Effects of supplemental lighting using HPS and LED lamps with different light spectra on growth and yield of the cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) during winter cultivation in greenhouse

Abstract The aim of the experiment was to assess the effects of supplemental lighting of cucumber grown in greenhouse using lamps with differentiated light spectra: sodium lamps – high-pressure sodium (HPS) and light emitting diodes (LEDs). Plants (cucumber ‘Pacto’ F1) were grown in two greenhouse compartments with five light treatments: I – HPS + LED (top light with HPS LEDs as interlighting), II – only HPS as top light, III – LED R (LED chips on board (COB) type with an increased level of red band), IV – LED W (LED COB type, white), V – LED B (LED COB type with an increased level of blue spectrum). Light treatments: HPS + LEDs and HPS were grown in one greenhouse compartment and the other three light treatments: LED R (red light supplementation), LED W (without additional supplementation) and LED B (red spectrum supplementation) in the second compartment in analogous climatic conditions. The LED lamps using COB technology are known to be a very efficient source of light. Plants were cultivated from December 2018 to March 2019 in mineral wool slabs Grotop Master (100 × 15 × 10) with four plants on one mat. They were illuminated for 18 h (from 5 am to 11 pm), setting the threshold value (on and off) at 130 W. The plants were drip-irrigated with a complete nutrient solution. The irrigation was controlled based on a weighting system. The assessment of the effect of lighting on early yield and quality of cucumbers was completed after 8 weeks of cropping. It was shown that it was possible to obtain 3.59 kg from one plant during the 8-week period of evaluation by illuminating plants with sodium lamps (HPS), while using HPS and LEDs as additional illuminated inter-rows 3.89 kg. The yield of plants illuminated by LED lamps varied depending on the variant of the spectrum used and was respective for LED R, LED W and LED B, 3.30 kg, 3.90 kg and 3.25 kg. The obtained results indicated that the yield of cucumber ‘Pacto’ F1 grown with HPS lamps at top lighting and at the same time using interlighting with LED lamps was similar to LED W lamps (i.e. without additional supplementation in the range of red (LED R) and blue (LED B) light). Due to good results of LED lamps (type COB for top lighting or as interlighting) used for the cucumber supplemental lighting and high energy efficiency of LEDs, the promising future for that type of lamps compared with traditionally used HPS during winter cultivation in a greenhouse was demonstrated.