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Gallegos-Cedillo VM, Nájera C, Signore A, Ochoa J, Gallegos J, Egea-Gilabert C, Gruda NS, Fernández JA. Analysis of global research on vegetable seedlings and transplants and their impacts on product quality. JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE 2024; 104:4950-4965. [PMID: 38294182 DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.13309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous research has established that using high-quality planting material during the early phase of vegetable production significantly impacts success and efficiency, leading to improved crop performance, faster time to harvest and better profitability. In the present study, we conducted a global analysis of vegetable seedlings and transplants, providing a comprehensive overview of research trends in seedling and transplant production to enhance the nutritional quality of vegetables. RESULTS The analysis involved reviewing and quantitatively analysing 762 articles and 5248 keywords from the Scopus database from 1971 to 2022. We used statistical, mathematical and clustering tools to analyse bibliometrics and visualise the most relevant research topics. A visualisation map was generated to identify the evolution of keywords used in the articles, resulting in five clusters for further analysis. Our study highlights the importance of the size of seed trays for the type of crop, the mechanical seeder used and the greenhouse facilities to produce desirable transplants. We identified grafting and light-emitting diode (LED) lighting technology as rapidly expanding technologies in vegetable seedlings and transplant production used to promote plant qualitative profile. CONCLUSION There is a need for sustainable growing media to optimise resources and reduce input use. Thus, applying grafting, LED artificial lighting, biostimulants, biofortification and plant growth-promoting microorganisms in seedling production can enhance efficiency and promote sustainable vegetable nutritional quality by accumulating biocompounds. Further research is needed to explore the working mechanisms and devise novel strategies to enhance the product quality of vegetables, commencing from the early stages of food production. © 2024 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor M Gallegos-Cedillo
- Department of Agronomical Engineering, Technical University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Spain
- Department of Engineering, CIAIMBITAL Research Centre, University of Almería, Almería, Spain
| | - Cinthia Nájera
- Department of Agronomy, University of Almería, Almería, Spain
- Department of Soil and Water Conservation and Organic Wastes Management, CEBAS-CSIC, Murcia, Spain
| | - Angelo Signore
- Department of Agronomical Engineering, Technical University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Spain
- Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Jesús Ochoa
- Department of Agronomical Engineering, Technical University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Spain
| | - Jesús Gallegos
- Department of Engineering, CIAIMBITAL Research Centre, University of Almería, Almería, Spain
| | - Catalina Egea-Gilabert
- Department of Agronomical Engineering, Technical University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Spain
| | - Nazim S Gruda
- Department of Agronomical Engineering, Technical University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Spain
- Department of Horticultural Sciences, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Juan A Fernández
- Department of Agronomical Engineering, Technical University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Spain
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Lozano-Castellanos LF, Navas-Gracia LM, Correa-Guimaraes A. Light Energy Efficiency in Lettuce Crop: Structural Indoor Designs Simulation. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:3456. [PMID: 37836195 PMCID: PMC10574718 DOI: 10.3390/plants12193456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
Indoor agricultural offers efficient alternatives for intensive food production through automation technologies and controlled environments. Light plays a crucial role in plant development; however, photons captured by the crop are often wasted in empty spaces, resulting in low light efficiency and high energy costs. This research aims to simulate eight structural designs for an indoor lettuce crop, exploring different planting systems and light and culture bed combinations (static and mobile) to identify the most effective mechanism for light efficiency during crop growth. The simulations were carried out with spreadsheets based on applying formulas of yield in dry biomass per photosynthetic photons, lighting costs, harvest, and production. The results indicate that Circular Moving Light and Mobile Culture Bed with Quincunx Planting (CML-QM) and Circular Moving Light and Mobile Culture Bed with Linear Planting (CML-LPM) exhibit higher photon capture percentages (85% and 80%, respectively) and lower electricity consumption compared to static designs. The simulation results demonstrate the potential for significant improvements in photon capture and cost savings through optimized system designs. This investigation provides valuable insights for designing more efficient systems and reducing electricity consumption to enhance the capture of photosynthetic photons in indoor lettuce cultivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa F. Lozano-Castellanos
