Can LEDs provide the light plants need?

"The answer is yes, they can!" According to Rebecca Knight of Illumitex: "LEDs can provide the light plants need in a way that is more targeted and efficient than other lighting sources."

"Earlier this year I gave a presentation at the 2016 Greenhouse Crop Production & Engineering Design Short Course at the University of Arizona Controlled Environment Agriculture Center (CEAC). In the presentation I discussed the definition of light, how it is utilized by plants in terms of spectra, and the benefits of LEDs for horticulture lighting.

"I wanted to show the audience the overall view of how LEDs are utilized in horticulture but at the same time explain the science behind light utilization by plants. For example, it is widely known that land plants utilize a broad spectrum of light, despite what their photosynthetic pigments absorb. To explain why, I first pointed out why photosynthesis takes place in the chloroplast. Then, I showed data that compares the photosynthetic response of isolated chloroplasts vs. whole leaf tissue, suggesting that increases in biomass and canopy are a major attribute leading to the broadening of photosynthetic wavelength utilization."

Read more and watch videos of the presentation here.