.
The regulatory mechanisms underlying the ‘source–sink’ relationship in Tartary buckwheat remain largely unexplored. This study selected an early-maturing, high-yield variety, ‘Zhukuzao1’ (ZKZ1), to delve into the ‘source–sink’ relationship and the regulatory mechanisms of phosphorus utilization. Compared with Jinqiao2 (JQ2), ZKZ1 matured approximately 10 days earlier, with significantly reduced chlorophyll content, net photosynthetic rate, and down-regulated PSI-III and GBSSI, indicating a reduced ‘source’. However, ZKZ1 maintained soluble sugar levels in upper leaves and increased sugar transport to seeds, promoting plant growth and yield formation. Under varying phosphorus conditions, ZKZ1 exhibited significantly higher total phosphorus content in lower (3.9~4.5-fold) and upper (1.4~1.6-fold) leaves of seedlings, along with increased phosphorus transport to upper leaves and seeds, and up-regulated PHO1 (2.4~3.0-fold), SPX3 (1.8~2.8-fold), PAP2 (2.8~7.7-fold), and 5PTase2 (1.4~3.5-fold) in leaves, indicating improved phosphorus absorption, transport, and remobilization. At maturity, ZKZ1 achieved yields comparable to JQ2, with superior quality traits, including significantly increased contents of protein (glutenin, prolamin, and globulin) and flavonoids under normal phosphorus conditions. Notably, the efficient phosphorus-regulated sugar metabolism in ZKZ1 maintains yield via enhanced ‘flow’ despite photosynthesis decrease. This study highlights the potential of optimizing the ‘source–sink’ relationship and phosphorus utilization in early-maturing, high-yield Tartary buckwheat breeding. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Lighting Strategies for Controlling Crop Development and Quality)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

22 pages, 2754 KiB  
Article
A Comparative Study of Agroecological Intensification Across Diverse European Agricultural Systems to Assess Soil Structure and Carbon Dynamics
by Modupe Olufemi Doyeni, Grazina Kadziene, Simona Pranaitiene, Alvyra Slepetiene, Aida Skersiene, Arman Shamshitov, Alessandra Trinchera, Dylan Warren Raffa, Elena Testani, Sebastien Fontaine, Antonio Rodriguez-Hernandez, Jim Rasmussen, Sara Sánchez-Moreno, Marjoleine Hanegraaf, Akin Un, Simon Sail and Skaidre Suproniene
Agronomy 2024, 14(12), 3024; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14123024 - 18 Dec 2024
Viewed by 600
Abstract
Continuous agricultural activities lead to soil organic carbon (SOC) depletion, and agroecological intensification practices (i.e., reduced soil disturbance and crop diversification) have been suggested as strategies to increase SOC storage. The study aims to assess the effect of agroecological intensification levels (lower (T1) [...] Read more.
Continuous agricultural activities lead to soil organic carbon (SOC) depletion, and agroecological intensification practices (i.e., reduced soil disturbance and crop diversification) have been suggested as strategies to increase SOC storage. The study aims to assess the effect of agroecological intensification levels (lower (T1) and highest (T2)) on the soil C pool and aggregate stability and validate the correlation between different variables compared to the control (lowest/none (T3), where agroecological intensification was not applied. The C-stock, soil microbial biomass carbon (SMB-C), SOC, water extractable organic carbon (WEOC) in bulk soil, fine and coarse soil aggregates, and water-stable aggregates (WSA) were measured during maximum nutrient uptake in plants under diversified agroecological practices across different environmental conditions (core sites: Italy (CS1), France (CS2), Denmark (CS4), Spain (CS5), Netherlands (CS6), Lithuania (CS7), Turkey (CS8), and Belgium (CS9)). The soil aggregate stability varied among the CSs and treatments. At sites CS7 and CS9, WSA was higher in T1 and T2 compared to the control; a similar trend was observed at other sites, except CS1. SMB-C differed among the core sites, with the lowest value obtained in CS5 (52.3 μg g−1) and the highest in CS6 (455.1 μg g−1). The highest average contents of SOC and WEOC were obtained in bulk soil at CS2 (3.1 % and 0.3 g kg−1 respectively). Positive and statistically significant (p < 0.001) correlations were detected among all variables tested with SOC in bulk soil and WSA. This study demonstrates the significance of agroecological practices in improving soil carbon stock and optimizing plant–soil–microbe interactions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Lighting Strategies for Controlling Crop Development and Quality)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

26 pages, 10339 KiB  
Article
Harvesting Light: The Interrelation of Spectrum, Plant Density, Secondary Metabolites, and Cannabis sativa L. Yield
by Philipp Reichel, Sebastian Munz, Jens Hartung and Simone Graeff-Hönninger
Agronomy 2024, 14(11), 2565; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14112565 - 1 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1227
Abstract
The approaching legalisation and associated increasing demand for medicinal and recreational Cannabis sativa L. will lead to a growing relevance for lighting systems designed for Cannabis sativa L. The interplay between plant density, light spectrum, light distribution, yield, and secondary metabolite distribution within [...] Read more.
The approaching legalisation and associated increasing demand for medicinal and recreational Cannabis sativa L. will lead to a growing relevance for lighting systems designed for Cannabis sativa L. The interplay between plant density, light spectrum, light distribution, yield, and secondary metabolite distribution within the plant has not yet been studied. To fill this knowledge gap, a CBD-dominant Cannabis sativa L. strain was grown in a greenhouse experiment with two plant densities (2.66 and 12 plants −1 m−2) under two different light spectra. The chosen light spectra were two LED fixtures, Solray385 (SOL) and AP67, with an R: FR ratio of 12.9 and 3.7, respectively. The results indicated that light-induced effects on individual plants can be transferred to the plant stock. A low R: FR ratio induced a 16% increase in dry flower yield in the last ten days of flowering, while a change in the light spectrum could increase the potential maximum plant density per square metre. The two spectra did not affect (CBD + CBDA) yield, as a lower flower yield compensated for a higher concentration. CBDA concentration was not significantly affected by plant density. In contrast, the higher density led to an increased total cannabidiol concentration (CBD + CBDA) and altered the distribution of terpenes. Here, the light distribution over the plant stock is particularly decisive, as a more homogenous illumination led to an increased terpene concentration of up to 41%. A Photon Conversion Efficacy (PCE) of 0.05 g mol−1 under SOL and 0.06 g mol−1 under AP67 was achieved. Plants in the centre under the highest light intensity of 1200 PAR showed up to 48% reduced efficacy. These results strongly suggest that light intensity needs to be fine-tuned to the cultivation system to prevent a reduction in efficacy, resulting in yield and quality losses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Lighting Strategies for Controlling Crop Development and Quality)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop