Optimizing year-round production and quality of flowering greenhouse crops through integration of LED technologies

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Our primary purpose is to test and develop cost effective strategies for using LED (light-emitting-diode) technologies for the year-round the production of flowering, greenhouse crops. Though indoor production is light-limited in fall-winter cycles the last decade has witnessed major improvements in computerization and LED technologies that make it possible to not only drive plant photosynthesis, but also elicit many key photo-morphogenic responses in flowering crops. During this two year study, energy efficient and specific-wavelength LEDs will be tested in parallel, at grower sites and the UoG, demonstrating how yield and quality (e.g., shelf-life) of two model crops (chrysanthemums and lisianthus) can be achieved. Particular attention will be paid to lighting supplementation in different seasons, maximizing rooting and transplant vigor, accelerating the time to flower induction, (short day and long day induction), yield and quality of the reproductive organs including their post-harvest quality. Key physiological parameters such as leaf photosynthesis, export and respiration will be determined. Importantly, we will also determine whole-plant daily photosynthesis and respiratory gas exchanges and test the effectiveness of different LED arrays on daily growth and water losses. An important outcome of our integrated approach to data acquisition will be that we gain a better understanding of daily water use during crop production cycles, thus maximizing daily-CO2-exchanges and water-use-efficiency during vegetative and flowering stages in different seasons. Supplementary lighting (LEDs), integrated with aerial and root-zone management can make year-round production of many flowering ornamental and vegetable crops profitability. An expected outcome of more efficient application of LEDs year-round is that cropping cycles even modestly accelerated will increase annual production and profits. The project also has wider application for seedling and plug producers in Canada since improved root consistency is achievable and the knowledge gained will reduce reliance on agrochemicals currently used to regulate height and plant architecture.