Effect of commercial LED lighting on the vegetative propagation of two vanilla species in plant factory systems
1Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León. Calle Francisco Villa S/N, Col. Ex Hacienda El Canadá, Gral. Escobedo, N.L. C.P. 66054. México. 2Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro. Departamento de Horticultura. Calz. Antonio Narro 1923. Buenavista, Saltillo, Coahuila, México. 3Laboratorio de Biología Molecular, TecNM-Instituto Tecnológico de Tlajomulco (ITTJ). Km 10 Carretera a San Miguel Cuyutlán, Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, Jalisco, C.P. 45640, México. Corresponding e-mail: humberto.rodriguezfn@uanl.edu.mx; alejandro.lunaml@uanl.edu.mx
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2026.v28i01.26
Global vanilla production currently fails to meet industrial demand, with Madagascar accounting for 63.8% of exports (USD 389 million in 2023). This study evaluated the effects of three commercial LED light spectra, four substrate types, and phytohormone applications on the vegetative propagation of Vanilla planifolia and V. pompona within controlled plant factory systems. A completely randomized 3×4×2 factorial design was employed using 240 three-node cuttings. The LED treatments included: T1 (36 W, 6500 K, PPFD 454.35 ?mol m?² s?¹), T2 (72 W, 6500 K, PPFD 322.54 ?mol m?² s?¹) and T3 (45 W, 5000 K, PPFD 299.23 ?mol m?² s?¹). Substrates tested were volcanic rock, coconut fiber, tepojal, and a substrate-free control. Root parameters were monitored for 30 days under aeroponic misting with controlled environmental conditions. LED lighting significantly influenced root length (p=0.021; R² = 54.33%), with the T1 configuration promoting the greatest elongation, likely due to enhanced blue-light-induced auxin transport. A highly significant Light × Species interaction was observed (p=0.012), particularly for V. planifolia under T2. Regarding root diameter, V. pompona developed significantly thicker roots than V. planifolia (0.43 vs. 0.38 cm), while coconut fiber reduced the diameter by 16.5% compared to volcanic rock. Substrate was the primary determinant for root fresh weight (p=0.041), with volcanic rock optimizing overall development. These results demonstrate that integrating T1 LED lighting with volcanic rock substrates provides a scientifically validated strategy to accelerate vanilla propagation cycles and address global supply shortages.
