Chlorophyll fluorescence serves as a non-destructive method for assessing photosynthetic efficiency, providing insight into how absorbed light energy is transferred within the photosystems. This technique is particularly effective for analyzing daytim...
Chlorophyll fluorescence serves as a non-destructive method for assessing photosynthetic efficiency, providing insight into how absorbed light energy is transferred within the photosystems. This technique is particularly effective for analyzing daytime photosynthetic efficiency in Phalaenopsis orchids. These orchids utilize crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM), a mechanism that temporally separates light reaction from stomatal CO₂ uptake. In this study, we hypothesized that a sharp decline in the quantum efficiency of photosystem II (Φ PSII) is directly associated with malic acid exhaustion, as malic acid serves as the primary daytime carbon source in Phalaenopsis. To verify this hypothesis, acclimated clones of Phalaenopsis Queen Beer ‘Mantefon’ were transferred from 100 μmol∙m-2∙s-1 PPFD to either 100 or 200 μmol∙m-2∙s-1 PPFD. Simultaneous measurements of Φ PSII and malic acid content in the uppermost leaves revealed that the plants subjected to the higher PPFD (200 μmol∙m-2∙s-1) experienced a rapid drop in Φ PSII approximately three hours sooner than in those at 100 μmol∙m-2∙s-1. Furthermore, malic acid content analysis data confirmed that this sharp decline is temporally associated with the point of malic acid exhaustion. Based on this finding, an adaptive supplemental lighting system was established to dynamically adjust light input in response to real-time changes in ΦPSII. The system was employed in a plastic greenhouse. Beginning on May, 7-month-old Phalaenopsis Queen Beer ‘Mantefon’ were acclimated before being divided into a supplemental lighting group and a control group. In the supplemental lighting group, chlorophyll fluorescence from the uppermost leaves was monitored between 09:00 and 13:00 to establish a regression-based reference. Supplemental light was initiated at 15:30, and the system was programmed to automatically switch off the light once the measured ΦPSII was more than 0.15 units below the established reference level. The lighting system extended the duration of supplemental lighting on days with low cumulative daytime ETR, while reducing the duration under higher ETR. Consequently, the daily light integral (DLI) of Phalaenopsis was maintained within the range of 2.6–4.2 mol∙m-2∙d-1 throughout the experimental period. By integrating the real-time chlorophyll fluorescence into cultivation practices in a greenhouse, the adaptive lighting system offers a method to enhance photosynthetic performance and shorten growth periods of Phalaenopsis orchids.