Brown CS, Schuerger AC.
Light emitting diodes (LEDs) may be useful for growing plants in space due to their safety, extended lifetime and output in a region of the spectrum highly efficient for driving photosynthesis. Pepper plants (Capsicum annum cv. Hungarian Wax) were germinated and grown under metal halide (MH) lamps for 21 days. Plants were then transported to different LED arrays (660 nm, 660 + 735 nm, and 660 nm + blue fluorescent) and grown for an additional 21 days. Measurements of growth parameters and photosynthetic characteristics were taken on plants at 7, 14, and 21 days after transplanting. Overall plant dry weight, specific leaf weight, percentage dry matter and total chlorophyll content were significantly lower in plants grown under LEDs compared to those grown continuously under MH. Photosynthetic rates were lower in the LED-grown plants than in the MH-grown plants when rates were based on leaf area, but were higher when based on chlorophyll content. These results suggest that LEDs may be more efficient in providing energy for photosynthesis than the broad spectrum MH but may be lacking in important photomorphogenic wavelengths.
Keywords:
- Capsicum
- Chlorophyll
- Light
- Photosynthesis
- Piper nigrum
- Plant Leaves
- Plants
- Vegetables
- NASA Center KSC
- NASA Discipline Number 40-50
- NASA Discipline Plant Biology
- NASA Program Space Biology
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