Research Projects

Tulip (Tulipa gesneriana L.) is a valuable ornamental crop propagated asexually through bulbs, with mother bulb size (≥12 cm circumference) crucial for top flower quality. As tulip requires annual replanting, achieving uniform bulb size and efficient propagation is essential. Soilless systems like hydroponics offer a promising solution, enabling faster, disease-free, automated, and year-round tulip cultivation. This technique benefits farmers by enabling off-season tulip cultivation, which can fetch premium prices and reduce risk. Autonomous greenhouse systems enable precise regulation of light spectra and environmental parameters to optimize plant growth and development. Light quality not only promotes photosynthesis but also acts as a signal for key developmental stages like flowering. Adjusting the light spectrum—especially with red and far-red wavelengths—can promote early flowering by influencing floral genes. Likewise, higher CO₂ levels boost photosynthesis and carbon assimilation, potentially increasing carbohydrate reserves and supporting better plant growth. As a C₃ plant, tulip may benefit significantly from elevated CO₂, with studies like Poorter et al. (1996) showing a 44% growth increase in C₃ species under higher CO₂. Controlled environment agriculture (CEA), using tailored light spectra and CO₂ enrichment, offers a promising solution. Red and far-red light can trigger floral initiation through photoperiodic and circadian pathways, while elevated CO₂ boosts photosynthesis and carbohydrate allocation, potentially enhancing bulb growth and accelerating flowering. However, the combined effects of these factors on tulip flowering and bulb development remain unclear. This study aims to evaluate the interactive effects of light quality and CO₂ under autonomous greenhouse conditions to promote early flowering, improve bulb size and daughter bulb multiplication, enable year-round, high-efficiency tulip production by using CO₂ enrichment, spectrum-specific LED lighting, and hydroponic cultivation in autonomous greenhouses.