LED lighting optimization as applied to a vitamin space plant growth facility

• Published in: Life sciences in space research Vol. 20; pp. 93 - 100
• Main Authors: Berkovich, Yu.A., Konovalova, I.O., Erokhin, A.N., Smolyanina, S.O., Smolyanin, V.G., Yakovleva, O.S., Tarakanov, I.G., Ivanov, T.M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2019
• Subjects: Ascorbic acid; Light spectrum; Optimality criterion; Pulsed light; Regression analysis; Space greenhouse; Space greenhouse; Optimality criterion; Ascorbic acid; Light spectrum; Regression analysis; Pulsed light
• ISSN: 2214-5524; 2214-5532
• DOI: 10.1016/j.lssr.2018.09.004

•Multifactorial test and regression analysis are adequate to optimize crop lighting.•The optimality criterion for the choosing of the crop lighting is defined.•Maximums of an optimality criterion and crop indices are in different lighting modes. An algorithm of determining optimal LED lighting parameters for leafy crops (Chinese cabbage Brassica chinensis L. was taken as a model) in a vitamin space Plant Growth Facility is proposed. The lighting parameters to optimize were the level of photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD), red and white LEDs PPFD ratio and pulse repetition period with a fixed pulse length 30 µs. Optimal lighting parameters should allow achieving a high biomass yield per consumed light energy, as well as high vitamin C content in the crop biomass. A quantitative optimality criterion for estimating the lighting parameters quality is suggested. For Chinese cabbage crop the maximum value of this criterion was obtained at the following lighting conditions parameters: PPFD – 500 μmol m−2 s−1, red/white ratio – 1.5, and pulse repetition period – 501 µs.