Effect of Far-Red Light and Nutrient Solution Formulas on Calendula Production in a Plant Factory
Calendula (<i>Calendula officinalis</i> L.), an edible and medicinal flower, faces challenges in yield uniformity and quality stability under open-field cultivation. Plant factories with artificial lighting (PFALs) are highly controlled systems that enable year-round production, efficien...
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| author | Maitree Munyanont Na Lu Thanit Ruangsangaram Michiko Takagaki |
| author_facet | Maitree Munyanont Na Lu Thanit Ruangsangaram Michiko Takagaki |
| author_sort | Maitree Munyanont |
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| description | Calendula (<i>Calendula officinalis</i> L.), an edible and medicinal flower, faces challenges in yield uniformity and quality stability under open-field cultivation. Plant factories with artificial lighting (PFALs) are highly controlled systems that enable year-round production, efficient resource use, and consistent crop quality, making them promising for the cultivation for calendula. To optimize calendula cultivation in PFALs, this study investigates the effects of far-red (FR) light and nutrient solution modification on calendula growth, flowering, and nutrient use efficiency (NUE). The experiment was conducted using a dwarf calendula cultivar, ‘Orange Gem’. After transplanting, seedlings were subjected to a 2 × 3 factorial design comprising white (W) and end-of-day far-red (EOD-FR) lighting, in combination with three ammonium (NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup>) levels (1/3×, 1×, and 3× of the Enshi formula). The EOD-FR lighting and the increase in the NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> level resulted in taller plants and earlier first flower appearance. The shoot fresh and dry weight, the number of flowers, and the flower yield also increased under the higher NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> concentration, regardless of the light treatment. The 3× NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> treatment tended to enhance the nutrient absorption, leading to the highest nutrient use efficiency (NUE) based on the flower yield. These findings suggest that the application of EOD-FR lighting and high NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> in nutrient solution can improve calendula productivity and resource-use efficiency in PFALs. |
| format | Article |
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| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
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| series | Biology |
| spelling | doaj-art-5a1a0e6bbfc44f7d833b84182acb896d2025-08-20T03:26:25ZengMDPI AGBiology2079-77372025-06-0114671610.3390/biology14060716Effect of Far-Red Light and Nutrient Solution Formulas on Calendula Production in a Plant FactoryMaitree Munyanont0Na Lu1Thanit Ruangsangaram2Michiko Takagaki3Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, 648 Matsudo, Matsudo 271-8510, Chiba, JapanCenter for Environment, Health and Field Sciences, Chiba University, 6-2-1 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa 277-0882, Chiba, JapanGraduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, 648 Matsudo, Matsudo 271-8510, Chiba, JapanCenter for Environment, Health and Field Sciences, Chiba University, 6-2-1 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa 277-0882, Chiba, JapanCalendula (<i>Calendula officinalis</i> L.), an edible and medicinal flower, faces challenges in yield uniformity and quality stability under open-field cultivation. Plant factories with artificial lighting (PFALs) are highly controlled systems that enable year-round production, efficient resource use, and consistent crop quality, making them promising for the cultivation for calendula. To optimize calendula cultivation in PFALs, this study investigates the effects of far-red (FR) light and nutrient solution modification on calendula growth, flowering, and nutrient use efficiency (NUE). The experiment was conducted using a dwarf calendula cultivar, ‘Orange Gem’. After transplanting, seedlings were subjected to a 2 × 3 factorial design comprising white (W) and end-of-day far-red (EOD-FR) lighting, in combination with three ammonium (NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup>) levels (1/3×, 1×, and 3× of the Enshi formula). The EOD-FR lighting and the increase in the NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> level resulted in taller plants and earlier first flower appearance. The shoot fresh and dry weight, the number of flowers, and the flower yield also increased under the higher NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> concentration, regardless of the light treatment. The 3× NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> treatment tended to enhance the nutrient absorption, leading to the highest nutrient use efficiency (NUE) based on the flower yield. These findings suggest that the application of EOD-FR lighting and high NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> in nutrient solution can improve calendula productivity and resource-use efficiency in PFALs.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/14/6/716edible flowerlight spectrumend-of-day far-redNH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup>nutrient use efficiency |
| spellingShingle | Maitree Munyanont Na Lu Thanit Ruangsangaram Michiko Takagaki Effect of Far-Red Light and Nutrient Solution Formulas on Calendula Production in a Plant Factory Biology edible flower light spectrum end-of-day far-red NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> nutrient use efficiency |
| title | Effect of Far-Red Light and Nutrient Solution Formulas on Calendula Production in a Plant Factory |
| title_full | Effect of Far-Red Light and Nutrient Solution Formulas on Calendula Production in a Plant Factory |
| title_fullStr | Effect of Far-Red Light and Nutrient Solution Formulas on Calendula Production in a Plant Factory |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of Far-Red Light and Nutrient Solution Formulas on Calendula Production in a Plant Factory |
| title_short | Effect of Far-Red Light and Nutrient Solution Formulas on Calendula Production in a Plant Factory |
| title_sort | effect of far red light and nutrient solution formulas on calendula production in a plant factory |
| topic | edible flower light spectrum end-of-day far-red NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> nutrient use efficiency |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/14/6/716 |
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