Method for advancing flowering phase of pitaya based on mixed light
By optimizing the layout and spectral combination of LED supplemental lighting, the problems of insufficient flowering period and low fruit quality in dragon fruit under protected cultivation conditions were solved, resulting in an increase in the number of dragon fruit flowers and the sweetness of the fruit, thereby improving planting income and nutritional quality.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- INSTITUTE OF MICROBIOLOGY JIANGXI ACADEMY OF SCIENCES (JIANGXI INSTITUTE OF WATERSHED ECOLOGY)
- Filing Date
- 2026-03-12
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-26
AI Technical Summary
Existing technologies have failed to effectively combine LED supplementary lighting time, intensity, and spectrum to comprehensively regulate the flowering period and fruit quality of dragon fruit, resulting in dragon fruit failing to flower normally and having insufficient fruit nutrition quality when there is insufficient sunlight in winter.
A mixed light supplementation method is adopted, which optimizes the layout, spectral combination, power and time of LED supplementation lights. The specific scheme includes a red-white light combination of 15% red light and 85% white light, with different power and supplementation areas, to achieve efficient induction of dragon fruit flower bud differentiation and synthesis of fruit sugars. It is suitable for facility cultivation environments in southern regions such as Jiangxi.
It significantly increases the number of dragon fruit flowers and the sweetness of the fruit, improves planting yield and fruit nutritional quality, and promotes the content of components such as threonine, tyrosine, succinic acid, and phenylalanine. The operation is simple and practical.
Smart Images
Figure CN122074338A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention belongs to the field of plant lighting technology, specifically relating to a method for advancing the flowering period of dragon fruit based on mixed light. Background Technology
[0002] Dragon fruit (Hylocereus undulatus) belongs to the genus Hylocereus in the cactus family. Native to Central America, it is a tropical and subtropical fruit tree with sweet, nutritious flesh and antioxidant properties. Dragon fruit was introduced and trialed in my country in the 1990s and is now widely cultivated in many southern provinces, yielding significant economic benefits. Dragon fruit is a typical long-day plant, but insufficient sunlight in winter prevents it from flowering normally, requiring supplemental light to induce flowering. Extensive production practices and research have shown that extending the daylight hours for dragon fruit can induce flowering outside of its natural growing season, enabling off-season supply and year-round production, greatly improving its economic value.
[0003] Jiangxi Province began introducing dragon fruit in 2009, and the current planting area has reached 20,000 mu (approximately 1,333 hectares). Jiangxi dragon fruit cultivation primarily utilizes greenhouse facilities. In 2019, under the joint guidance of this project team and Jiangxi Qicai Ganpo Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd., LED supplemental lighting was installed in dragon fruit planting enterprises in three regions of Jiangxi (Chongyi, Yushan, and De'an). Starting in September, supplemental lighting was provided for four hours from 6 PM to 10 PM. Measurements showed that the number of flowers in dragon fruit planted under LED supplemental lighting was doubled compared to those without, and two additional flowering cycles occurred in October and November. Furthermore, the soluble sugar content of dragon fruit planted under supplemental lighting increased, resulting in significant improvements in quality and yield.
[0004] Current research has explored the impact of LED supplemental lighting on the quality and efficiency of dragon fruit, but comprehensive studies on both flowering and quality aspects have been lacking, resulting in a lack of systematic analysis. This project focuses on dragon fruit, a protected economic crop in Jiangxi Province, investigating the effects of LED supplemental lighting duration, intensity, and formulation on tissue morphology, physiological and biochemical changes, transcriptomics, and metabolomics during flower bud differentiation, flowering, and fruit formation. The aim is to explore the mechanism by which LED supplemental lighting improves the quality and efficiency of dragon fruit production, providing a theoretical basis for dragon fruit production period regulation techniques in Jiangxi and laying the foundation for understanding the mechanisms of light environment regulation in protected horticulture. Summary of the Invention
[0005] The technical problem solved by this invention is to provide a method for advancing the flowering period of dragon fruit based on mixed light. This method achieves efficient induction of dragon fruit flower bud differentiation by precisely optimizing the layout of supplemental lights, supplemental light spectrum, power, range and supplemental light time, while promoting the synthesis of sugars in the fruit, thus achieving the effect of simultaneously improving yield and nutritional quality. Moreover, this method is suitable for the facility dragon fruit cultivation environment in southern regions such as Jiangxi, and is simple to operate and highly practical.
