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Many indoor growing operations rely on
grow lights. These consume considerable
energy. Much of the energy used to power
the light is in frequencies that are not
used for photosynthesis - rendering the
greenhouse pleasantly bright, but not
contributing to growth.
I propose that bright
grow-LEDs be
devised which pump all the energy into
the red frequency used by chloroplasts.
This would make greenhouses looks like
photographic darkrooms. The leaves
would look black, which is as it should be:
reflected light is necessary for us to
perceive color, and this light also reflects
wasted electricity. Single spectrum LED
growlights should markedly improve the
energy efficiency of indoor growing
operations.
LED Growlight supplier
http://www.fuzzlight.com/
[MisterQED, Aug 02 2008]
The Action Spectrum for Photosynthesis
http://www.phschool...tosynth/action.html
An animated "experiment". [baconbrain, Aug 02 2008]
Relative absorption for a bunch of chemicals.
http://www.citrusco...u/pic/46/c06_06.jpg
Your plant may vary. [baconbrain, Aug 02 2008]
[link]
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This is a good idea, nut not a new one. I will bun this anyway, till I can find proof, but I think the issue was either getting a LED to shine in the right frequency or that it wasn't a single frequency but a range. |
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After a lurch around the internet, I now understand that chlorophyll isn't the only light-absorber, and that there are peaks in both blue and red light for the two types of chlorophyll, and other places for other chemicals (see links). So, a single frequency of red light is probably not the best thing for plants. Red and blue, if you want, as in the [MQED]'s link, or even more colors, depending on the plant. |
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I'm all for LED lights for efficiency, mind, even though plants only use about 10 percent of the energy that hits them. I have a pile of LED flashlights, and would love to see a LED growlight. Just not a red-only light. And the room will never look dark, no matter what you tweak--the plants just won't cooperate. |
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I saw prototype LED growlamps many years ago at a space technology exhibition - this was before LED lighting had happened. They told me not to look directly at them if I turned them up, which of course I did having only seen low-power LEDs before. I had this LED matrix burned into my retina for hours. |
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I think choroplasts operate within a frequency range, rather than at a set frequency. In fact IIRC, plants have developed to prefer exactly the same spectrum as produced by the sun. Mimic that and that's the best you'll get. |
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