LED light source reveals the time and space limitation of plant growth in plant factories

On July 11, 2012 China (Shanghai) International LED Industry Technology Expo opened at Shanghai New International Expo Center. Xinmin.com reporter learned from the meeting that at present, Shanghai is exploring the application of LED in modern agriculture, and at the Sunqiao Agricultural Base, it has set up a joint laboratory for semiconductor lighting and modern agricultural applications to control seedlings and growth of crops through LED light sources. The growth cycle can be shortened to one-third of the original.

It is understood that this kind of plant fill light method has been applied in the laboratory, adjusting the LED light source to the plant's wavelength preference and promoting its growth. According to the Shanghai Semiconductor Lighting Engineering Technology Research Center, the laboratory is currently a fully enclosed “plant factory.” The cultivation of more than ten species of plants such as Dendrobium candidum, ginseng, lettuce and tomatoes is underway. Most growth cycles can be adjusted to the original. One-third of the time, such as the growth cycle of lettuce, is shortened from 52-60 days to about 20 days.

Due to the completely enclosed setting, no external sunlight is required, so a 200-square-meter laboratory can be divided into multiple layers up and down, maximizing the use of space. At the same time, as the transportation of vegetables is controlled by the transportation radius, these “plant factories” can also be built around Shanghai to provide the public with the freshest vegetables in a timely manner. While space is breaking the norm, the plant factory is not limited in time, and fruits and vegetables can be produced all year round.

For this “accelerating growth” approach, experts say that it will not affect the original nutritional value of vegetables, and it is the same as the plants that grow in the natural environment. However, at present, this technology is still in the scientific research stage and has not entered the stage of mass production. After the technology is fully mature, it will begin trials.

In addition to the "plant factory," LED light sources can also act as a "killer killer" in agriculture. This kind of LED trap lamp has been used in many agricultural bases in Shencheng, especially the mushroom house. The trap lamp will hit the light in a pot of water in the base and use the phototaxis of the insects to kill the pests. In contrast to the UV lamp traps, LED light sources have the function of “identifying” beneficial insects and pests, not to “finish” them. The LED light source can be set according to the wavelength preference of the pest, and at the same time, it can be targeted to kill pests.