The growth of plants is inseparable from the light and heat provided by the sun. Different light colors, light intensity, and light time have different effects on plant growth. Sunlight is composed of countless kinds of continuous light of different wavelengths, and in the spectrum, a large amount of radiant light is not effective for the growth of plants, and the effective part only accounts for 5% of the spectrum. Through research, it is found that among the spectrum, red light and blue light can promote the photosynthesis of plants and promote plant growth. A light source with a specific spectrum developed artificially can supplement specific light when the light is insufficient. Red and blue LED plant lights are widely used in indoor cultivation and greenhouse planting. The widespread use of red and blue LEDs saves power and reduces electricity costs. Red light and blue light are matched in a characteristic ratio to develop red and blue LEDs with the best effect.
Red and Blue LED Lights on Plant Growth
The wavelength of visible light is about 400-720nm. Plant growth requires visible light, which provides materials and energy for the photosynthesis of plants. Among these visible lights, blue light (440-480nm) and red light (640-680nm) have the greatest impact on plant growth, and the light of these two frequencies is best absorbed by plants. Plants have the worst absorption effect of green light (520-610nm). Most plants seldom absorb green light and reflect all green light. We can see that many plants in nature are green. So, the color a plant shows is generally the color that the plant poorly absorbs. According to this principle, most plant lights are red, blue, or a combination of red and blue.
The light absorption process of plants occurs in the chloroplast. Chlorophyll is the main body of plants performing photosynthesis. Plants do not use all the components of sunlight for photosynthesis. In the red region with a wavelength of 640-660nm, chlorophyll a has a strong absorption peak; chlorophyll b has a strong absorption peak in the blue part of 430-450nm. The red spectrum is the energy source for photosynthesis, and red light promotes the growth of plant stems. Blue light can promote the opening of stomata and help carbon dioxide from the outside enter their cells, thereby increasing its photosynthesis rate. Blue light promotes plant leaf growth. In addition to the intensity of the artificial light, the effect of artificial light also depends on the physiological radiation characteristics of the radiation spectrum of the light source that can be effectively absorbed by plant leaves for photosynthesis. Different supplementary light sources have different physiological radiation characteristics. In the visible spectrum of the light source from 400 to 760 nm, the light energy absorbed by plants accounts for about 60% to 65% of the physiological radiation light energy. Among them, it is mainly red light radiation with a wavelength of 600 to 700 nm, and the light energy absorbed by plants accounts for about 55% of the physiological radiation light energy. Red light has the strongest photosynthesis, and supplementing light with a light source rich in red light will cause plants to bloom and firm earlier, promote the accumulation of dry matter in plants, and promote the formation of bulbs, tubers, leaf bulbs, and other plant organs. Secondly, it is blue light radiation with a wavelength of 400-520nm, and the absorbed light energy accounts for about 8% of the physiological radiation light energy. Artificial light supplementation with a light source rich in blue light can delay flowering so that plants for the purpose of obtaining vegetative organs can fully grow. A proper ratio of red light (600-700nm) to blue light (400-520nm) light quantum flux, namely the R/B ratio, can ensure the cultivation of healthy plants.
Red and Blue Spectrum VS Full Spectrum
In order to supplement light for plants, more and more people are using plant supplement light. There are many types of plant supplement light. For example, LED supplement light has a red and blue light and full spectrum. What is the difference between the two? When using plant supplement light, people should not only pursue the effect but also consider the influence of supplement light on the human body. Are the two harmful to the human body?
The spectrum of red and blue fill light is composed of red light and blue light, and the full spectrum fill light, as the name implies, its spectrum is a spectrum that simulates sunlight, similar to sunlight. When using it, most people choose to use red and blue light, the utilization rate of red and blue light is high, the light supplement effect is also obvious, and the power consumption is also low. It can play a very good light supplement effect for the growth of plants, but This kind of lamp is harmful to the human body. The red and blue fill light emits pink light. If people are in this condition for a long time, they will have nausea and dizziness because of the light color.
The full-spectrum plant supplement light will not produce this situation. Because its light is close to natural light, people will not have physical discomfort even if they are in this environment for a long time. But we must also know that because the full-spectrum plant supplement light imitates the sunlight, there will be a lot of light with low utilization of plants, so there will be some waste, and the power consumption will be relatively high.
