Journal ID : AMA-07-11-2022-11794
[This article belongs to Volume - 53, Issue - 11]
Total View : 359

Title : Optimization of incident solar radiation for microgreens cultivation under simulated agriphotovoltaics

Abstract :

Under agriphotovoltaics and/or in shade net house, plants fail to perform well under reduced solar radiation. Controlled growing systems using artificial LED lights can be considered to increase productivity in those areas. In this study, spinach was grown in hydroponics under 8 combinations of sunlight and cool white LED light at night (T1: 100% sunlight (SL), T2: ≈75% SL), T3: ≈50% SL, T4: ≈25% SL, T5: ≈75% SL + ≈25% LED, T6: ≈50% SL + ≈50% LED, T7: ≈25% SL + ≈75 % LED, and T8: ≈100 % LED) as treatments to know the effects of LED and reduced sunlight on its different morpho-physiological attributes and also to optimize lighting conditions for productive and profitable spinach cultivation under simulated agriphotovoltaics. Observations taken on 15, 30 and 45 days after germination revealed that values of all the parameters except leaf nitrate content got reduced with the reduction in the solar availability. Use of white LED lights with lower solar irradiance has helped plants to overcome the stress condition up to some extent by improving their growth attributes, however, its 100% use could not help much due to marginal intensity of red band in it. Overall, T1 has come up with the best results followed by T5, T6, T2, T3, T7 and T4, while T8 least performed. The present finding envisaged that cool white LED lights may be a good replacement for solar light. However, these could be replaced with grow lights with wider wavelength range to get higher productivity and profitability.

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