Balancing Yield and Sustainability: A Comparative Analysis of Supplemental Lighting in Commercial-Scale Cucumber Cultivation
Lighting is a fundamental driver of plant productivity in controlled-environment agriculture (CEA), directly affecting physiological processes, resource efficiency, and sustainability. This study evaluates the effects of distinct lighting systems, industrial Light-Emitting Diodes (iLEDs), horticultu...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Horticulturae |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/11/1/79 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832588375670915072 |
|---|---|
| author | Seyed Mohammad Hashemi Andrzej Kurenda Selin Karatepe Nick A. Savidov |
| author_facet | Seyed Mohammad Hashemi Andrzej Kurenda Selin Karatepe Nick A. Savidov |
| author_sort | Seyed Mohammad Hashemi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Lighting is a fundamental driver of plant productivity in controlled-environment agriculture (CEA), directly affecting physiological processes, resource efficiency, and sustainability. This study evaluates the effects of distinct lighting systems, industrial Light-Emitting Diodes (iLEDs), horticultural LEDs (hLEDs), high-pressure sodium (HPS) lamps, and controls (no supplemental light), each providing unique light spectra, on cucumber (<i>Cucumis sativus</i> L.) growth, physiology, and environmental impact under a controlled light intensity of 250 µmol m<sup>−2</sup> s<sup>−1</sup> in a commercial CEA setup. The results indicated that iLEDs enhance intrinsic water use efficiency (35.65 µmol CO<sub>2</sub>/mol H<sub>2</sub>O) and reduce transpiration, reflecting superior physiological resource use. Electrophysiological measurements indicated significantly more stable stress responses in plants subjected to iLEDs and hLEDs as compared to HPS and control treatments, indicating the effectiveness of LED light spectra in mitigating stress-related physiological impacts. Furthermore, compact growth and shorter stem internodes were observed under iLEDs as well as hLEDs, highlighting the spectral effects on photomorphogenesis, likely caused by a balanced light spectrum. HPS lighting achieved the highest yield (42.86 kg m<sup>−2</sup>) but at a significant environmental cost, with 342.65 kg CO<sub>2</sub>e m<sup>−2</sup> emissions compared to 204.29 kg CO<sub>2</sub>e m<sup>−2</sup> for iLEDs, with competitive yield of 38.84 kg m<sup>−2</sup>. Economic analysis revealed that iLEDs also offered the most cost-effective solution due to lower energy consumption and extended lifespan. This study focused on the interaction between light spectra, photosynthetic performance, stress resilience, and resource efficiency, advancing sustainable strategies for energy-efficient food production in CEA systems. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d5db4e8e0c794939bc4a4cf47bcd679b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2311-7524 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Horticulturae |
| spelling | doaj-art-d5db4e8e0c794939bc4a4cf47bcd679b2025-01-24T13:34:42ZengMDPI AGHorticulturae2311-75242025-01-011117910.3390/horticulturae11010079Balancing Yield and Sustainability: A Comparative Analysis of Supplemental Lighting in Commercial-Scale Cucumber CultivationSeyed Mohammad Hashemi0Andrzej Kurenda1Selin Karatepe2Nick A. Savidov3The Centre for Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Lethbridge Polytechnic, Lethbridge, AB T1K 1L6, CanadaVivent SA, Rue Mauverney 28, 1196 Gland, SwitzerlandThe Centre for Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Lethbridge Polytechnic, Lethbridge, AB T1K 1L6, CanadaIntegrated Agriculture Technology Centre, Lethbridge Polytechnic, Lethbridge, AB T1K 1L6, CanadaLighting is a fundamental driver of plant productivity in controlled-environment agriculture (CEA), directly affecting physiological processes, resource efficiency, and sustainability. This study evaluates the effects of distinct lighting systems, industrial Light-Emitting Diodes (iLEDs), horticultural LEDs (hLEDs), high-pressure sodium (HPS) lamps, and controls (no supplemental light), each providing unique light spectra, on cucumber (<i>Cucumis sativus</i> L.) growth, physiology, and environmental impact under a controlled light intensity of 250 µmol m<sup>−2</sup> s<sup>−1</sup> in a commercial CEA setup. The results indicated that iLEDs enhance intrinsic water use efficiency (35.65 µmol CO<sub>2</sub>/mol H<sub>2</sub>O) and reduce transpiration, reflecting superior physiological resource use. Electrophysiological measurements indicated significantly more stable stress responses in plants subjected to iLEDs and hLEDs as compared to HPS and control treatments, indicating the effectiveness of LED light spectra in mitigating stress-related physiological impacts. Furthermore, compact growth and shorter stem internodes were observed under iLEDs as well as hLEDs, highlighting the spectral effects on photomorphogenesis, likely caused by a balanced light spectrum. HPS lighting achieved the highest yield (42.86 kg m<sup>−2</sup>) but at a significant environmental cost, with 342.65 kg CO<sub>2</sub>e m<sup>−2</sup> emissions compared to 204.29 kg CO<sub>2</sub>e m<sup>−2</sup> for iLEDs, with competitive yield of 38.84 kg m<sup>−2</sup>. Economic analysis revealed that iLEDs also offered the most cost-effective solution due to lower energy consumption and extended lifespan. This study focused on the interaction between light spectra, photosynthetic performance, stress resilience, and resource efficiency, advancing sustainable strategies for energy-efficient food production in CEA systems.https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/11/1/79cucumber (<i>Cucumis sativus</i> L.)light emitting diodes (LEDs)photosynthetic efficiencyplant stress responseresource use efficiencysupplemental lighting |
| spellingShingle | Seyed Mohammad Hashemi Andrzej Kurenda Selin Karatepe Nick A. Savidov Balancing Yield and Sustainability: A Comparative Analysis of Supplemental Lighting in Commercial-Scale Cucumber Cultivation Horticulturae cucumber (<i>Cucumis sativus</i> L.) light emitting diodes (LEDs) photosynthetic efficiency plant stress response resource use efficiency supplemental lighting |
| title | Balancing Yield and Sustainability: A Comparative Analysis of Supplemental Lighting in Commercial-Scale Cucumber Cultivation |
| title_full | Balancing Yield and Sustainability: A Comparative Analysis of Supplemental Lighting in Commercial-Scale Cucumber Cultivation |
| title_fullStr | Balancing Yield and Sustainability: A Comparative Analysis of Supplemental Lighting in Commercial-Scale Cucumber Cultivation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Balancing Yield and Sustainability: A Comparative Analysis of Supplemental Lighting in Commercial-Scale Cucumber Cultivation |
| title_short | Balancing Yield and Sustainability: A Comparative Analysis of Supplemental Lighting in Commercial-Scale Cucumber Cultivation |
| title_sort | balancing yield and sustainability a comparative analysis of supplemental lighting in commercial scale cucumber cultivation |
| topic | cucumber (<i>Cucumis sativus</i> L.) light emitting diodes (LEDs) photosynthetic efficiency plant stress response resource use efficiency supplemental lighting |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/11/1/79 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT seyedmohammadhashemi balancingyieldandsustainabilityacomparativeanalysisofsupplementallightingincommercialscalecucumbercultivation AT andrzejkurenda balancingyieldandsustainabilityacomparativeanalysisofsupplementallightingincommercialscalecucumbercultivation AT selinkaratepe balancingyieldandsustainabilityacomparativeanalysisofsupplementallightingincommercialscalecucumbercultivation AT nickasavidov balancingyieldandsustainabilityacomparativeanalysisofsupplementallightingincommercialscalecucumbercultivation |