Response of Spinacia oleracea varieties cultivated in a plant factory with artificial lighting

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The scarcity of water and arable land is driving the development of new farming technologies, such as Plant Factories with Artificial Lighting (PFAL). These systems help reduce water use, allow for year-round production, and eliminate the need for pesticides. These systems work well with leafy vegetables, especially baby leaves, as they provide a high amount of nutrients and are beneficial for health. Spinach is an excellent crop to grow in this way because it is abundant in vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds. Controlled environment agriculture is a promising solution for producing spinach in Nuevo León, where the climate hinders conventional techniques. In this experiment, three types of spinach (Virofly, Acadia F1, and Space F1) were grown in a controlled environment with a temperature of 22 ± 1 °C, a relative humidity of 53 ± 7%, and ambient CO₂ levels. The plants were grown using a floating root hydroponic system with artificial RGB lighting (4.55:1:1 spectrum). The study assessed antioxidant activity, phenolic content, flavonoids, and photosynthetic pigments to determine the optimal variety for biomass production in a Plant Factory with Artificial Lighting. Virofly and Acadia F1 produced encouraging outcomes, whereas Space F1 was omitted due to seed non-viability. The majority of analyses showed no statistically significant differences between Acadia F1 and Virofly. This suggests that the common variety had comparable yields and nutraceutical properties to the hybrid when grown under the same conditions. Because Acadia F1 seeds cost ten times the amount, Virofly is the best choice for making the most savings without sacrificing quality.