Crop Performance and Photochemical Processes Under a UV-to-Red Spectral Shifting Greenhouse: A Study on Aubergine and Strawberry

Stefano Conti, Ida Di Mola (), Miloš Barták, Eugenio Cozzolino, Giuseppe Melchionna, Pasquale Mormile, Lucia Ottaiano, Roberta Paradiso, Massimo Rippa, Antonino Testa and Mauro Mori
Additional contact information
Stefano Conti: Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Piazza Carlo di Borbone 1, 80055 Portici, Italy
Ida Di Mola: Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Piazza Carlo di Borbone 1, 80055 Portici, Italy
Miloš Barták: Laboratory of Photosynthetic Processes, Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic
Eugenio Cozzolino: Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Research Center for Cereal and Industrial Crops, 81100 Caserta, Italy
Giuseppe Melchionna: Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Piazza Carlo di Borbone 1, 80055 Portici, Italy
Pasquale Mormile: National Research Council (CNR), Institute of Applied Science and Intelligent System, 80078 Pozzuoli, Italy
Lucia Ottaiano: Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Piazza Carlo di Borbone 1, 80055 Portici, Italy
Roberta Paradiso: Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Piazza Carlo di Borbone 1, 80055 Portici, Italy
Massimo Rippa: National Research Council (CNR), Institute of Applied Science and Intelligent System, 80078 Pozzuoli, Italy
Antonino Testa: Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 81100 Caserta, Italy
Mauro Mori: Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Piazza Carlo di Borbone 1, 80055 Portici, Italy

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 6, 1-28

Abstract: Light quality is a fundamental factor in greenhouses, since different light wavelengths affect plant photosynthesis and photomorphogenesis differently, they thus affect crop growth and productivity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an experimental greenhouse cover film with UV-to-Red spectral shifting properties on photosynthesis, plant growth, fruit yield, and the quality of two crops spanning over a year-long cultural cycle: aubergines ( Solanum melongena L.), as a spring–summer crop, followed by strawberries ( Fragaria × ananassa Duch.), as an autumn–spring crop. Trials were carried out in a multispan greenhouse where two sectors were covered, each one with a different light diffusing polyethylene film: one sector was covered with a UV-to-Red photoluminescent film, doped with a blend of rare-earth elements partially converting the UV solar radiation into Red wavelengths, while a light diffusing polyethylene film was used as the control. At the physiological level, spectral shifting affected the chlorophyll fluorescence parameters related to the photochemistry of photosynthesis, which were found to be positively related to crop yield. Moreover, differential analysis of the fast Chlorophyll a fluorescence transients (or OJIP kinetics) showed that spectral shifting affected different steps of the plant photochemical metabolism.

Keywords: light modulation; OJIP; photosynthesis; rare-earth elements; PE film (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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