Why Red and Blue LED are so Effective
Different frequencies of light have different effects on plants. Visible light is the light required for photosynthesis of plants, and the wavelength of visible light is around 400-700nm. Among the visible light, red light and blue light promote photosynthesis the most, and plants with the most green light promote photosynthesis the least. Red and blue LEDs that combine red light and blue light are ideal LED growth lights, and these two light colors are just the two most effective lights for plant growth. Red light is conducive to the flowering cycle and fruiting of plants, and blue light is conducive to the growth of plant stems and leaves. Indoor planting and greenhouse planting have been developed for a long time, and people have found many artificial light sources that are conducive to plant growth, such as incandescent lamps, fluorescent lamps, metal halide lamps, and high-pressure sodium lamps. These traditional artificial light sources consume a lot of energy, have low light energy conversion rates, low luminous efficiency, and high transportation costs. Improving the conversion rate of light energy and reducing energy consumption is a problem that must be overcome in the field of artificial plant lights. With the development of society, the concept of energy-saving has taken root in people’s hearts. The demand for agricultural lighting continues to expand, and the consumption of electric energy is also increasing rapidly, which does not conform to people’s concept of energy saving. Traditional lighting that consumes a lot of electrical energy no longer meets the needs of modern agriculture. New energy-saving lighting tools have ushered in development opportunities. Among these new lighting tools, LED grow lights can best meet the needs of modern agriculture.
Red and Blue LED Ratio Customization
The role of red and blue LED growth lights is to illuminate plants and promote plant growth. All solutions must be customized in accordance with the growth law of plants and the needs of light at different stages of plants. Adjust the ratio of red and blue lamp beads in LED grow lights according to people’s needs for plants (for example, flowers extend the flowering cycle, fruits have more results), so that the growth direction of plants is more in line with people’s needs, and the quality and value of products are improved.
Customizing the proportion of light is a key step for plant lights, and the following steps also need to be controlled. People adjust the growth of plants by controlling the light conditions. The light control includes the control of the light time, the control of the light intensity, and the control of the light density. Appropriately increasing the light time of plants can accelerate plant growth and increase crop yields. The light intensity must be greater than the light supplement point of the plant and less than or equal to the light saturation point of the plant, and the plant can grow healthily. The closer the light intensity is to the light saturation point, the plant faster it grows.
Red and Blue LED Light Distribution
When red and blue LED plant lights are used to supplement light to plants, most of the light sources needed for plant photosynthesis come from LED plant lights. The different light quality of LED plant lights has different effects on the growth of plants. The light emitted by the red and blue LED plant lights is mainly red light and blue light. Red light can prolong the flowering cycle of plants and affect the flowering results of plants; the main function of blue light is to promote the growth of plant leaves and stems, and accelerate the growth of plants. The flowering and fruiting of plants has a certain inhibitory effect. There are certain skills in the red and blue configuration of the red and blue LEDs, and these skills affect the effect of the plant light.
Red light and blue light have different effects on plants. Before configuring the ratio of red and blue lamp beads of plant lights, it is necessary to understand the situation of the plants, and to understand the needs of people for the growth of plants. For example, lettuce is a vegetable. What people want is stems and leaves that can be used as food. To increase the rapid and healthy growth of their stems and leaves is our concern for plants. The ratio of red and blue LED growth lights to the red and blue lamp beads is Zeng Jia Blue light bead. For strawberry planting, we want strawberry fruit. We want strawberry fruit to be large and large. When matching plant lights, increase the ratio of red light appropriately. Red light can promote the growth of plant fruits and flower planting, our goal is to bloom more and have a longer flowering cycle. The ratio of red flowers and blue light of LED plant lights should be appropriate. Red light can promote the flowering of plants, and blue light can inhibit the fruit of plants. The ratio of red and blue lamp beads of LED plant light plant growth lamp is roughly between red: blue = 6-9:1. According to the needs and uses of different plants, choose different lamp bead ratios. Sometimes a small amount of green lamp beads are mixed into the LED plant light, and its main function is to adjust the comfort of the light and protect the naked eye.
Red and Blue LED is Better than Monochromatic LED
Plant photosynthesis is a complex process. Although people understand the overall response mechanism, many of the specific details have not been fully understood. Photosynthesis has light and dark reactions, and both of these reactions are direct or indirect participation. Photosynthesis may produce different substances under different light conditions, which determine the growth states of plants. We know that red light promotes the flowering and fruiting of plants, and blue light promotes the growth of plant stems and leaves. However, if only monochromatic light is used to illuminate plants, most plants will wither and die. For example, red light irradiates strawberries, blue light irradiates lettuce, while most of the plants can’t grow up healthily under monochromatic light, and will eventually die. Red light and blue light are necessary factors for the growth of most plants. Without one of them, plants cannot grow healthily. Most plant lights on the market are red and blue LED.
Summary
MOKOLight has been engaged in the LED lighting industry for many years. It has developed many kinds of LED plant lights for different plant and has unique insights into the growth of flowers, vegetables, fruits, hemp, and other plants. Through the irradiation of MOKOLight grow light LED, flowers can prolong the flowering cycle, vegetable stems and leaves grow vigorously, fruits and fruits are large and numerous, and hemp grows vigorously. MOKOlight’s LED products have been used by many customers. MOKOlight will continue to accelerate research and development, provide customers with better products, and contribute to human energy conservation and environmental protection.