• Leafy greens: Green & far red LED lighting

    Published on February 1, 2019
    Indoor production of leafy greens, Part 1 of 4: Substituting green or far-red light for blue light can increase lettuce and kale yields.

  • DLC requirements for LED fixtures

    Published on December 5, 2018
    This article highlights the DesignLights Consortium's (DLC's) requirements for testing and reporting horticultural lighting fixtures that contain light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

  • Growing ornamental seedlings under white LEDs

    Published on November 15, 2018
    Michigan State University researchers discuss the impacts of using white light on plant growth and human vision, as well as energy considerations when growing ornamental seedlings indoors.

  • White LEDs for plant applications

    Published on November 12, 2018
    Many horticultural lighting fixtures combine blue and red LEDs. However, there are merits to using fixtures that partly or completely contain white LEDs.

  • New, high-resolution, interactive DLI maps

    Published on October 10, 2018
    New maps of the photosynthetic daily light integral (DLI) in the United States have been developed and are now available online.

  • Purple vs. pink vs. white LED fixtures

    Published on September 10, 2018
    LED fixtures that emit a purplish light are usually less preferred by people, but are often the most efficient at converting electricity into light useful to plants.

  • An update on LED lighting efficacy

    Published on July 5, 2018
    In plant lighting, the photosynthetic photon efficacy of a fixture quantifies how effectively a fixture converts electricity into light useful for photosynthesis. This article provides an update the efficacy values of LEDs as of 2018.

  • Horticultural lighting applications

    Published on June 11, 2018
    This article summarizes the different lighting applications and characteristics used in horticulture, including in greenhouses and indoors.

  • UV radiation and applications in horticulture

    Published on May 1, 2018
    Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is outside of the photosynthetically active waveband, but it is biologically active and regulates plant growth.

  • Monitoring Carbon Dioxide in the Greenhouse

    Published on March 3, 2018
    In this article, you will learn how handheld, stationary, and computer-controlled sensors can be used to monitor carbon dioxide (CO2) and control enrichment in controlled environments.

  • How to Measure Greenhouse Light

    Published on February 3, 2018
    Are you providing too much light and wasting electricity by operating your supplemental lighting when it is not required? The only way to answer this and many other light questions is to learn how to select and effectively use quantum sensors.

  • Maximize the benefits of supplemental lighting

    Published on January 8, 2018
    Purchasing, installing, and operating supplemental greenhouse lighting is fairly expensive. Here are some tips and considerations to maximize your supplemental lighting system.

  • Moving Indoors

    Published on December 8, 2017
    How does light quality, light quantity and carbon dioxide influence young ornamental plant production in greenhouses and indoor controlled environments?

  • Does light quantity trump light quality?

    Published on December 5, 2017
    Some of our recent research confirms that light quality (such as the ratio or red to far red) has a greater effect on plant growth when light intensity is low than when it is high.

  • Factors that influence leaf coloration

    Published on November 15, 2017
    Growers usually focus on quality attributes that relate to flowering, but this article reviews cultural and environmental factors that influence foliage color.

  • Developing new plant lighting standards

    Published on October 23, 2017
    Standards are developed so there is consistency and conformity in products to improve confidence and comparability in new technologies.

  • Investment considerations for greenhouse lighting

    Published on October 11, 2017
    Many growers install and operate supplemental (photosynthetic) lighting to increase crop quality and yield. This article describes some of the factors to consider when investing in a supplemental lighting system for greenhouse crop production.

  • Supplemental greenhouse lighting: LED or HPS?

    Published on September 20, 2017
    Researchers at Michigan State University see if the results from producing high-quality seedlings with LEDs justify the higher capital outlay for installation.

  • Sole-source lighting of plants

    Published on September 13, 2017
    Sole-source lighting is a term used to describe the deliver of light to plants that do not also receive light from the sun. In other words, electric lighting is delivered indoors and provides the sole source of light for plant growth and development.

  • Producing High Quality Plugs Part I

    Published on September 4, 2017
    In this article, we will discuss how continuous 16-hour or instantaneous threshold supplemental lighting from HPS lamps and LEDs and photoperiodic lighting influence plug quality and subsequent flowering.

  • Lighting plans: Their generation and importance

    Published on August 17, 2017
    Light intensity and uniformity are critical to successful production of plants. This article describes how lighting plans are developed, and why they are so important when comparing lighting technologies.

  • Producing High Quality Plugs Part 2

    Published on August 5, 2017
    In this article, we will discuss how continuous 16-hour or instantaneous threshold supplemental lighting from HPS lamps and LEDs and photoperiodic lighting influence plug quality and subsequent flowering.

  • Plant lighting efficiency and efficacy

    Published on July 10, 2017
    Plant lighting continues to be a hot topic, especially as light-emitting diode (LED) technology continues to advance. Learn more about how electric lamps convert electricity into photons of light useful to plants.

  • Growing plants with green light

    Published on June 7, 2017
    Green light can be defined as radiation with wavelength between 500 and 600 nanometers. Green light is within the photosynthetically active waveband of 400 to 700 nm, yet its effects on plant growth and development are not well understood.

  • The importance of light uniformity

    Published on March 2, 2017
    Managing light is obviously critical to the production of crops grown in controlled environments. When considering the different dimensions of light, we often overlook the importance of light uniformity.