TY - JOUR

T1 - Blue Light Improves Photosynthetic Performance and Biomass Partitioning toward Harvestable Organs in Saffron (Crocus sativus L.)

AU - Moradi, Shirin

AU - Kafi, Mohsen

AU - Aliniaeifard, Sasan

AU - Salami, Seyed Alireza

AU - Shokrpour, Majid

AU - Pedersen, Carsten

AU - Moosavi-Nezhad, Moein

AU - Wrobel, Jacek

AU - Kalaji, Hazem M.

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - Saffron is a valuable plant and one of the most expensive spices worldwide. Nowadays, there is a tendency to produce this crop in indoor plant production systems. However, the production of saffron is restricted by the need for the reproduction of high-quality corms. In this study, we investigated the effect of different ratios of red (R) and blue (B) light spectra (including 100% B (monochromatic B), 75%, 50%, 40%, 25% B, and 0% B (monochromatic R) on the photosynthetic performance and biomass partitioning as well as morphological and biochemical characteristics of saffron. The growth of flower, root, and corm was improved by increasing the proportion of B to R light. B-grown plants were characterized by the highest photosynthetic functionality with efficient electron transport and lower energy dissipation when compared to R-grown plants. B light directed biomass toward the corms and floral organs, while R light directed it toward the leaves. In saffron, the weight of a daughter corm is of great importance since it determines the yield of the next year. As the ratio of B to R light increased, the daughter corms also became heavier, at the cost of reducing their number, though increasing the proportion of B-enhanced antioxidant capacity as well as the activity of ascorbate peroxidase and catalase while superoxide dismutase activity was enhanced in R-grown plants. In conclusion, B light increased the production of high-quality daughter corms and altered biomass partitioning towards harvestable organs (corms and flowers) in saffron plants.

AB - Saffron is a valuable plant and one of the most expensive spices worldwide. Nowadays, there is a tendency to produce this crop in indoor plant production systems. However, the production of saffron is restricted by the need for the reproduction of high-quality corms. In this study, we investigated the effect of different ratios of red (R) and blue (B) light spectra (including 100% B (monochromatic B), 75%, 50%, 40%, 25% B, and 0% B (monochromatic R) on the photosynthetic performance and biomass partitioning as well as morphological and biochemical characteristics of saffron. The growth of flower, root, and corm was improved by increasing the proportion of B to R light. B-grown plants were characterized by the highest photosynthetic functionality with efficient electron transport and lower energy dissipation when compared to R-grown plants. B light directed biomass toward the corms and floral organs, while R light directed it toward the leaves. In saffron, the weight of a daughter corm is of great importance since it determines the yield of the next year. As the ratio of B to R light increased, the daughter corms also became heavier, at the cost of reducing their number, though increasing the proportion of B-enhanced antioxidant capacity as well as the activity of ascorbate peroxidase and catalase while superoxide dismutase activity was enhanced in R-grown plants. In conclusion, B light increased the production of high-quality daughter corms and altered biomass partitioning towards harvestable organs (corms and flowers) in saffron plants.

KW - corm production

KW - chlorophyll fluorescence

KW - light spectra

KW - O-J-I-P transient

KW - photosynthetic functionality

KW - CHLOROPHYLL-A FLUORESCENCE

KW - EMITTING-DIODES LEDS

KW - RED-LIGHT

KW - VEGETATIVE GROWTH

KW - GLYCINE BETAINE

KW - IN-VITRO

KW - TEMPERATURE

KW - QUALITY

KW - PLANTS

KW - STRESS

U2 - 10.3390/cells10081994

DO - 10.3390/cells10081994

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 34440766

VL - 10

JO - Cells

JF - Cells

SN - 2073-4409

IS - 8

M1 - 1994

ER -