LED plant lighting is beneficial to greenhouses, but standards need to be improved

Recently published research pointed out that although LED lighting can enhance the growth of greenhouse plants, standards still need to be established to determine the optimal light intensity and color to illustrate the improvement of energy efficiency of horticultural lighting products.

At present, many lighting companies are selling LED products. The "light formula" usually consists of a combination of wavelength and color ratio, such as a 4:1 red-to-blue ratio of the spectrum. Plant scientists often use this information to assess the potential effects of lights on plant growth and development. But according to a study to be published in Acta Horticulturae, there is still a lack of standardized procedures for calculating these ratios.

AJ Both, a professor in the Department of Environmental Science at Rutgers University and an expert in controlled environmental engineering, said: "The more efficient the auxiliary light source, the less electricity the grower needs to plant crops. We hope to increase indoor crops in a more sustainable and effective way. produce."

Improving energy efficiency will have a major impact on growers, and information about new plant lighting strategies will help the booming indoor agricultural industry.

According to Both's previous research, in greenhouses and controlled environments, lamps are used to supplement sunlight and extend lighting time, helping to produce horticultural crops such as vegetables, flowers and herbs. The latest developments in energy-saving LED technology provide a variety of lighting options for the gardening industry. However, due to the lack of independent information on the performance of the lights, growers cannot easily compare the various lighting technologies and LED options. The study proposes to standardize product labels, which can compare lamps between manufacturers.

Both and colleagues will continue to work on independently evaluating performance indicators, such as power consumption, efficiency, light intensity, and light distribution patterns, and pass this information to commercial growers. His research shows that the latest developments provide opportunities to precisely control the light of LED lights and study the effects on plant growth and development.

This new study recommends using a spectroradiometer to measure light output in a specific wavelength range. Researchers report that comparing sunlight with ordinary lamps (including LEDs, high-pressure sodium lamps, incandescent lamps, and fluorescent lamps for plant lighting), the ratio of light is very different. The researchers hope that the work will help develop a standard definition for a specific band (wavelength range).