Poster – LED grow lights

Introduction

LED grow lights prioritize electrical efficiency, though far-red (FR) LEDs are less efficient compared to other diodes. However, using FR LEDs in grow lights can be justified if enhanced plant growth offsets reduced lamp efficiency. The red to FR ratio significantly impacts plant development, architecture, flowering, and productivity. FR addition can influence biomass and fruit set. Our unpublished data suggests that leafy greens often grow better with moderate FR levels in light, even when compensating for PAR beyond 700nm. We present preliminary results from an experiment comparing LED light regimes with and without FR, adjusted for power consumption, on diverse plant growth architectures.

Conclusions

• Plants under moderate FR-enriched light had equal or greater biomass than those with adjusted PAR light without FR.
• Results indicate that enhanced light interception from plant morphological adjustments, rather than more efficient FR-driven photosynthesis, may underlie this outcome.
• The responses of plants varied between species and cultivars.
• Plants grown with FR light had more natural appearance.