Determination of the Effects of Different Light Colors on the Germination and Development of Tomato Seeds
Abstract
The main purpose of this study is to shorten the germination period of tomato seeds and fasten the germination rate and development. The artificial lighting and germination cabinet have been manufactured for this purpose. In this study, the germination and growth processes of three (Karacadağ, Lice, and Ahlat) local tomato varieties were examined. Instead of traditional light sources, four different LED (Light- Emitting Diodes) light colors (red, cool white, blue, and warm white) were used. For the germination and growth of the seeds, viols consisting of 6 x 12 cells were used. The tomato seeds were soaked two days before planting in the viols and left in a dark environment for four days. After the seeds emerged, they were transferred to a ligth environment, and the automatic timer was activated. The duration of light and dark exposure was also monitored. The plant was kept in a controlled growth environment with an automatic timer, providing 16 hours of light and 8 hours of darkness, with an average temperature of 25°C and relative humidity of 57%. After the seeds were planted, plant growth characteristics were assessed at 7 day intervals for a period of 42 days. In the study, measurements were taken for seedling length under different light colors over time, as well as plant root length, stem diameter, fresh and dry weight, leaf count, chlorophyll content, and leaves color (L, a, b) values. According to the research results, the effects of time, variety, and light color on the plant height development were statistically highly significant (p<0.001). Additionally, the differences between the measurement times, varieties, and LED light colors used as light sources were found to be highly significant (p<0.001). The shortest seedling length for all varieties was observed under red light, while the highest seedlings were achieved under daylight. Similarly, the shortest root length was recorded with red LED light for all varieties, whereas the best root development and length were observed under daylight conditions. The best root length values were measured in the Karacadağ and Lice varieties, which showed similar results. All varieties exhibited a decrease in SPAD (Chlorophyll measurrment device) values over time. The difference between them was found significant (p<0.001). The lowest root length values in all varieties were obtained in Karacadağ variety.
Keywords
Plant growth chamber, Germination Rooms, Tomato Seedlings, LED Light Sources, Artificial Lighting
Supporting Institution
This study was supported by the Dicle University Scientific Research Projects Unit under the project number ZİRAAT.24.005.
Project Number
ZİRAAT.24.005
Ethical Statement
The authors declare that they have contributed equally to the article. The authors of the article declare that they do not have any conflict of interest.
Thanks
Authors are thankful to Dicle University, Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit for their financial supports. This article was produced from a Master’s Thesis prepared by Mehmet Ali Sarikurt.
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