Developing LED lighting strategies for indoor floriculture transplant production
A new method of producing floriculture transplants is indoors using light-emitting diodes (LEDs). However, one of the challenges and opportunities of implementing this new production technique is to determine the radiation spectrum to obtain desired plant responses. The quality attributes of floriculture crops, including plant size, leaf color, growth habit, and flowering time, can all be modified by the radiation spectrum, and also plant responses can vary among plant species and cultivars.
Yujin’s Ph.D. research is investigating how different spectral and intensity combinations from blue (400-500 nm), green (500-600 nm), red (600-700), far-red (700-800 nm), and white LEDs interact to regulate photosynthesis, plant growth, and flowering responses on a broad range of floriculture crops. The results from previous experiments identified the potential benefits of including far-red radiation in the lighting spectrum, including increased seedling growth, regulation of plant size, and earlier flowering. We also learned that far-red radiation combined with a moderately high intensity of blue radiation can produce compact plants while accelerating flowering time in some species. To best utilize sole-source LED lighting technology in floriculture transplant production, this research will further generate new science-based information on the kinds of plant responses and benefits growers can achieve by managing the radiation spectrum.
For more information:
Michigan State University
Yujin Park and Erik Runkle
runkleer@msu.edu
www.floriculturealliance.org