EFFECT OF DIFFERENT SUPPLEMENT LIGHTS FOR STRAWBERRY GROWTH AND FRUIT QUALITY

The objective of this study was to quantify the effect of artificial lighting on yield and growth of strawberry. We used three artificial light treatments, including LED, sodium light, fluorescent light as well as a non-treated Control was only natural light. In addition to natural lighting during the day, plants were exposed to three types of artificial lighting during a 2-h period after sunset. A fourth treatment (control) received no supplemental lighting. Accumulated fruit number and fruit weight were determined as a function of light treatment. Plants were divided into root, leaf, stem, and fruit tissues for dry weight analyses. The effect of light regime on plant length, leaf width, leaf length, leaf number, fresh weight, dry weight, leaf area, chlorophyll content and nitrate content were also quantified. We analyzed plant growth using NAR (net assimilation rate), CGR (crop growth rate), and RGR (relative growth rate) plants that received supplemental lighting had greater accumulated fruit weight compared to that of the control treatment. Plants exposed to LED, fluorescent and sodium light sources had greater accumulated fruit weight (44, 18 and 34% greater, respectively) compared to that of the control treatment. While plants exposed to LED, fluorescent and sodium light sources were 23, 33 and 41% taller than that of control plants.