Effects of LED Light Exposure on Yield and Nutritional Quality of Pea Sprouts

To determine the effects of light exposureon pea sprout cultivation and quality, different LED lamps were used on the peas of 3 genotypes. Sprouts were germinated in complete darkness, then, exposed to white (control)orred and blue LEDlampsin combination ratio of 1:3, 1:1 or 3:1 in a hydroponic bed at ambient temperature to grow for 5 d. Leaves and stems of the sprouts were collected for measurements on antioxidant, soluble sugars and soluble protein, as well as the growth indicators, such as length and percentage of edible portion. Compared to control, the 3:1 LEDcombination significantly increased the contents of ascorbic acid, soluble sugars, total phenols and flavonoids in the pea sprouts. Although blue LED tended to promote protein formation in the sprouts, it was concluded that a combined exposure to red and blue LED lamps in a ratio of 3:1 would best improve the overall growth and nutritional quality of the pea sprouts, and thus, recommended forlarge-scale application.