Application of Plant Grow Lights

From the field of application, plant grow lights are mainly used in greenhouse light supplementation, all-artificial light plant factories, plant tissue culture, greenhouse light supplementation, household vegetable and flower planting and laboratory research.

1. Plant grow lights in solar greenhouses and multi-span greenhouses

The proportion of artificial light for supplementary light is still low, and metal halide lamps and high pressure sodium lamps are the main ones. The penetration rate of LED plant lighting systems is low, but the growth rate starts to accelerate as the cost drops, mainly because users have long-term experience with metal halide lamps and high-pressure sodium lamps, and the use of metal halide lamps and high-pressure sodium lamps can not only avoid burns to plants, but also provide about 6% to 8 % of heat. The LED plant lighting system did not provide specific and effective instructions and data support, which delayed its application in daylight and multi-span greenhouses. At present, small-scale demonstration applications are still the mainstay. Since LEDs are cold light sources, they can be relatively close to the plant canopy and have less temperature impact. In daylight and multi-span greenhouses, LED grow light for veg and flower is more commonly used as inter-plant lighting fixtures.

2. Plant grow lights in greenhouse

The penetration and application of plant lighting in facility agriculture has been relatively slow, while the application of LED plant lighting systems (photoperiod control) for outdoor long-day crops with high economic value (such as dragon fruit) has achieved rapid development.

3. Plant grow lights in plant factory

Currently, the fastest and most widely used plant lighting system is the all-artificial light plant factory, which is divided into centralized multi-layer and distributed movable plant factories by category. The investment subjects of the centralized multi-layer all-artificial light plant factory are not traditional agricultural companies, but more companies engaged in semiconductors and consumer electronics. In distributed and mobile plant factories, shipping containers (new or second-hand container reconstruction) are still the standard carrier. The plant lighting systems of all artificial plants mostly use linear or flat-panel array lighting systems, and the number of planting varieties continues to expand. Various experimental light formula LED light sources have begun to be widely used. The products on the market are mainly green leafy vegetables.

4. Plant grow lights in home plant cultivation

LED can be used in indoor house plant grow lights, household vegetable growing machines, indoor grow light racks, etc.

5. Plant grow lights in cultivation of medicinal plants

Cultivation of medicinal plants, such as Anoectochilus and Lithospermum officinale. The products in these markets have higher economic value and are currently an industry with more plant lighting applications. In addition, the legalization of cannabis cultivation in North America and parts of Europe has promoted the application of LED plant lighting in the field of cannabis cultivation.

6. Flowering lights

As an indispensable tool in the flower gardening industry to adjust the flowering time of flowers, the earliest used florescent lamps were incandescent lamps, followed by energy-saving fluorescent lamps, and more LED-type florescent lamps have gradually replaced traditional lamps as the industrialization of LEDs progresses.

7. Plant tissue culture

The traditional light source for tissue culture is mainly white fluorescent lamp, which has low light efficiency and large heat. LEDs are more suitable for efficient, controllable and compact plant tissue culture due to their low power consumption, low heat generation and long life. At present, white LED tubes are gradually replacing white fluorescent lamps.