Elevated light intensity and temperature enhance biomass, protein, and starch accumulation in duckweed

Duckweeds represent a promising nonfood feedstock for sustainable bioenergy production, owing to their rapid growth, high starch accumulation, and adaptability to diverse environmental conditions. Light and temperature are significant environmental factors influencing the duckweed growth and biomass accumulation. This study investigates the effects of varying light intensities (3000, 6000, 9000, 12,000, 15,000, and 20,000 lux) and temperatures (18 °C, 22 °C, 25 °C, 28 °C, and 31°C) on Lemna trisulca , focusing on biomass, starch, and protein yield. The results showed that increasing light intensity and temperature enhanced the growth and biomass production of duckweed, peaking at 20,000 lux (796.7 g m⁻²) and 28°C (792.5 g m⁻²). Under an optimal light regime (12,000 lux), starch yield reached 348.8 g m −2 , with starch content reaching 51.8 % of dry biomass and total biomass output of 724.7 g m⁻². Protein accumulation was maximized at 15,000 lux and 25°C (88.5 g m⁻²). Our findings uniquely demonstrate that optimizing light intensity and temperature enhances starch and protein accumulation in submerged duckweed, providing a scalable framework for industrial cultivation. This study offers practical insights for the development of energy-efficient systems to produce starch-rich biomass of L. trisulca without compromising overall growth performance. • Duckweed biomass increased with elevated light intensity and temperatures. • The maximum starch yield (348.8 g m −2 ) was obtained at 12,000 lux. • Optimal temperature for starch accumulation was 28°C, yielding 254.4 g m −2 . • The maximum protein production (88.5 g m −2 ) was obtained at 15,000 lux and 25°C.