Abstract
Recent advances in light emitting diode (LED) technology have provided exciting opportunities for plant lighting applications, and it is expected that LED lighting will soon overtake the still common use of high-intensity discharge (HID) lighting technology. Because LED lighting offers novel capabilities, extensive research is needed to identify optimal lighting practices for the large number of crops grown by commercial greenhouse growers. Plant scientists and growers facing decisions about plant lighting systems do not always have sufficient information about lamp performance characteristics. In this paper, we reported on various technical performance characteristics for 18 lamp types commonly used for plant production, and compared these characteristics with the characteristics of sunlight. The results showed a substantial range of performance characteristics, highlighting the importance of a careful assessment before selecting a light source for horticultural applications. The data presented in this paper can be used to assess the suitability of a specific light source for a particular horticultural application.
Highlights
The rapid improvements in light emitting diode (LED) technology over the last three decades have resulted in a host of intriguing opportunities for plant lighting applications [1,2].Before that, high-intensity discharge (HID) lighting systems were used as the most practical and cost effective option for commercial growers
We evaluated single lamps or fixtures as the representative of a particular lamp type
The purpose of our tests was not to call out specific manufacturers about their products, but rather show the range of performance characteristics among light sources commonly used for horticultural applications
Summary
The rapid improvements in light emitting diode (LED) technology over the last three decades have resulted in a host of intriguing opportunities for plant lighting applications [1,2]. High-intensity discharge (HID) lighting systems were used as the most practical and cost effective option for commercial growers. The industry accumulated a lot of knowledge about how best to use HID lighting. Since LED fixtures for horticultural applications are still more expensive than comparable HID fixtures, the latter, and high-pressure sodium (HPS) fixtures, are still the most dominant light source for plant lighting applications. The expectation is that the use of LED lighting systems will overtake the use of HID lighting systems in the near future
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