Light and Plant Nutrition

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 October 2024) | Viewed by 7606

Special Issue Editors

*
Website
Guest Editor
Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Institute of Horticulture, Kaunas str. 30, Kaunas distr., LT-54333 Babtai, Lithuania
Interests: plant stress physiology; phytochemistry; nanotechnology in agriculture; hydroponics
* We dedicate the memory of the editor, Dr. Jurga Miliauskienė, who passed away during this special issue period.

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Horticulture, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Kaunas Str. 30, 54333 Kaunas, Lithuania
Interests: photophysiology; physiology of plant productivity; stress physiology; horticulture
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Institute of Horticulture, Kaunas Str. 30, Kaunas Distr., LT-54333 Babtai, Lithuania
Interests: nanotechnology in agriculture; physiology of plant stress; physiology of plant productivity

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over the past few decades, consumers have become more health-conscious and are consuming more vegetables, which are a source of various health-beneficial compounds, including minerals. Various vegetables are widely cultivated in open fields, various tunnels, screenhouses and controlled environment agriculture (CEA). Light is one of the most important environmental factors which has significant effects on plant growth development and metabolism. The technology of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) lighting has increasingly been used in CEA. This allows the light spectrum, intensity, and duration to be tailored to enhance specific physiological responses in plants and optimise the light use efficiency when cultivating high-value crops. Manipulation of light quality using photo-selective netting or films is important for the yield and quality of horticulture plants cultivated in tunnels and screenhouses. Seasonal lighting changes are important for open-field plants. Numerous studies have reported the effects of various lighting conditions on plants' primary and secondary metabolism. However, there is still a lack of information on how manipulation of light parameters can alter mineral nutrient levels and their interactions in various horticultural plants. More than half of the world's population suffers from an insufficient content of micronutrients in their diet, so various modern, safe measures are being sought to improve the nutritional properties of plants. One of the methods is biofortification, which was proposed as a solution to increase the content of mineral nutrients in various plants not only by breeding or biotechnological methods but also by applying various agrotechnological measures, e.g. purposeful selection of artificial lighting, customised targeted nutrition, use of various nanoparticles or adaptation of interaction of other factors. In this case, it is very important to understand the mechanisms of the effects of lighting and other environmental factors on plant mineral metabolism and related changes in the synthesis of bioactive compounds. In this Special Issue, will be published reviews and scientific research focusing on the impact of various light parameters (spectrum, intensity, photoperiod, etc.) on the contents of macro- and microelements and the analysis of their interaction with various bioactive compounds.

Dr. Jurga Miliauskienė
Dr. Aušra Brazaitytė
Dr. Rūta Sutulienė
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • light parameters (spectrum, intensity, photoperiod, etc.)
  • light-emitting diodes
  • covering materials
  • photo-selective nets
  • interaction between light and other environmental factors (temperature, CO2, relative humidity, plant nutrition, etc.) interaction
  • macronutrients
  • micronutrients
  • nano nutrients
  • biofortification
  • metabolism
  • nutrient–nutrient interaction

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 1123 KiB  
Article
Nanoparticle Effects on Ice Plant Mineral Accumulation under Different Lighting Conditions and Assessment of Hazard Quotients for Human Health
by Rūta Sutulienė, Aušra Brazaitytė, Martynas Urbutis, Simona Tučkutė and Pavelas Duchovskis
Plants 2024, 13(5), 681; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13050681 - 28 Feb 2024
Viewed by 877
Abstract
Nanotechnologies can improve plant growth, protect it from pathogens, and enrich it with bioactive and mineral substances. In order to fill the lack of knowledge about the combined environmental effects of lighting and nanoparticles (NPs) on plants, this study is designed to investigate [...] Read more.
Nanotechnologies can improve plant growth, protect it from pathogens, and enrich it with bioactive and mineral substances. In order to fill the lack of knowledge about the combined environmental effects of lighting and nanoparticles (NPs) on plants, this study is designed to investigate how different HPS and LED lighting combined with CuO and ZnO NPs influence the elemental composition of ice plants (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L.). Plants were grown in hydroponic systems with LED and HPS lighting at 250 ± 5 μmol m−2 s−1 intensity, sprayed with aqueous suspensions of CuO (40 nm, 30 ppm) and ZnO (35–45 nm, 800 ppm) NPs; their elemental composition was measured using an ICP–OES spectrometer and hazard quotients were calculated. LED lighting combined with the application of ZnO NPs significantly affected Zn accumulation in plant leaves. Cu accumulation was higher when plants were treated with CuO NPs and HPS illumination combined. The calculated hazard quotients showed that the limits are not exceeded when applying our selected concentrations and growth conditions on ice plants. In conclusion, ice plants had a more significant positive effect on the accumulation of macro- and microelements under LED lighting than HPS. NPs had the strongest effect on the increase in their respective microelements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Light and Plant Nutrition)
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17 pages, 1261 KiB  
Article
Integrating Smart Greenhouse Cover, Reduced Nitrogen Dose and Biostimulant Application as a Strategy for Sustainable Cultivation of Cherry Tomato
by Roberta Paradiso, Ida Di Mola, Lucia Ottaiano, Eugenio Cozzolino, Maria Eleonora Pelosi, Massimo Rippa, Pasquale Mormile and Mauro Mori
Plants 2024, 13(3), 440; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13030440 - 2 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1372
Abstract
Fruit yield and quality of greenhouse tomatoes are strongly influenced by light conditions and nitrogen (N) availability, however, the interaction between these factors is still unclear. We evaluated the effects on cherry tomatoes of two tunnel plastic covers with different optical properties and [...] Read more.
Fruit yield and quality of greenhouse tomatoes are strongly influenced by light conditions and nitrogen (N) availability, however, the interaction between these factors is still unclear. We evaluated the effects on cherry tomatoes of two tunnel plastic covers with different optical properties and three N doses, also in combination with a biostimulant treatment. We compared a diffuse light film (Film1) and a conventional clear film (Film2), and three N levels, corresponding to 50% (N50), 75% (N75) and 100% (N100) of the optimal dose, with and without a microbial plus a protein hydrolysed biostimulant, compared to a non-treated control. The three experimental treatments significantly interacted on several yield and quality parameters. In control plants (untreated with biostimulants), the early yield was higher at reduced N doses compared to N100, with greater increments under the diffusive Film1 compared to the clear Film2 (+57.7% and +37.0% vs. +31.7% and +16.0%, in N50 and N75 respectively). Film1 boosted the total fruit production at all the N rates and with or without biostimulants, compared to Film2, with stronger effects under sub-optimal N (+29.4% in N50, +21.2% in N75, and +7.8% in N100, in plants untreated with biostimulant). Total yield decreased with decreasing N levels, while it always increased with the application of biostimulants, which counterbalanced the detrimental effects of N shortage. Quality traits were mainly affected by the cover film and the biostimulant treatment. The diffusive film increased the content of carotenoids, lycopene and total phenols compared to the clear one, and the biostimulants increased texture, soluble solids, phenols and ascorbic acid compared to the untreated control. It is worth noting that in plants fertilized at 75% of the reference N dose, the biostimulants determined higher yield than the N100 untreated control, under both the covers (+48% in Film1 and +20% in Film2). In conclusion, the diffusive film improved the fruit yield and quality of greenhouse tomatoes in the spring–summer period, presumably avoiding plant stress due to high-intensity direct light. Reduced N rates limited the plant productivity, however, the biostimulant application was effective in compensating for the detrimental effects of sub-optimal supply of N synthetic fertilizers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Light and Plant Nutrition)
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Review