- TADRUS Research Group, Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering, ETSIIAA, University of Valladolid, 34004 Palencia, Spain;
- Research Group on Biodiversity and Dynamics of Tropical Ecosystems—GIBDET, Faculty of Engineering Forestry, University of Tolima, Ibagué 730006, Colombia
| | - Luis Manuel Navas-Gracia
- TADRUS Research Group, Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering, ETSIIAA, University of Valladolid, 34004 Palencia, Spain;
| | - Adriana Correa-Guimaraes
- TADRUS Research Group, Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering, ETSIIAA, University of Valladolid, 34004 Palencia, Spain;
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Wada KC, Hayashi A, Lee U, Tanabata T, Isobe S, Itoh H, Maeda H, Fujisako S, Kochi N. A Novel Method for Quantifying Plant Morphological Characteristics Using Normal Vectors and Local Curvature Data via 3D Modelling-A Case Study in Leaf Lettuce. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 23:6825. [PMID: 37571608 PMCID: PMC10422436 DOI: 10.3390/s23156825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
Three-dimensional measurement is a high-throughput method that can record a large amount of information. Three-dimensional modelling of plants has the possibility to not only automate dimensional measurement, but to also enable visual assessment to be quantified, eliminating ambiguity in human judgment. In this study, we have developed new methods that could be used for the morphological analysis of plants from the information contained in 3D data. Specifically, we investigated characteristics that can be measured by scale (dimension) and/or visual assessment by humans. The latter is particularly novel in this paper. The characteristics that can be measured on a scale-related dimension were tested based on the bounding box, convex hull, column solid, and voxel. Furthermore, for characteristics that can be evaluated by visual assessment, we propose a new method using normal vectors and local curvature (LC) data. For these examinations, we used our highly accurate all-around 3D plant modelling system. The coefficient of determination between manual measurements and the scale-related methods were all above 0.9. Furthermore, the differences in LC calculated from the normal vector data allowed us to visualise and quantify the concavity and convexity of leaves. This technique revealed that there were differences in the time point at which leaf blistering began to develop among the varieties. The precise 3D model made it possible to perform quantitative measurements of lettuce size and morphological characteristics. In addition, the newly proposed LC-based analysis method made it possible to quantify the characteristics that rely on visual assessment. This research paper was able to demonstrate the following possibilities as outcomes: (1) the automation of conventional manual measurements, and (2) the elimination of variability caused by human subjectivity, thereby rendering evaluations by skilled experts unnecessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaede C Wada
- Breeding Big Data Management and Utilization Group, Division of Smart Breeding Research, Institute of Crop Science, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), Tsukuba 305-0856, Japan
| | - Atsushi Hayashi
- Research Center for Agricultural Robotics, Core Technology Research Headquarters, NARO, Tsukuba 305-0856, Japan
| | - Unseok Lee
- Research Center for Agricultural Robotics, Core Technology Research Headquarters, NARO, Tsukuba 305-0856, Japan
| | - Takanari Tanabata
- Department of Frontier Research Plant Genomics and Genetics, Kazusa DNA Research Institute, Kisarazu 292-0818, Japan
| | - Sachiko Isobe
- Department of Frontier Research Plant Genomics and Genetics, Kazusa DNA Research Institute, Kisarazu 292-0818, Japan
| | - Hironori Itoh
- Breeding Big Data Management and Utilization Group, Division of Smart Breeding Research, Institute of Crop Science, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), Tsukuba 305-0856, Japan
| | - Hideki Maeda
- Center for Seeds and Seedlings, Nishinihon Station (NARO), Kasaoka 714-0054, Japan
| | - Satoshi Fujisako
- Center for Seeds and Seedlings, Nishinihon Station (NARO), Kasaoka 714-0054, Japan
| | - Nobuo Kochi
- Research Center for Agricultural Robotics, Core Technology Research Headquarters, NARO, Tsukuba 305-0856, Japan
- Department of Frontier Research Plant Genomics and Genetics, Kazusa DNA Research Institute, Kisarazu 292-0818, Japan
- R&D Initiative, Chuo University, Kasuga, Tokyo 112-8551, Japan
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Saito K, Goto E. Evaluation of the enhancement of photosynthetic rate in a komatsuna ( Brassica rapa L. var. perviridis) canopy with upward lighting using an optical simulation in a plant factory with artificial light. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1111338. [PMID: 37035046 PMCID: PMC10081495 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1111338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
