Work

Advancing Light-Mediated Technology in Plant Growth and Development: The Role of Blue Light

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: In controlled environment agriculture (CEA), supplementary lighting, particularly light-emitting diode (LED) technology, is essential for optimizing plant growth and development. Among the spectral components, blue light (400–500 nm) plays an important role in affecting plant morphogenesis, photosynthesis, and key physiological processes. However, species-specific guidelines for optimizing blue light parameters such as intensity, duration, and spectral ratios remain insufficiently developed. Furthermore, plant spectral requirements shift across developmental stages, highlighting distinct blue light management strategies for each phase. This review synthesizes existing knowledge on the impacts of blue light on morphological adaptation, photosynthetic efficiency, flowering, and secondary metabolism, with an emphasis on differential responses across diverse plant species. We emphasize the need for growth-stage-specific lighting protocols and scalable strategies applicable to commercial CEA systems. Interdisciplinary collaboration, integrating molecular biology, genomics, and horticultural engineering, is necessary to enhance understanding of blue light-driven regulatory networks, optimize photoreceptor responses, and facilitate systematic validation of adaptive lighting approaches, ultimately advancing sustainable horticulture and next-generation CEA innovations.

Source: Horticulturae

DOI: 10.3390/horticulturae11070795

Authors: Qiong Su, Yoo Gyeong Park, Rohit Dilip Kambale, Jeffrey Adelberg, Raghupathy Karthikeyan, Byoung Ryong Jeong

Institutions: Clemson University, National Institute of Biological Resources, Gyeongsang National University

Language: English

Topic: Light effects on plants

Subfield: Plant Science

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Zero hunger

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,654