Use of Lighting Technology in Controlled and Semi-Controlled Agriculture in Greenhouses and Protected Agriculture Systems—Part 1: Scientific and Bibliometric Analysis

Edwin Villagran, John Javier Espitia, Jader Rodriguez, Linda Gomez, Gina Amado, Esteban Baeza, Cruz Ernesto Aguilar-Rodríguez, Jorge Flores-Velazquez, Mohammad Akrami, Rodrigo Gil and Luis Alejandro Arias ()
Additional contact information
Edwin Villagran: Centro de Investigación Tibaitata, Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria—Agrosavia, km 14, vía Mosquera-Bogotá, Mosquera 250040, Colombia
John Javier Espitia: Centro de Investigación Tibaitata, Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria—Agrosavia, km 14, vía Mosquera-Bogotá, Mosquera 250040, Colombia
Jader Rodriguez: Centro de Investigación Tibaitata, Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria—Agrosavia, km 14, vía Mosquera-Bogotá, Mosquera 250040, Colombia
Linda Gomez: Centro de Investigación Tibaitata, Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria—Agrosavia, km 14, vía Mosquera-Bogotá, Mosquera 250040, Colombia
Gina Amado: Centro de Investigación Tibaitata, Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria—Agrosavia, km 14, vía Mosquera-Bogotá, Mosquera 250040, Colombia
Esteban Baeza: Departamento de i+d, COEXPHAL, Av. de las Cantinas, 2, 04746 La Mojonera, Spain
Cruz Ernesto Aguilar-Rodríguez: Tecnologico Nacional de Mexico/ITS de los Reyes, Carretera Los Reyes-Jacona, Col. Libertad, Los Reyes de Salgado 60300, Mexico
Jorge Flores-Velazquez: Department, Colegio de Postgraduados Campus Montecillos, Carretera Mexico Texcoco, km 36.52, Texcoco 56230, Mexico
Mohammad Akrami: Department of Engineering, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QF, UK
Rodrigo Gil: Departamento de Agronomía, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogota 111321, Colombia
Luis Alejandro Arias: Centro de Bio-Sistemas, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Ingeniería, Universidad de Bogotá Jorge Tadeo Lozano, Chía 250008, Colombia

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 4, 1-41

Abstract: This paper examines the essential role of artificial lighting in protected agriculture, a crucial sector in addressing the increasing global food demand and the challenges posed by climate change. It explores how advanced lighting technologies, particularly LED systems, have revolutionized productivity and sustainability in greenhouses and indoor or urban farming systems. These technologies enable precise control over key factors influencing crop growth, optimizing both yield and resource efficiency. The methodology was based on a bibliometric analysis developed in four phases: collection of information in the scientific database Scopus, filtering and selection of relevant documents, quantitative and qualitative analysis of trends, and visualization of the results using tools such as VOSviewer. The study included scientific publications between 1974 and 2024, focusing on keywords related to greenhouse lighting technologies and protected agriculture systems. Key findings identified a significant increase in research over the last two decades, with countries such as the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, and China leading the way in scientific output. The main trends in artificial lighting for protected agriculture include the use of specific light spectra (particularly red and blue) to optimize photosynthesis and morphogenesis, as well as the integration of LED systems with digital sensors and controllers for enhanced precision. However, in developing countries such as Colombia, the adoption of these technologies remains in its early stages, presenting significant opportunities for implementation and expansion. Additionally, this bibliometric analysis provides a robust foundation for identifying key areas for improvement and guiding future research toward more sustainable and efficient agricultural practices.

Keywords: sustainable agriculture; energy efficiency; photomorphogenesis; horticultural lighting; intelligent systems; LED technologies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
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