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17 pages, 1070 KiB  
Review
The Role of Blue and Red Light in the Orchestration of Secondary Metabolites, Nutrient Transport and Plant Quality
by Alice Trivellini, Stefania Toscano, Daniela Romano and Antonio Ferrante
Plants 2023, 12(10), 2026; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12102026 - 18 May 2023
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3884
Abstract
Light is a fundamental environmental parameter for plant growth and development because it provides an energy source for carbon fixation during photosynthesis and regulates many other physiological processes through its signaling. In indoor horticultural cultivation systems, sole-source light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have shown great [...] Read more.
Light is a fundamental environmental parameter for plant growth and development because it provides an energy source for carbon fixation during photosynthesis and regulates many other physiological processes through its signaling. In indoor horticultural cultivation systems, sole-source light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have shown great potential for optimizing growth and producing high-quality products. Light is also a regulator of flowering, acting on phytochromes and inducing or inhibiting photoperiodic plants. Plants respond to light quality through several light receptors that can absorb light at different wavelengths. This review summarizes recent progress in our understanding of the role of blue and red light in the modulation of important plant quality traits, nutrient absorption and assimilation, as well as secondary metabolites, and includes the dynamic signaling networks that are orchestrated by blue and red wavelengths with a focus on transcriptional and metabolic reprogramming, plant productivity, and the nutritional quality of products. Moreover, it highlights future lines of research that should increase our knowledge to develop tailored light recipes to shape the plant characteristics and the nutritional and nutraceutical value of horticultural products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Light and Plant Nutrition)
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Other

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18 pages, 4733 KiB  
Systematic Review
Meta-Analysis of the Impact of Far-Red Light on Vegetable Crop Growth and Quality
by Minggui Zhang, Jun Ju, Youzhi Hu, Rui He, Jiali Song and Houcheng Liu
Plants 2024, 13(17), 2508; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13172508 - 6 Sep 2024
Viewed by 510
Abstract
Far-red lights (FRs), with a wavelength range between 700 and 800 nm, have substantial impacts on plant growth, especially horticultural crops. Previous studies showed conflicting results on the effects of FRs on vegetable growth and quality. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis on the [...] Read more.
Far-red lights (FRs), with a wavelength range between 700 and 800 nm, have substantial impacts on plant growth, especially horticultural crops. Previous studies showed conflicting results on the effects of FRs on vegetable growth and quality. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis on the influence of FRs on vegetable growth, aiming to provide a comprehensive overview of their effects on the growth and nutritional indicators of vegetables. A total of 207 independent studies from 55 literature sources were analyzed. The results showed that FR treatment had significant effects on most growth indicators, including increasing the fresh weight (+25.27%), dry weight (+21.99%), plant height (+81.87%), stem diameter (+12.91%), leaf area (+18.57%), as well as reducing the content of chlorophyll (−11.88%) and soluble protein (−11.66%), while increasing soluble sugar content (+19.12%). Further subgroup analysis based on various factors revealed significant differences in the effects of FR on different physiological indicators, such as FR intensity, plant species, duration of FR exposure, and the ratio of red light to FR. In general, moderate FR treatment is beneficial for vegetable growth. This study provides important references and guidelines for optimizing the application of FR in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Light and Plant Nutrition)
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