[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:
[0007] A method for advancing the flowering period of dragon fruit based on mixed light involves using LED supplemental lighting to illuminate the dragon fruit. The LED supplemental lighting parameters are any of the following combinations: a red-white combination of 15% red light and 85% white light with 15W power in a half-lighting area; a red-white combination of 15% red light and 85% white light with 15W power in a full-lighting area; a red-white combination of 15% red light and 85% white light with 20W power in a half-lighting area; a red-white combination of 15% red light and 85% white light with 20W power in a full-lighting area; 100% white light with 20W power in a half-lighting area; and 100% white light with 20W power in a full-lighting area.
[0008] Furthermore, the LED fill light parameters are a red-white combination light with a red light ratio of 15% and a white light ratio of 85%, a fill light power of 20W, and a fill light range of a semi-fill light area.
[0009] Furthermore, the LED supplementary lights are hung 50cm away on the left and right sides of the dragon fruit, and 50cm away from the highest point of the dragon fruit.
[0010] Furthermore, the supplemental lighting period is controlled to be from February to March each year.
[0011] Furthermore, the daily supplemental lighting period is from 17:30 to 22:00, with a duration of 5.5 hours.
[0012] Furthermore, the LED fill light is a waterproof LED fill light with a red light wavelength of 620-660nm.
[0013] Furthermore, the number of dragon fruit flowers was 21±2.6 per 3 meters, the number of mature red fruits was 6±0 per 3 meters, and the fruit sweetness was 14±1.8 Brix°.
[0014] Furthermore, when using 100% white light with 20W power and full supplemental lighting parameters, the number of dragon fruit flowers was 25.3±1.5 per 3 meters; when using a red-white combination of 15% red light and 85% white light with 15W power and half supplemental lighting parameters, the number of dragon fruit flowers was 21±1.7 per 3 meters, and the number of mature red fruits was 3±1 per 3 meters.
[0015] A method for regulating the expression levels of genes and metabolites in dragon fruit based on mixed light is proposed. The method involves using LED supplemental lighting to illuminate the dragon fruit with mixed light parameters, including: a red-white combination of 15% red light and 85% white light at 15W power in a half-lighting area; a red-white combination of 15% red light and 85% white light at 15W power in a full-lighting area; a red-white combination of 15% red light and 85% white light at 20W power in a half-lighting area; a red-white combination of 15% red light and 85% white light at 20W power in a full-lighting area; 100% white light at 20W power in a half-lighting area; and 100% white light at 20W power in a full-lighting area.
[0016] A method for regulating the sweetness of dragon fruit based on mixed light involves using LED supplemental lighting to illuminate the dragon fruit with mixed light. The supplemental lighting parameters are any one of the following: a red-white combination of 15% red light and 85% white light with 15W power in a half-supplemental lighting area; a red-white combination of 15% red light and 85% white light with 15W power in a full-supplemental lighting area; a red-white combination of 15% red light and 85% white light with 20W power in a half-supplemental lighting area; a red-white combination of 15% red light and 85% white light with 20W power in a full-supplemental lighting area; 100% white light with 20W power in a half-supplemental lighting area; and 100% white light with 20W power in a full-supplemental lighting area.
[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:
[0018] (1) The present invention uses a mixed light supplementation method to increase the flowering and fruiting of dragon fruit in one batch, thereby increasing the planting income.
