Effect of Different Light–Dark Cycles on the Growth and Nutritional Quality of Celery

Kexin Guo, Zheng Guo, Sang Ge, Song Wang, Lirui Liang, Wenjun Peng, Xinyuan Liu, Xiaole Huang, Chi Qin, Zijing Luo, Kewen Ouyang, Tonghua Pan, Chengyao Jiang, Mengyao Li, Yangxia Zheng, Sen Wang () and Wei Lu ()
Additional contact information
Kexin Guo: College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Zheng Guo: College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Sang Ge: Shannan Agricultural Technology Extension Center, Shannan 856000, China
Song Wang: College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Lirui Liang: College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Wenjun Peng: College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Xinyuan Liu: College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Xiaole Huang: College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Chi Qin: College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Zijing Luo: College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Kewen Ouyang: College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Tonghua Pan: School of Agricultural Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
Chengyao Jiang: College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Mengyao Li: College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Yangxia Zheng: College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Sen Wang: Institute of Urban Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chengdu 611130, China
Wei Lu: College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 21, 1-31

Abstract: Celery ( Apium graveolens L.) is a widely cultivated leafy vegetable of significant agronomic and nutritional importance. Owing to its high nutritional value, global demand for celery has steadily increased. However, under natural cultivation conditions, uncontrolled light exposure often prolongs the seedling stage and impairs celery growth quality. Improving the nutritional quality of celery through artificial regulation of the light environment has therefore become an important research focus. This work aimed to elucidate the impact of varying light–dark cycles on the growth characteristics and nutritional attributes of celery. Six light–dark cycle treatments (4 h/2 h, 8 h/4 h, 16 h/8 h, 24 h/12 h, 32 h/16 h, and 40 h/20 h) were applied, using ‘Oster Ziyu Xiangqin’ as the plant material under a constant light intensity of 400 μmol·m −2 ·s −1 . The results revealed that the 24 h/12 h light–dark treatment significantly enhanced plant height, total fresh weight, and root vigor and showed superior performance in photosynthetic and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters. The 32 h/16 h treatment significantly enhanced the accumulation of soluble sugars, proteins, total phenolic compounds, and flavonoids, as well as the activities of antioxidant enzymes, while reducing nitrate-nitrogen levels. In conclusion, the 24 h/12 h light–dark cycle was most conducive to the growth and photosynthetic performance of celery, whereas the 32 h/16 h treatment optimally enhanced its nutritional quality and antioxidant capacity.

Keywords: celery; light–dark cycle; nutritional quality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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