EFFECTS OF RED-AND BLUE-LIGHT EMITTING DIODES ON GROWTH AND CHLOROPHYLL CONTENT OF Phaseolus vulgaris L.

Providing basic nutritional resources has become a necessity worldwide. For this reason, in order to enhance the food supplying chain there is a real need to identify new methodologies, including unconventional ones. Artificial lighting applied to greenhouses is an innovative agricultural technology that fundamentally changes the concept of agriculture. LED lighting systems are becoming increasingly popular with researchers, engineers, biologists and manufacturers., This study aiming to test the effects of red, blue and red/blue light emitting diodes (LEDs) on Phaseolus vulgaris L., was carried out on the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj – Napoca, Department of Engineering and Environmental Protection, during March-April 2021. The Phaseolus vulgaris L. plantules were grown under different light-emitting diode (LED) treatments: red (610-720 nm) light, blue (400-520 nm) light and combination of red with blue, respectively. Data were statistically processed with STATISTICA v 8.0 Office. In the end of the experiment, at 20 days after sowing, we found superior plantules height, and enhanced chlorophyll synthesis, for blue light exposure. We also found better results concerning plantules height and chlorophyll synthesis, for red light exposure, compared with those obtained in natural light. These results suggest the possibility of extending the use of blue and red LEDs light for large scale cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]