LED helps consumers eat summer wild berries in winter

The trial was conducted in the Netherlands. Willem van Eldik, a member of the Dutch research group Delphy, said the crop, which was sown in November, produced large leaves "as quickly as in summer" with a mix of red and blue LEDs.

According to Van Eldrik, the buds grow quickly and produce nectar quickly. Bumble bees and bees pollinated the fruit on January 31 this year.

The trial, using the summer cultivar Tulameen, was carried out in a climate-controlled greenhouse.

At the same time, a trial of planting blackberries was also carried out, starting from November 20 last year, flower buds grew in January this year, pollinated by bumblebees and bees, and fruits were harvested in February.

The researchers hope the study will help Dutch growers achieve year-round production.

The potential of LEDs has attracted great attention in the horticultural sector. Unlike traditional high-pressure sodium lamps, LED lighting can be dimmed according to various crops, the so-called "light recipe".

Each plant requires different light levels at different times of the day and during different stages of growth. Most growers currently use a mix of 450nm blue light (which aids in the production of chlorophyll and beta-carotene) and 660nm red light (which affects germination, plant growth, leaf growth and flowering).

More red light usually leads to a linear increase in crop yield. Lighting can also be dimmed, affecting the shape, flavor and other characteristics of plants.