KaliKitsune
Well-Known Member
Took me awhile to get a response from my good friend Dr. Myers, but I figured people would like an actual PhD's opinion rather than a simple substitute teacher's experience when it comes to LEDs and various methods of lighting.
Q -- I'm curious as to your opinion on the future of indoor light systems for
horticulture. It seems as though T5 fluorescent is catching on bigtime, but
I'm curious as to LED lighting. It makes sense to target just the specific
wavelengths that plants use, however I would be concerned about performance
when it comes to plants with denser foliage, like rosemary bushes,
philodendron vines, rose bushes, etc. Do you think LEDs can achieve the
necessary canopy penetration, or will we be stuck having an LED dome for our
plants to live in so they get adequate lighting, should that lighting ever
take off? Also, I've seen lighting systems for offices that use light
conduits to capture light from outside and concentrate it inside. Do you
think that would work as a good way to light up an indoor horticultural
area?
Sincerely,
Kali
A--. Opinion questions are easy, you cant be wrong
I am an HID kinda guy. I like the T5, it is a big improvement over your
standard 4 fluorescents (which work fine w/ seedlings). I like the
output and flowering response of the HPS, although I use MH in my
greenhouse too. I have read a bit about LED as a light source for plants.
Right now, it seems scientists are still in the preliminary stage of LED
development. From reading scientific literature, I know that you CAN grow
plants using combinations of red and blue LED, but that does not mean that
you WILL grow the plants to their fullest potential. When comparing the
plants biomass and yield, I have never seen any LED combination beat a
400W MH, let alone a 400W HPS for flowering. You mention another possible
Achilles' heel of the LED, they generally have lower output, meaning that
like florescent lights you need to keep the LED close(less than one foot
away ) to the plants. I have heard people say LEDs dont need to be kept
close, but never seen it in person or in scientific literature. So, the
problem is that if the plants get taller than one foot, the light will not
get to the bottom of the plant. You will only have good growth on the top
1 foot of the plant, unless you create some side lighting (a dome of
light, as you suggested in your question). That does not mean that new LED technologies will not get better,
I am sure they will, I just dont know when or if they will ever match the
light output of any HID.
Your last point is very interesting. I dont know how well the intensity
of sunlight travels through the fiber optics or what ever medium is used
to move the sunlight. I imagine that light intensity would be quite low
after the light is moved through some type of conduit. Even with low
output I can see how transmitting sunlight might help to give plants all
the necessary light wavelengths (assuming the conduit does not filter any
type of light out) which might improve flowering or other physiological
responses.
I might keep this thread updated with further conversations between myself and Dr. Myers.
If you have any questions you'd like asked, post them here, I can pass them along.
Q -- I'm curious as to your opinion on the future of indoor light systems for
horticulture. It seems as though T5 fluorescent is catching on bigtime, but
I'm curious as to LED lighting. It makes sense to target just the specific
wavelengths that plants use, however I would be concerned about performance
when it comes to plants with denser foliage, like rosemary bushes,
philodendron vines, rose bushes, etc. Do you think LEDs can achieve the
necessary canopy penetration, or will we be stuck having an LED dome for our
plants to live in so they get adequate lighting, should that lighting ever
take off? Also, I've seen lighting systems for offices that use light
conduits to capture light from outside and concentrate it inside. Do you
think that would work as a good way to light up an indoor horticultural
area?
Sincerely,
Kali
A--. Opinion questions are easy, you cant be wrong
I am an HID kinda guy. I like the T5, it is a big improvement over your
standard 4 fluorescents (which work fine w/ seedlings). I like the
output and flowering response of the HPS, although I use MH in my
greenhouse too. I have read a bit about LED as a light source for plants.
Right now, it seems scientists are still in the preliminary stage of LED
development. From reading scientific literature, I know that you CAN grow
plants using combinations of red and blue LED, but that does not mean that
you WILL grow the plants to their fullest potential. When comparing the
plants biomass and yield, I have never seen any LED combination beat a
400W MH, let alone a 400W HPS for flowering. You mention another possible
Achilles' heel of the LED, they generally have lower output, meaning that
like florescent lights you need to keep the LED close(less than one foot
away ) to the plants. I have heard people say LEDs dont need to be kept
close, but never seen it in person or in scientific literature. So, the
problem is that if the plants get taller than one foot, the light will not
get to the bottom of the plant. You will only have good growth on the top
1 foot of the plant, unless you create some side lighting (a dome of
light, as you suggested in your question). That does not mean that new LED technologies will not get better,
I am sure they will, I just dont know when or if they will ever match the
light output of any HID.
Your last point is very interesting. I dont know how well the intensity
of sunlight travels through the fiber optics or what ever medium is used
to move the sunlight. I imagine that light intensity would be quite low
after the light is moved through some type of conduit. Even with low
output I can see how transmitting sunlight might help to give plants all
the necessary light wavelengths (assuming the conduit does not filter any
type of light out) which might improve flowering or other physiological
responses.
I might keep this thread updated with further conversations between myself and Dr. Myers.
If you have any questions you'd like asked, post them here, I can pass them along.
