Scientific publications

Continuous light enhanced the growth rate and biomass accumulation and increased the root weight ratio compared to other photoperiods in the first two weeks of cucumber seedling growth irrespective of light intensity. Extension of day length to 24 h at later stages gave no further increases in growth rate or dry matter increment. Moreover, plants under continuous light developed the light injury symptoms (reversible chlorosis) and their photosystem II suffered from photoinhibition. It is suggested that a 24-h photoperiod with relatively low photosynthetic photon flow can be used for cucumber transplant production in closed systems and greenhouses in order to reduce initial and operational costs.