Growth, flowering and morphological responses of petunia, a photosensitive plant, to light conditions in a greenhouse modified by dye-sensitized solar cells and light-emitting diodes

Abstract

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) can be used as greenhouse-glazing materials because of their translucent properties, varied colors, and ability to produce electricity. To assess their effect on plant growth and physiological responses, Petunia ×hybrida ‘Madness Red’ was investigated under four different light treatments: transparent polycarbonate panels (T) as the control, T + 50% shade (S), red-colored DSSCs (D), and D + cool-white light-emitting diodes (LED) (D + L). Compared to T, S increased the leaf area and the number of days to flowering and decreased the number of flowers and relative chlorophyll content (SPAD). D increased the plant height, leaf area, fresh weight, and the number of days to flowering and reduced the SPAD and number of leaves and flowers due to a lower daily light integral (DLI) and blue light than T. Compared to S, D increased the plant height, leaf area, and fresh weight while reducing the number of leaves and flowers due to the lower blue light. D + L increased the number of leaves and flowers, flowering rate, dry weight, and SPAD but inhibited stem and leaf elongation compared to D, due to an increase in DLI and blue light. The deployment of red DSSCs in greenhouses could potentially induce unfavorable morphological and developmental responses in light-sensitive plants. However, these effects can be mitigated using DSSC-powered LED supplemental lighting.