[0019] (2) This invention improves the quality of dragon fruit. Different supplemental lighting treatments all improve or even significantly improve the sweetness of dragon fruit; and different supplemental lighting treatments increase the content of threonine, tyrosine, succinic acid, phenylalanine and other substances in mature dragon fruit. Attached Figure Description
[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing the deployment of the LED supplemental lighting in a dragon fruit greenhouse according to this application;
[0021] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing the differentially expressed genes and transcript numbers in mature dragon fruit for this application;
[0022] Figure 3 Bar graph showing KEGG enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes in dragon fruit after supplemental lighting treatment in this application;
[0023] Figure 4 Box plot of differentially expressed metabolites of dragon fruit after supplemental lighting treatment in this application. Detailed Implementation
[0024] The present invention will be further illustrated below with reference to specific embodiments. These embodiments are implemented based on the technical solutions of the present invention, and it should be understood that these embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.
[0025] The dragon fruit in the following examples is the main variety cultivated in Jiangxi Province under protected cultivation. It is planted in dragon fruit greenhouses in Chongyi, Yushan, De'an and Qingyuan in Jiangxi Province. The dragon fruit is planted in three rows with a row spacing of 2.5m. The plants are growing in the same way and there are no pests or diseases.
[0026] The LED supplemental light is waterproof and suitable for the temperature and humidity environment of greenhouse cultivation. It has adjustable spectrum ratio and power, with red light wavelength of 620-660nm and white light full spectrum.
[0027] Example 1
[0028] like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment provides a method for advancing the flowering period of dragon fruit based on mixed light, including the following steps:
[0029] 1. Seven treatment groups were set up, with each group repeated three times. Six of the groups were treatment groups with different supplemental lighting parameters, and one group was a control group without supplemental lighting. The specific treatment plan is as follows:
[0030] Treatment 1: Red and white 15W half-fill area (red light 15% + white light 85%, 15W, half-fill area).
[0031] Processing 2: 15W full red and white fill (15% red light + 85% white light, 15W, full fill area).
[0032] Processing 3: 20W half-fill (red light 15% + white light 85%, 20W, half-fill area);
[0033] Processing 4: 20W full red and white fill (15% red light + 85% white light, 20W, full fill area).
[0034] Processing 5: 20W partial fill light (pure white light 100%, 20W, partial fill light area).
[0035] Processing 6: 20W full fill white light (100% pure white light, 20W, full fill light area).
[0036] Control group: Cultured under natural light without supplemental lighting.
[0037] 2. Experimental Procedure: Dragon fruit was planted with a row spacing of 2.5 meters, and three rows were planted per greenhouse. Supplemental lighting was placed approximately 50cm to the left and right of the middle row of dragon fruit, 50cm from the highest point of the fruit. The middle row was defined as fully supplemented lighting, the two outer rows were defined as partially supplemented lighting (the side closer to the supplemental lighting), and the outer sides of the two outer rows were defined as not supplemented lighting. Supplemental lighting was provided from February 10th to March 30th, 2025, from 17:30 to 22:00, for 5.5 hours per day. Flower counts were recorded on May 6th, 2025, and fruit counts and dragon fruit sampling were conducted on June 20th, 2025.
[0038] 3. Results
[0039] (1) Effects of different supplemental lighting treatments on the number of flowers and fruits in dragon fruit
[0040] The effects of different supplemental lighting treatments on the number of flowers and fruits in dragon fruit are shown in Table 1. Supplemental lighting significantly promoted flowering and the formation of red (ripe) fruits, but its effect on the number of green fruits varied (the effect was not significant because the supplemental lighting treatment ended 80 days ago, and the green fruits were formed under natural light). The promoting effect on the number of the first batch of flowers (around May 6th) was extremely significant. Data showed that the number of flowers in all supplemental lighting treatments (range: 20.3-25.3 / 9 plants) was significantly higher than that in the unsupplied control group (range: 0.7-3.3 / 9 plants). The white 20-watt full supplemental lighting treatment had the highest average number of flowers (25.3). The promoting effect on the number of red fruits (the first batch of ripe fruits) was also significant. Data showed that the number of red fruits in all supplemental lighting treatments (range: 3-6 / 3 meters) was also significantly higher than that in the unsupplied control group (range: 0-1.3 / 9 plants). The red and white 20-watt half supplemental lighting treatment had the highest average number of red fruits (6). Therefore, supplemental lighting not only promotes flowering, but also significantly improves fruit set rate and fruit ripening rate, ultimately effectively increasing the number of harvestable mature fruits.
