Growth and Photosynthetic Characteristics of Arabidopsis and Tobacco Plants Grown Under LED Lights “PLANT FLEC”

Abstract

LED (light-emitting diodes) have been proposed as a potential alternative light source in plant factories because of their low power consumption and longevity. Although LED lights are gradually replacing fluorescent lights, not all types promote plant growth. In the present study, we compared the growth and photosynthetic characteristics of Arabi- dopsis and tobacco plants grown under PLANT FLEC LED and fluorescent lighting. Dur- ing the same cultivation period, growth and photosynthetic characteristics (including the CO2 assimilation rate and activities of Calvin cycle enzymes) were similar between PLANT FLEC and fluorescent lighting. On the other hand, power consumption in the growth chamber with PLANT FLEC lighting was approximately 50 % that with fluores- cent lighting. These results indicate that PLANT FLEC is an energy-saving LED ap- proach that is suitable for plant cultivation.