Compared to standard polyethylene agricultural covers, plants grown under quantum dot-infused covers (QD, QDCs) that redshift the light spectrum have exhibited greater yields. While whole-plant and -canopy morphological changes under photoconversion products have been documented, impacts on seedling growth rate (<3 weeks post-germination) are not known. In the current study, four microgreens (alfalfa [Medicago sativa], amaranth [Amaranthus tricolor], kohlrabi [Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes], and pea [Pisum sativum]) were grown in an ebb and flow hydroponic growth chamber under metal halide lamps coupled with QDCs (UV/blue to red/far-red) containing different QD concentrations. Growth measurements derived from image-based phenotyping and traditional, destructive methods were analyzed on a species-specific level. Plants exhibited increased leaf area, biomass accumulation, and growth rate on a species-specific basis. Commercially relevant, it was estimated that some species could be ready for sale days earlier than their control counterparts. Germination rate was not affected significantly.
