Effect of three LED lights on the biomass production and copper remediation by shoot cultures of Musa paradisiaca

Abstract In photosynthesis, certain wavelengths of radiation are absorbed by photosynthetic pigments in plants, depending on the molecular structures of the pigments. Two main radiation wavelengths absorbed by plants for photosynthesis and biomass production are in the range of red and blue lights. Therefore, in addition to white light, observation applying the red and blue lights in plant researches gain great interest. The aim of this project is to compare the effect of three LED lights on the biomass production and copper remediation by previously-screened shoot cultures of Musa paradisiaca. The LED lights applied are arrangements of white, red, and blue LEDs, each arrangement having the same voltage of 12 V and the same power of 24 Watts. The shoot cultures were cultivated aseptically in 25 mL Murashige and Skoog agar media supplemented with 5 mg/L copper ions. Both parameters –the biomass production and copper concentration in biomass– determine the overall copper remediation by the shoot cultures from media. The results of this project show about 1.5-fold biomass production –expressed as growth index– was obtained upon the application of white light compared to that of the other two lights. Meanwhile, there is no significant difference in the concentration of copper in biomass upon the application of the three lights. Combined together, the application of white light still predominates for the overall copper remediation by the shoot cultures of Musa paradisiaca from media.