LEDs lead the way: maximizing vegetable potential through photonics

Vegetables are considered protective foods as they are rich in vitamins, minerals and supply essential amino acids that our body cannot synthesize alone. Lighting can be used to alter the nutritional properties of vegetables. It also affects various stages of development in plants, which can be termed photo morphogenesis. Spectral quality, duration of exposure and amount of photon flux density significantly affect plants' physical, physiological and genetic parameters. Compared to other light sources, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are highly preferred for growing plants in a controlled environment due to their high energy use efficiency and supply of narrow light spectra. This review focuses on various studies that have been carried out to understand the effect of LED light with different spectra on various properties of vegetable crops, from their development to post-harvest quality. In addition, we have discussed the effect of LEDs on gene expression profiles.