世界初!LED植物工場で“甘くて栄養価の高いミニトマト”の安定生産に成功～LED光と空間設計の最適化で、温室を凌ぐ甘さと栄養価を達成～

2025-07-30 東京大学

東京大学の研究チームは、LED光のみを使ってミニトマトを高品質かつ安定的に生産する世界初の技術に成功した。従来の縦型（I字）栽培と新開発の多段S字栽培を比較し、S字型では株全体に光が均等に届くため、糖度・ビタミンC・リコピンが温室栽培を上回る結果を得た。収穫開始も早く、糖酸比も高く味に優れ、省スペース性にも優れる。この技術は都市農業や宇宙農業への応用が期待される。

LED植物工場における“甘くて栄養価の高いミニトマト”の安定生産

＜関連情報＞

トマト生産における植物工場での光利用効率と果実品質を向上させる新規多層培養戦略
A novel multilayer cultivation strategy improves light utilization and fruit quality in plant factories for tomato production

Hanaka Furuta,Yuchen Qu,Dan Ishizuka,Saneyuki Kawabata,Toshio Sano,Wataru Yamori
Frontiers in Horticulture Published:30 July 2025
DOI:https://doi.org/10.3389/fhort.2025.1633097

Plant factories using artificial lighting are a promising solution to food security and urban agricultural challenges. However, cultivation of fruit-bearing crops such as tomatoes remains limited due to their high light demands, long growth periods, and tall plant structure. In this study, we aimed to develop an efficient cultivation system for tomatoes in a multilayer plant factory. Mini tomatoes were hydroponically cultivated using white LEDs in a five-tier shelf system under two different cultivation methods. The conventional I-shaped method involved vertical growth on the top tier with downward lighting, while the novel S-shaped method trained each plant horizontally across the second to fourth tiers with lateral lighting on each level. The S-shaped method enabled even light distribution, resulting in consistent photosynthetic rates throughout the canopy. In contrast, the I-shaped method suffered from strong light attenuation in the lower tiers, leading to reduced photosynthetic efficiency in shaded parts. Although total yield did not differ significantly between the two methods, the S-shaped method promoted earlier fruit maturation and improved fruit quality, including higher sugar content. Compared with greenhouse cultivation, plant factory conditions ensured stable temperature and lighting, leading to compact plant morphology, shorter internodes, and higher SPAD values. Moreover, fruit quality was more consistent year-round, with higher lycopene and sugar contents. This study demonstrates that the S-shaped cultivation system offers significant advantages in light use efficiency, plant management, and fruit quality. It represents a scalable approach for enhancing tomato production in plant factories and may facilitate the introduction of other high-light-demanding fruit crops into vertical farming systems.