Data underlying the publication: Plant Factories Are Heating Up: Hunting for the Best Combination of Light Intensity, Air Temperature and Root-Zone Temperature in Lettuce Production

DOI:10.4121/5a7472f0-8a67-4ec0-84c9-9d032990d654.v1
The DOI displayed above is for this specific version of this dataset, which is currently the latest. Newer versions may be published in the future. For a link that will always point to the latest version, please use
DOI: 10.4121/5a7472f0-8a67-4ec0-84c9-9d032990d654

Datacite citation style

Meinen, Esther; Carotti, Laura; Graamans, Luuk; Puksic, Federico; Butturini, Michele et. al. (2025): Data underlying the publication: Plant Factories Are Heating Up: Hunting for the Best Combination of Light Intensity, Air Temperature and Root-Zone Temperature in Lettuce Production. Version 1. 4TU.ResearchData. dataset. https://doi.org/10.4121/5a7472f0-8a67-4ec0-84c9-9d032990d654.v1
Other citation styles (APA, Harvard, MLA, Vancouver, Chicago, IEEE) available at Datacite

Dataset

This study analyzed interactions among photon flux density (PPFD), air temperature, root-zone temperature for growth of lettuce with non-limiting water, nutrient, and CO2 concentration. We measured growth parameters in 48 combinations of a PPFD of 200, 400, and 750 μmol m–2 s–1 (16 h daylength), with air and root-zone temperatures of 20, 24, 28, and 32°C. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa cv. Batavia Othilie) was grown for four cycles (29 days after transplanting). Eight combinations with low root-zone (20 and 24°C), high air temperature (28 and 32°C) and high PPFD (400 and 750 μmol m–2 s–1) resulted in an excessive incidence of tip-burn and were not included in further analysis. Dry mass increased with increasing photon flux to a PPFD of 750 μmol m–2 s–1.


The effect of air temperature on fresh yield was linked to all leaf expansion processes. SLA, shoot mass allocation and water content of leaves showed the same trend for air temperature with a maximum around 24°C. The effect of root temperature was less prominent with an optimum around 28°C in nearly all conditions. With this combination of temperatures, market size (fresh weight shoot = 250 g) was achieved in 26, 20, and 18 days, at 200, 400, and 750 μmol m–2 s–1, respectively, with a corresponding shoot dry matter content of 2.6, 3.8, and 4.2%. In conclusion, three factors determine the “optimal” PPFD: capital and operational costs of light intensity vs the value of reducing cropping time, and the market value of higher dry matter contents.

History

  • 2025-10-30 first online, published, posted

Publisher

4TU.ResearchData

Format

.xlsx; .txt

Organizations

Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy;
Greenhouse Horticulture, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands;
Horticulture and Product Physiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands

DATA

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