We all know light is one of the most important factors affecting plant growth and development. But, how can we know if the use of artificial lighting will improve our production and our income? And how can we select the best source of light?
The use of artificial lighting will be essential when growing indoor crops. In indoor production the hole source of light will be artificial. Therefore we must select the best lamp to promote plant growth, development and quality. There are a lot of options when choosing a source for artificial lighting. However we highly recommend always look for a cost-effective long-last product, with enough light output for your crop and a good warranty.
Current by GE, is the digital engine for intelligent environments with advanced LED technology to develop more energy efficient and productive lighting products.
Current by GE is compromised to develop the best light quality options for indoor growers. The newest lighting options for vertical farming offered by the company are the different models of: GE Arize Life LED Growing System. GE Arize Life is a fluorescent replacement for vertical farming system with all the benefits of LED technology including longer product life, energy savings, and lower maintenance while providing optimal colors on the spectrum for plant growth. The customer can select from different light quality options based on the crop and characteristics wanted for their product:
- Reproductive: higher red content to promote flowering and fruit generation.
- Balanced: balanced red to blue ratio for overall growth
- Vegetative: higher blue content to promote healthy and thick leafy plants
Indoor farming includes more than just vertical farming systems. Research has demonstrated that indoor farming production for some crops like Cannabis can improve yield and quality consistency in comparison to open field and greenhouse production.
Extensive work of Current by GE ended up with the design of a first true 1:1 HPS replacement: GE Arize Element L1000. This option for top lighting has efficacy levels up to 3.5 micromoles per joule, making it the most efficient grow light on the market, enabling growers to grow more and consume less in any region. The L1000 will soon be available with a reproductive and balanced spectrum.
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Of course artificial lighting was not only developed for indoor production. Top lighting is highly recommended for use in greenhouses located in zones with a low Daily Light Integral (DLI) (Are your plants receiving the right amount of light?). Improving the amount of light your plants are receiving in zones with a low DLI will help to keep normal speed of growth and improve yield in comparison to plants grown only under natural light. Research has demonstrated that the addition of crop specific light spectrum to the ambient natural light that is enough to achieve optimum levels of DLI can positively affect crop quality and yield ultimately resulting in a more valuable product. An example is a recent study done at Michigan State University which demonstrated that Basil grown under high light intensity has a better bitter flavor. Furthermore, the addition of specific light spectrum in greenhouse environments can improve the color and texture of leafy greens.
At Hort Americas we look forward to helping you optimize your production systems. We offer our help from selecting the optimum lighting option for your crop to design your lighting system. We want to be sure your plants will get the highest quality and quantity of light to improve your production using the best lighting options available in market.
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