In a plant factory with artificial light (PFAL), upward lighting is expected to prevent senescence and decrease in the photosynthetic capacity of the lower leaves in the canopy. Upward lighting may also increase the photosynthetic rate of a canopy by improving its photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) distribution. However, the net photosynthetic rate (Pn) of leaves is lower when the abaxial surface is irradiated than that when the adaxial surface is irradiated. The aim of this study was to estimate the PPFD in a PFAL and the Pn of plants using three-dimensional plant models and optical simulation. First, we measured the Pn of komatsuna (Brassica rapa L. var. perviridis) leaves under different conditions of the proportion (pad ) of PPFD on the adaxial surface to total PPFD on both surfaces and developed an equation for the light response curve of photosynthesis considering pad . When PPFD was low, except when it was 30 and 70 µmol m-2 s-1, Pn increased as pad increased, because the absorptance also increased with pad . Under high PPFD conditions, Pn was maximized at 67-83% of pad because the light would be distributed more efficiently for photosynthesis. Next, using optical simulation and the developed equation, we estimated the photosynthetic rate of a komatsuna canopy (CPn) under downward and upward lighting. The CPn increased by 1.08-1.13 times by combining downward and upward lighting due to the increase in the photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) of light incident on the canopy and the decrease in the spatial variation of PPFD on the leaves in the canopy. As the depreciation of lamps for upward lighting accounts for 7.5-9.0% of the production cost in a PFAL, even if the depreciation of lamps for upward lighting increased, enhancement of CPn by upward lighting would be cost-effective. We performed optical simulations under 220 conditions and evaluated them using CPn as an index. Moreover, we provided the proportion of PPF of upward lighting that improved CPn and discussed the reason for this improvement. The result shows that optical simulation is useful for evaluating the lighting design in a PFAL and analyzing the effects of the lighting design on the light environment and photosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kota Saito
- Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, Matsudo, Chiba, Japan
| | - Eiji Goto
- Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, Matsudo, Chiba, Japan
- Plant Molecular Science Center, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
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Yoon HI, Kim J, Oh MM, Son JE. Prediction of Phenolic Contents Based on Ultraviolet-B Radiation in Three-Dimensional Structure of Kale Leaves. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:918170. [PMID: 35755700 PMCID: PMC9228028 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.918170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Ultraviolet-B (UV-B, 280-315 nm) radiation has been known as an elicitor to enhance bioactive compound contents in plants. However, unpredictable yield is an obstacle to the application of UV-B radiation to controlled environments such as plant factories. A typical three-dimensional (3D) plant structure causes uneven UV-B exposure with leaf position and age-dependent sensitivity to UV-B radiation. The purpose of this study was to develop a model for predicting phenolic accumulation in kale (Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala) according to UV-B radiation interception and growth stage. The plants grown under a plant factory module were exposed to UV-B radiation from UV-B light-emitting diodes with a peak at 310 nm for 6 or 12 h at 23, 30, and 38 days after transplanting. The spatial distribution of UV-B radiation interception in the plants was quantified using ray-tracing simulation with a 3D-scanned plant model. Total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), total anthocyanin content (TAC), UV-B absorbing pigment content (UAPC), and the antioxidant capacity were significantly higher in UV-B-exposed leaves. Daily UV-B energy absorbed by leaves and developmental age was used to develop stepwise multiple linear regression models for the TPC, TFC, TAC, and UAPC at each growth stage. The newly developed models accurately predicted the TPC, TFC, TAC, and UAPC in individual leaves with R 2 > 0.78 and normalized root mean squared errors of approximately 30% in test data, across the three growth stages. The UV-B energy yields for TPC, TFC, and TAC were the highest in the intermediate leaves, while those for UAPC were the highest in young leaves at the last stage. To the best of our knowledge, this study proposed the first statistical models for estimating UV-B-induced phenolic contents in plant structure. These results provided the fundamental data and models required for the optimization process. This approach can save the experimental time and cost required to optimize the control of UV-B radiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyo In Yoon
- Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Bioresources, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jaewoo Kim
- Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Bioresources, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Myung-Min Oh
- Division of Animal, Horticultural and Food Sciences, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, South Korea
| | - Jung Eek Son
- Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Bioresources, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
- Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
