PubMed · 2026-06-02
Researchers tested different LED light colors and intensities to grow potatoes indoors and found one combination matched field-level potato yields while also boosting the production of seed potatoes (minitubers) profitably. They also identified the genes responsible for producing a natural toxin in potato leaves under bright light.
The LA-H LED treatment (high-intensity, specific red-blue spectrum) produced potato yields indoors comparable to field-grown potatoes across yield, biomass, and leaf photosynthesis measures.
The ratio of red to blue light was the single most important factor shaping plant shape and physiology across all light treatments tested.
High light intensity triggered elevated α-solanine (a natural potato toxin) in leaves, with two specific genes — GAME4 and GAME12 — identified as the main drivers of its production.
