Physiological responses of sun choke’s seedlings under different wavelength LED lighting

•Adjust light quality by LED can manipulate JA seedling growth.•Enhanced Sun Choke’s photosynthesis finishing by B light.•First report of R and R + B LED could help shorten and compact JA seedling.•Chemical growth retardants can leave undesired toxic residue in human health.•Using R and R + B light are alternative techniques for producing edible potted JA. The impacts of light sources on development, morphological characteristics, and chlorophyll fluorescence of Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L; JA) seedlings were investigated under natural light (NL), fluorescence light (FL), red light LEDs (R), blue light LEDs (B) and red + blue light LEDs (R + B) (photosynthetic photon flux density 326.74, 30.61, 159.23, 445.38 and 332.56 μmol m−2·s-1, respectively). Morphological appearances of seedlings were significantly different, The R and R + B lighting significantly reduced seedling height and internode length when compare with NL. In contrast, B light could enhance JA seedling growth by increase stem dry weight and net assimilation rate (NAR). Photosynthetic efficiency in terms of photochemical quenching (qP) of seedling were higher under B light than FL light. JA response of seedlings under B light condition was much overall better yield compare to another light source condition. Taken together, R and R + B lighting facilitated plant shortening and more compact canopy, emphasizing the importance of R light spectral quality to manipulate plant growth. It therefore represents modify alternative method to obtain edible potted JA plants under control lighting.