LED light can aid tomato growth

In Canada, where outdoor growing seasons are limited, sales from greenhouse fruit and vegetable production operations still surpass $1.1 billion annually. Finding more efficient methods for providing lighting in greenhouse production is a key component for support of these high levels of production and increase revenues.

"Light irradiance is the limiting factor for increasing production in greenhouses, when all other factors — temperature, nutrient levels and water availability — are adequately maintained," say the authors of a new study. McGill Univ. researchers Paul Deram, Mark Lefsrud and Valérie Orsat say that the broad-spectrum high-pressure sodium lamps currently used to provide supplemental lighting for greenhouse are "not the most efficient light source" for greenhouse plant production.

The team published the findings of their study aimed at finding alternative lighting options in American Society for Horticultural Science’s HortScience.

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