Directed Development of Next-Generation Spectrally-Controlled Plant Growth: Combining genomics and precision LED lighting to modulate the growth and development of high-value crops

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Light is essential to plant growth and development. It is required to convert CO2 into usable substrates for plant growth and development. Currently, multi-spectral high pressure sodium, metal halide or fluorescent grow-lights represent the standard for controlled environment growth systems and/or greenhouses. Unfortunately, these light types lack the ability to fully replicate sunlight, key daily events such as dawn and dusk as well as differences in light spectral composition and intensity that exist in nature and vary based on time-of-day, seasonality and/or geographical location. Moreover, these light types are energy inefficient, often providing excess light, which requires plants to divert resources to dissipating excess heat and radiation. In the era of climate change, effective and energy efficient indoor produce growth will become increasingly important to ensure food security. G2V Optics Inc (Edmonton, Canada) has commercialized a proprietary, programmable-spectra light emitting diode (LED) lighting technology that can precisely apply light to plants in controlled environment growth systems to modulate growth and development. An existing partnership already underway between the participants of this application has resolved LED light recipes and growth conditions that significantly enhance plant growth and development. Furthermore, using advanced molecular technologies and the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, this partnership also uncovered the molecular underpinnings of these beneficial growth phenotypes, providing robust connections between genome and phenotype. This proposal aims to translate these findings into kale and spinach; two leafy-green superfoods of importance to the dietary health of Canadians. Using G2V Optics Inc. LED technology, in combination with a suite of advanced molecular analysis technologies, we will non-invasively increase the growth, productivity and nutritional content of these leafy-green superfoods in controlled environment growth systems. This project will contribute to providing Canadians more affordable and nutritious foods that could be produced independent of climate change induced growth season changes and with a minimal carbon footprint.