[0041] Table 1. Effects of different supplemental lighting treatments on dragon fruit setting and fruit set.
[0042]
[0043] (2) Effects of different supplemental lighting treatments on differentially expressed genes and transcripts in mature dragon fruit
[0044] The specific operational methods and equipment for transcriptome sequencing: The RNA-seq technical route mainly includes RNA extraction, nucleic acid detection, library construction, sequencing, data quality control, and data analysis. First, RNA extraction and nucleic acid detection are performed to obtain high-quality RNA samples. Then, library construction is carried out, followed by sequencing to obtain a large amount of short read sequence data. Subsequently, data quality control is performed to remove low-quality sequences and impurities, ensuring data accuracy. Finally, data analysis is performed, statistically analyzing and displaying the comparison of the reference genome between different supplemental lighting groups and the control group, quantifying gene expression levels, identifying differentially expressed genes, functional enrichment analysis, and identifying alternative splicing and new genes. The second-generation transcriptome sequencer used is the DNBSEQT7. Results are as follows... Figure 2 As shown.
[0045] Depend on Figure 2 The effects of different supplemental lighting treatments on differentially expressed genes and transcripts in mature dragon fruit showed that, compared with the control group, the number of differentially expressed genes and transcripts in different supplemental lighting treatments was significantly higher.
[0046] The specific operation method and equipment for metabolomics sequencing are as follows: First, dragon fruit metabolites are extracted. The extracts are then analyzed using a Vanquish (Thermo Fisher Scientific) ultra-high performance liquid chromatograph. The raw data are converted into mzXML format using ProteoWizard software (V3.0.24054). Metabolite identification is performed using a collaboratively developed R package 7. Finally, visualization analysis is performed using a self-developed R package.
[0047] Depend on Figure 3 The combined analysis of transcriptomics and metabolomics showed that, compared with the control treatment (no supplemental light), the supplemental light treatment mainly enriched the expression regulation of alanine, aspartic acid and glutamate metabolism, amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, and amino acid biosynthesis in mature dragon fruit, thus promoting the synthesis of sugars and amino acids in dragon fruit.
[0048] Depend on Figure 4 Metabolomics analysis showed that, compared with the control treatment (no supplemental light), supplemental light treatment significantly increased the content of threonine, tyrosine, succinic acid, phenylalanine, glutamine, and other substances in mature dragon fruit.
[0049] (3) Effects of different supplemental lighting treatments on the sweetness of dragon fruit
[0050] Peel ripe dragon fruit, remove the pulp from the center, and press to bring the juice below the level on a saccharimeter (Japan Aituo PAL-1, range 0-53%). Three replicates were performed for each supplemental lighting treatment. The effects of different supplemental lighting treatments on the sweetness of dragon fruit are shown in Table 2. Fruits treated with supplemental lighting consistently showed higher sweetness than the control group without supplemental lighting, indicating that supplemental lighting is an effective agronomical measure to enhance the sweetness of dragon fruit. The "red and white 20W half-supplemental lighting" treatment showed the best effect: this treatment achieved the highest sweetness (14.0 Brix°) and differed significantly from other treatments, making it the optimal supplemental lighting scheme in this experiment. Its combination (red and white spectrum, 20W power, half-supplemental lighting) was most conducive to the accumulation of sugar in dragon fruit. From the perspective of the spectral configuration of the supplemental lighting, under the same 20W half-supplemental lighting condition, the sweetening effect of the red and white combination light (14.0) was significantly better than that of pure white light (13.4), indicating that supplementing with red and blue light is more crucial for promoting the conversion of photosynthetic products into sugar. In terms of the power of the supplemental light, under red and white spectrum and full supplemental conditions, the sweetness of 20 watts (13.8) is higher than that of 15 watts (12.9), indicating that within a certain range, increasing the light intensity is beneficial to improving the sweetness.
