Why is light so important to plants?
Choosing the right light intensity and color is crucial for the later harvest. Lack of proper lighting is highly detrimental to plant development. Lack of light slows down photosynthesis, and hence – strongly inhibits the growth of plant mass and is the cause of excessive elongation of shoots. A plant that lacks light has a weak leaf color and later enters the generative phase.
Photosynthesis is the process of producing complex organic matter from inorganic matter. It occurs under the influence of solar energy in plant cells containing chlorophyll or bacteriochlorophyll. The two main substrates of photosynthesis are carbon dioxide and water.
PAR – Photosynthetically active radiation – PAR defines the relative amount of light that plants use for photosynthesis, ranging from 400 to 700nm. Through photosynthesis, plants convert light energy into chemical energy, which is food that plants use for growth and development.
See also!
Optical radiation and the light spectrum
Light as visible radiation, its division and influence on the plant.
Chlorophylls and their absorption spectrum
Why are the leaves green? Color perception and how it relates to light absorption.
PPF and PPFD - the most important parameters of your lighting
What do plants eat? What do the two most important parameters in plant lighting mean?
Supplementation of red and blue light
Red and blue are the colors most absorbed by plants to support photosynthesis.
Light supplementation in the greenhouse.
How to illuminate crops when they already have access to daylight.
DLI - Daily Light Integral
An indicator showing the daily amount of light supplied to plants during the year.