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Yoon HI, Kim HY, Kim J, Oh MM, Son JE. Quantitative Analysis of UV-B Radiation Interception in 3D Plant Structures and Intraindividual Distribution of Phenolic Contents. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:2701. [PMID: 33800078 PMCID: PMC7962183 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22052701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Ultraviolet-B (UV-B) acts as a regulatory stimulus, inducing the dose-dependent biosynthesis of phenolic compounds such as flavonoids at the leaf level. However, the heterogeneity of biosynthesis activation generated within a whole plant is not fully understood until now and cannot be interpreted without quantification of UV-B radiation interception. In this study, we analyzed the spatial UV-B radiation interception of kales (Brassica oleracea L. var. Acephala) grown under supplemental UV-B LED using ray-tracing simulation with 3-dimension-scanned models and leaf optical properties. The UV-B-induced phenolic compounds and flavonoids accumulated more, with higher UV-B interception and younger leaves. To distinguish the effects of UV-B energy and leaf developmental age, the contents were regressed separately and simultaneously. The effect of intercepted UV-B on flavonoid content was 4.9-fold that of leaf age, but the effects on phenolic compound biosynthesis were similar. This study confirmed the feasibility and relevance of UV-B radiation interception analysis and paves the way to explore the physical and physiological base determining the intraindividual distribution of phenolic compound in controlled environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyo In Yoon
- Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Bioresources (Horticultural Science and Biotechnology), Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea; (H.I.Y.); (H.Y.K.); (J.K.)
| | - Hyun Young Kim
- Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Bioresources (Horticultural Science and Biotechnology), Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea; (H.I.Y.); (H.Y.K.); (J.K.)
| | - Jaewoo Kim
- Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Bioresources (Horticultural Science and Biotechnology), Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea; (H.I.Y.); (H.Y.K.); (J.K.)
| | - Myung-Min Oh
- Division of Animal, Horticultural and Food Sciences, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Korea;
- Brain Korea 21 Center for Bio-Health Industry, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Korea
| | - Jung Eek Son
- Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Bioresources (Horticultural Science and Biotechnology), Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea; (H.I.Y.); (H.Y.K.); (J.K.)
- Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
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Yoon HI, Kim HY, Kim J, Son JE. Quantitative Analysis of UV-B Radiation Interception and Bioactive Compound Contents in Kale by Leaf Position According to Growth Progress. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:667456. [PMID: 34305968 PMCID: PMC8297650 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.667456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
UV-B (280-315 nm) radiation has been used as an effective tool to improve bioactive compound contents in controlled environments, such as plant factories. However, plant structure changes with growth progress induce different positional distributions of UV-B radiation interception, which cause difficulty in accurately evaluating the effects of UV-B on biosynthesis of bioactive compounds. The objective of this study was to quantitatively analyze the positional distributions of UV-B radiation interception and bioactive compound contents of kales (Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala) with growth progress and their relationships. Short-term moderate UV-B levels did not affect the plant growth and photosynthetic parameters. Spatial UV-B radiation interception was analyzed quantitatively by using 3D-scanned plant models and ray-tracing simulations. As growth progressed, the differences in absorbed UV-B energy between leaf positions were more pronounced. The concentrations of total phenolic compound (TPC) and total flavonoid compound (TFC) were higher with more cumulative absorbed UV-B energy. The cumulative UV energy yields for TFC were highest for the upper leaves of the older plants, while those for TPC were highest in the middle leaves of the younger plants. Despite the same UV-B levels, the UV-B radiation interception and UV-B susceptibility in the plants varied with leaf position and growth stage, which induced the different biosynthesis of TFC and TPC. This attempt to quantify the relationship between UV-B radiation interception and bioactive compound contents will contribute to the estimation and production of bioactive compounds in plant factories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyo In Yoon
- Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Bioresources (Horticultural Science and Biotechnology), Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Hyun Young Kim
- Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Bioresources (Horticultural Science and Biotechnology), Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jaewoo Kim
- Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Bioresources (Horticultural Science and Biotechnology), Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jung Eek Son
- Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Bioresources (Horticultural Science and Biotechnology), Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
- Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
- *Correspondence: Jung Eek Son,
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