In this article, we will analyze what spectrum is, how do plants respond to light and how does spectrum affect plant growth，Due to the lack of plant and lighting research knowledge, many LED planting lamp suppliers lack the ability to conduct professional research on this issue and apply it to their actual products.
As growers, we are most interested in the wavelengths associated with the plant. The wavelengths of plant detection include ultraviolet (260 — 380 nm) and the visible part of the spectrum (380 — 740 nm), including PAR(400 — 700 nm) and far-infrared radiation (700 — 850 nm).
Greenhouse and indoor environments will differ when considering the spectrum of horticultural applications. In an indoor environment, your growth spectrum will account for the proportion of the total spectrum received by the crop. In a greenhouse, you must take into account that your plant is receiving a combination of growth light and the solar spectrum.
An example of photomorphogenesis is a plant that is bent toward the light source. Light also affects the developmental stages of a plant, such as germination and flowering.
The light range that plants use primarily for photosynthesis is 400 — 700 nm. This range is called photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and includes red, blue, and green wavelengths.
What effects can spectrum have on plant growth?
Plants have photoreceptors which can trigger different growth characteristics when activated by photons of specific wavelengths. Thus, by controlling the spectrum, you can influence powerful changes in plant growth.
The growth characteristics that can be affected by the spectrum are listed below:
The results of
Flower production
The growth rate of
Fresh weight
compact
The root system development
Plant health
color
taste
nutrition
It is important to note that using the spectrum to activate the plant response is an integral part of a larger process, and the results are largely dependent on many factors, such as light intensity, photoperiod, growing environment, plant species, and even plant species.
In nature, sunlight contains almost as much far-red light (20%) as red light (21%). Leaves at the top of the canopy are most exposed to sunlight and tend to absorb red light when reflecting or transmitting most of the far red light.
As a result, leaves with lower canopies can use less red light and receive a higher proportion of far-infrared light. This relatively low reddish to far-red ratio triggers the stem to stretch, the leaves to stretch to block more sunlight. Supplementary LED lighting can cause this reaction.
Using the above guidelines, growers can use smart horticultural lighting software to properly adjust the way their crops respond when adjusting the growth light spectrum ratio.
In conclusion, we see that the following applications of spectrum in horticulture are common:
Red lights: More red lights tend to cause more biomass growth and extension. Red light is commonly used to expand plants early in development or to stretch plants when longer internode intervals are needed.
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