How to utilize far-red photons effectively: substitution or supplementation with photosynthetically active radiation? A case study of greenhouse lettuce
Abstract The addition of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR, 400–700 nm) with a specific quantity of far-red photons (FR, 700–750 nm) has been demonstrated to positively influence biomass accumulation and nutritional quality in greenhouse lettuce. However, current relevant studies seldom consi...
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| Format: | Article |
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BMC
2025-02-01
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| Series: | BMC Plant Biology |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-025-06205-6 |
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| author | Zhengnan Yan Xin Li Zhixin Li Jinxiu Song Haijie Dou Yanjie Yang Geng Zhang |
| author_facet | Zhengnan Yan Xin Li Zhixin Li Jinxiu Song Haijie Dou Yanjie Yang Geng Zhang |
| author_sort | Zhengnan Yan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The addition of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR, 400–700 nm) with a specific quantity of far-red photons (FR, 700–750 nm) has been demonstrated to positively influence biomass accumulation and nutritional quality in greenhouse lettuce. However, current relevant studies seldom consider comprehensive and systematic comparisons of the efficacy of different approaches: substitution versus supplementation. The present work aimed to compare the two aforementioned strategies, evaluate how they impact plant growth, development and metabolic processes, and analyse the light use efficiency. In this study, loose-leaf lettuce (cv. ‘Dasusheng’) grown in a glass Venlo-type greenhouse was exposed to six supplementary light treatments, including white-red (WR) light-emitting diodes (LEDs), FR LEDs, and WR plus FR LEDs [WR130 + FR30 (the number was the photon flux density provided by WR or FR LEDs, respectively), WR130 + FR50, WR100 + FR30, and WR80 + FR50]. Lettuce that was grown only under natural light (NL) conditions was considered the control. According to the results of the present study, supplementary light increased biomass accumulation, and the contents of ascorbic acid, total soluble sugar, and starch relative to the control. Lettuce plants treated with WR130 + FR50 treatment presented the highest shoot and root fresh/dry weights, the highest total chlorophyll content, and the best nutritional quality, whereas the lettuce weight did not differ between the WR130 + FR30 and WR100 + FR30 treatments. Compared with that of NL, the stacking of thylakoids increased most intensely in response to the WR130 + FR50 and WR100 + FR30 treatments. Biomass accumulation, nutritional quality, stomatal area, chloroplast area, and expression of photosynthesis-related genes (LHCb, PsbA, rbcL, and rbcS) in lettuce plants, as well as light use efficiency, presented increasing-to-decreasing trends as the FR fraction increased. In conclusion, partially substituting PAR with FR photons coincidentally aligns with the supplementation of FR photons, and a supplementary FR fraction of 0.50 to 0.56 is suitable for greenhouse-grown lettuce under weak light conditions because of the increased photochemical efficiency, biomass accumulation, and carbohydrate content. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2f91b23856464f1788944672396aa8e9 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1471-2229 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
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| series | BMC Plant Biology |
| spelling | doaj-art-2f91b23856464f1788944672396aa8e92025-08-20T02:14:59ZengBMCBMC Plant Biology1471-22292025-02-0125112010.1186/s12870-025-06205-6How to utilize far-red photons effectively: substitution or supplementation with photosynthetically active radiation? A case study of greenhouse lettuceZhengnan Yan0Xin Li1Zhixin Li2Jinxiu Song3Haijie Dou4Yanjie Yang5Geng Zhang6College of Horticulture, Qingdao Agricultural UniversityCollege of Horticulture, Qingdao Agricultural UniversityCollege of Horticulture, Qingdao Agricultural UniversityCollege of Agricultural Engineering, Jiangsu UniversityCollege of Intelligent Science and Engineering, Beijing University of AgricultureCollege of Horticulture, Qingdao Agricultural UniversityDepartment of Agronomy and Horticulture, Jiangsu Vocational College of Agriculture and ForestryAbstract The addition of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR, 400–700 nm) with a specific quantity of far-red photons (FR, 700–750 nm) has been demonstrated to positively influence biomass accumulation and nutritional quality in greenhouse lettuce. However, current relevant studies seldom consider comprehensive and systematic comparisons of the efficacy of different approaches: substitution versus supplementation. The present work aimed to compare the two aforementioned strategies, evaluate how they impact plant growth, development and metabolic processes, and analyse the light use efficiency. In this study, loose-leaf lettuce (cv. ‘Dasusheng’) grown in a glass Venlo-type greenhouse was exposed to six supplementary light treatments, including white-red (WR) light-emitting diodes (LEDs), FR LEDs, and WR plus FR LEDs [WR130 + FR30 (the number was the photon flux density provided by WR or FR LEDs, respectively), WR130 + FR50, WR100 + FR30, and WR80 + FR50]. Lettuce that was grown only under natural light (NL) conditions was considered the control. According to the results of the present study, supplementary light increased biomass accumulation, and the contents of ascorbic acid, total soluble sugar, and starch relative to the control. Lettuce plants treated with WR130 + FR50 treatment presented the highest shoot and root fresh/dry weights, the highest total chlorophyll content, and the best nutritional quality, whereas the lettuce weight did not differ between the WR130 + FR30 and WR100 + FR30 treatments. Compared with that of NL, the stacking of thylakoids increased most intensely in response to the WR130 + FR50 and WR100 + FR30 treatments. Biomass accumulation, nutritional quality, stomatal area, chloroplast area, and expression of photosynthesis-related genes (LHCb, PsbA, rbcL, and rbcS) in lettuce plants, as well as light use efficiency, presented increasing-to-decreasing trends as the FR fraction increased. In conclusion, partially substituting PAR with FR photons coincidentally aligns with the supplementation of FR photons, and a supplementary FR fraction of 0.50 to 0.56 is suitable for greenhouse-grown lettuce under weak light conditions because of the increased photochemical efficiency, biomass accumulation, and carbohydrate content.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-025-06205-6Chloroplast ultrastructureFar-red fractionNet photosynthetic rateOJIPPhotosynthetically active radiation |
| spellingShingle | Zhengnan Yan Xin Li Zhixin Li Jinxiu Song Haijie Dou Yanjie Yang Geng Zhang How to utilize far-red photons effectively: substitution or supplementation with photosynthetically active radiation? A case study of greenhouse lettuce BMC Plant Biology Chloroplast ultrastructure Far-red fraction Net photosynthetic rate OJIP Photosynthetically active radiation |
| title | How to utilize far-red photons effectively: substitution or supplementation with photosynthetically active radiation? A case study of greenhouse lettuce |
| title_full | How to utilize far-red photons effectively: substitution or supplementation with photosynthetically active radiation? A case study of greenhouse lettuce |
| title_fullStr | How to utilize far-red photons effectively: substitution or supplementation with photosynthetically active radiation? A case study of greenhouse lettuce |
| title_full_unstemmed | How to utilize far-red photons effectively: substitution or supplementation with photosynthetically active radiation? A case study of greenhouse lettuce |
| title_short | How to utilize far-red photons effectively: substitution or supplementation with photosynthetically active radiation? A case study of greenhouse lettuce |
| title_sort | how to utilize far red photons effectively substitution or supplementation with photosynthetically active radiation a case study of greenhouse lettuce |
| topic | Chloroplast ultrastructure Far-red fraction Net photosynthetic rate OJIP Photosynthetically active radiation |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-025-06205-6 |
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