Determining Light Conditions for Improved Carrot Growth in a Closed-type Plant Factory

Bohyun Sung; Nayoung Kwak; Young-Yeol Cho

doi:10.7235/HORT.20240012

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2024 Vol.42, Issue 2 Preview Page Next Page

Research Article

Determining Light Conditions for Improved Carrot Growth in a Closed-type Plant Factory

30 April 2024. pp. 143-150

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Abstract

A plant factory refers to a cultivation method in which plants are grown in a completely controlled environment that is unaffected by external climate changes to establish and maintain optimal environmental conditions for crop growth, resulting in maximum productivity and quality. This study aimed to determine the optimal lighting conditions for cultivating carrots (Daucus carota L.) in plant factories. Carrots were grown using a system known as the NFT system for 33 d after transplantation, and the growth parameters investigated included the leaf area, shoot and root fresh weight, and dry weight. A carrot-specific nutrient solution was used, which was developed based on the appropriate content of macro elements in the plant (NO₃-N:15.0, NH₄-N:1.0, P:1.0, K:11.0, Ca:2.0, Mg:1.0, SO₄-S:1.0 mM·L^-1). The pH of the nutrient solution was maintained between 5.5 and 6.0, and the electrical conductivity was set to 1.0 dS·m^-1 during the seedling stage and 1.5 dS·m^-1 after transplanting. The lighting conditions were established by adjusting the ratios of red (R), green (G), and blue (B) light based on photosynthetic photon flux density. Four treatment groups were tested with R:G:B ratios of 4:0:6, 7:0:3, 6:0:4, and 6:1:3. The lighting cycle consisted of 12 h of light and 12 h of darkness, and the light intensity was maintained at a fixed value of 200 µmol·m^-2·s^-1. Leaf number and plant height values were significantly higher in the 6:0:4 and 6:1:3 treatments; however, there were no significant differences between them. Shoot and root fresh weights were significantly higher in the 6:0:4 and 6:1:3 treatments, whereas the shoot dry weight was highest in the 6:1:3 treatment. However, the root dry weight was highest in the 4:0:6 treatment. The total fresh weight was highest in the 6:0:4 and 6:1:3 treatments, whereas the total dry weight was highest in the 4:0:6 treatment. Overall, there were no statistically significant differences in the number of leaves, plant height, shoot and root fresh and dry weights, or total fresh and dry weights between the 6:0:4 and 6:1:3 treatment groups. Overall, these findings suggest that light ratios of 6:0:4 and 6:1:3 provide suitable lighting conditions for promoting optimal carrot growth in a controlled plant factory environment.

키워드

Daucus carota L.

green light

hydroponics

light quality

nutrient film technique

RGB ratio

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Information

Publisher :KOREAN SOCIETY FOR HORTICULTURAL SCIENCE
Publisher(Ko) :원예과학기술지
Journal Title :Horticultural Science and Technology
Journal Title(Ko) :원예과학기술지
Volume : 42
No :2
Pages :143-150
Received Date : 2023-07-18
Revised Date : 2023-11-21
Accepted Date : 2023-12-07
DOI :https://doi.org/10.7235/HORT.20240012

Horticultural Science and Technology ISSN:1226-8763(Print) 2465-8588(Online) 원예과학기술지

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