Sunlight, LED and HPS lighting modulate Bacillus mycoides response to shade stress in perennial ryegrass
Abstract
Aim of study: To investigate the combined effects of supplemental lighting technologies, light-emitting diode (LED) and high-pressure sodium (HPS), perennial ryegrass cultivars, and Bacillus mycoides inoculation on early turfgrass establishment under stadium-like shade conditions, addressing critical renovation timelines in professional sports venues. Area of study: Greenhouse facility at Ege University’s Bayındır Vocational School, Izmir, Türkiye. Material and methods: Three perennial ryegrass cultivars Lolium perenne L.’Presidian’, Lolium perenne L. ‘Apple SGL’, and Lolium × boucheanum Kunth. ‘Solstice II’, were grown in washed sand (0-2 mm) under four light environments: Sunlight, 70% Shade, Shade + LED, and Shade + HPS. B. mycoides strain BM02 was applied at 2 L ha⁻¹ to half the treatments. Both supplemental lighting systems provided 100 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ photosynthetic photon flux density. Parameters measured included canopy cover, growth rate, root development, Dark Green Colour Index (DGCI), and chlorophyll content over five weeks using a 4×3×2 factorial design with four replicates. Main results: Significant three-way interactions dominated most responses. Shade yielded poorest performance across all parameters. LED lighting achieved canopy cover approaching sunlight levels (43.5-51.2% vs 48.6-57.3%), while HPS resulted in significantly lower coverage (20.2-28.3%) despite promoting vertical growth. B. mycoides enhanced canopy cover (5.8-21.3%) and fresh root weight (23.4-28.5%) under supplemental lighting but reduced canopy cover (11.3-12.8%) and DGCI (11.3-24.2%) under sunlight conditions. Research highlights: LED lighting provides superior establishment outcomes with 40% energy savings compared to HPS. B. mycoides benefits are maximized under stress conditions rather than optimal environments.
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