[0051] Table 2 Effects of different supplemental lighting treatments on the sweetness of dragon fruit
[0052]
[0053] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.
Claims
1. A method for advancing the flowering period of dragon fruit based on mixed light, characterized in that, LED fill lights were used to provide mixed light supplementation to the dragon fruit. The parameters of the LED fill lights were any of the following combinations: a red-white combination of 15% red light and 85% white light with 15W power in a half-fill area; a red-white combination of 15% red light and 85% white light with 15W power in a full-fill area; a red-white combination of 15% red light and 85% white light with 20W power in a half-fill area; a red-white combination of 15% red light and 85% white light with 20W power in a full-fill area; 100% white light with 20W power in a half-fill area; and 100% white light with 20W power in a full-fill area.
2. The method for advancing the flowering period of dragon fruit based on mixed light according to claim 1, characterized in that: The LED fill light parameters are a red-white combination light with a red light ratio of 15% and a white light ratio of 85%, a fill light power of 20W, and a fill light range of half fill light area.
3. The method for advancing the flowering period of dragon fruit based on mixed light according to claim 1, characterized in that: The LED supplemental lights are hung 50cm away from the left and right sides of the dragon fruit, and 50cm away from the highest point of the dragon fruit.
4. The method for advancing the flowering period of dragon fruit based on mixed light according to claim 1, characterized in that: The supplemental lighting period is controlled to be from February to March each year.
5. The method for advancing the flowering period of dragon fruit based on mixed light according to claim 1, characterized in that: The daily supplemental lighting period is from 17:30 to 22:00, with a duration of 5.5 hours.
6. The method for advancing the flowering period of dragon fruit based on mixed light according to claim 1, characterized in that: The LED fill light is a waterproof LED fill light with a red light wavelength of 620-660nm.
7. The method for advancing the flowering period of dragon fruit based on mixed light according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of dragon fruit flowers was 21±2.6 per 3 meters, the number of mature red fruits was 6±0 per 3 meters, and the sweetness of the fruit was 14±1.8 Brix°.
8. The method for advancing the flowering period of dragon fruit based on mixed light according to claim 1, characterized in that: When using 100% white light with 20W power and full supplemental lighting parameters, the number of dragon fruit flowers was 25.3±1.5 per 3 meters; when using a red-white combination of 15% red light and 85% white light with 15W power and half supplemental lighting parameters, the number of dragon fruit flowers was 21±1.7 per 3 meters, and the number of mature red fruits was 3±1 per 3 meters.
9. A method for regulating the expression levels of genes and metabolites in dragon fruit based on mixed light, characterized in that, LED supplemental lighting was used to provide mixed light to the dragon fruit. The supplemental lighting parameters were any one of the following: a red-white combination of 15% red light and 85% white light with 15W power in a half-supplemental area; a red-white combination of 15% red light and 85% white light with 15W power in a full-supplemental area; a red-white combination of 15% red light and 85% white light with 20W power in a half-supplemental area; a red-white combination of 15% red light and 85% white light with 20W power in a full-supplemental area; 100% white light with 20W power in a half-supplemental area; and 100% white light with 20W power in a full-supplemental area.
10. A method for regulating the sweetness of dragon fruit based on mixed light, characterized in that, LED supplemental lighting was used to provide mixed light to the dragon fruit. The supplemental lighting parameters were any one of the following: a red-white combination of 15% red light and 85% white light with 15W power in a half-supplemental area; a red-white combination of 15% red light and 85% white light with 15W power in a full-supplemental area; a red-white combination of 15% red light and 85% white light with 20W power in a half-supplemental area; a red-white combination of 15% red light and 85% white light with 20W power in a full-supplemental area; 100% white light with 20W power in a half-supplemental area; and 100% white light with 20W power in a full-supplemental area.