Infrared (780nm-1000nm)
Infrared produces a heat effect, which provides heat for the growth and development of crops. Under the irradiation of infrared, the ripening of fruits tends to be uniform. Increasing this light can affect the growth speed of plants' stems. A short exposure to infrared increases the space between nodes.
However, too much infrared may actually damage plants. Infrared is a kind of light that can emit a great deal of heat. Heat may discolor or kill plants, especially those plants that haven't recently been watered. In addition, too much infrared also possibly causes plants other harmful influences, such as experiencing too early growth that reduces their health, or encouraging them to flower too soon, but plants themself don't accumulate plenty of living matter and nutrient. In the end, it is likely that plants don't grow as we have them to be.
Far-Red (700nm-780nm)
Far-red promotes extension growth, including leaf expansion. Researchers found that leaves will be larger under the condition of containing far-red light than those lacking far-red light.
On one hand, they cultivate plants under sole-source lighting in indoor greenhouses or vertical farms where used lights can be controlled. On the other hand, they add some far-red light to the previous lighting source as a control group. Through such a comparative experiment, they discovered the effect of far-red to plants. The result is that adding far-red to the light spectrum can increase leaf size. This potentially increases the irradiated area, enabling plants to capture more light and enhance growth.
Therefore, far-red can indirectly help to increase growth over time. Far red also could speed up the Phytochrome conversion, which reduces the time a plant takes to go into a night-time state. This allows plants to produce a greater yield.
Red Light (620 nm- 700 nm)
Red light is highly effective at regulating growth and development for plants. Red light helps flowers and fruit, and prolongs flowering. It can greatly enhance the photosynthesis of plants and promote the growth of plants. But if plants are grown under only red light. They will have a stretched and elongated appearance. The leaves are long and thin, and the plants become tall.
Growing under only red light will not be an ideal choice if this growth characteristic isn't wanted. As for the ratio of blue light and red light, one needs to pay attention to it. The extension growth of plants is inhibited if improper. A study shows that growing with 80 to 90 percent red light and 10 to 20 percent blue light is a better choice for plants.
Yellow-Orange (575nm-620nm)
If only yellow light is used, the photosynthetic intensity of plants is greatly reduced, and the synthesized organic matter is not enough to meet their needs. This will weaken the growth of plants. It is different for the orange light. The plants can benefit from the part of the orange light that is near the red light. Orange light helps the process of photosynthesis on the account of a portion of chlorophyll B has an affinity for this light.
Green (500nm-575nm)
There has been a misunderstanding about the effect of green light on plants for some time. That is, plants don’t use green light for photosynthesis; they reflect it. However, it is only partly true.
New research now reveals that green light can also drive plant growth. The green light has a strong penetrating power. Green light can penetrate deeper through a leaf to improve photosynthesis in chloroplasts located towards the bottom surface of the leaf and beyond. While penetrating green light increases photosynthesis by exciting the chloroplasts located deep in the mesophyll.
Since green light penetrates much more effectively to the lower canopy, green light will help drive photosynthesis across the whole plant as it is absorbed by leaves in the lower canopy, not exposed to red or blue light.
Adding a small amount of the green light to the light LED grow light spectrum will be better than a spectrum that lacks green light. It is good for maximizing the photosynthesis of the plants.
Blue-violet (400nm-500nm)
Blue light can promote the growth of green leaves. Blue light combined with red light helps encourage the flowering of plants. Blue light can increase the growth rate of plants. Violet has an effect on the color, taste, and aroma of plants.
Ultraviolet Light (<400nm)
UV-A (315nm-400nm)
Ultraviolet light that reaches the Earth is mainly in this range of ultraviolet. We commonly call long ultraviolet. The long ultraviolet has a stimulating effect on plant growth, may increase the crop yield, promotes the protein, sugar, organic acids organic compounds.
If it is used to irradiate the seed, the germination ratio of the seed may be enhanced.
UV-A light can activate a plant’s natural defense mechanisms, and then induce plants to produce a sort of “sun screen” to protect themselves from the damaging light. Some plants can produce as many as 15 different defense proteins in response to UV-A.
As the amount of UV-A increases, so does the production of defense proteins. The presence of these proteins can enhance a plant’s smell, color, taste, and resistance to disease.
Seedlings ever exposed to ultraviolet light have a better ability to adapt to high-intensity light. When seedlings are transplanted from a low light intensity state to a high state. They go through a period of adjustment because the environment is changing.
If the seedlings are irradiated by ultraviolet A. This will greatly shorten the time to adapt to the new surroundings. It makes great sense for the recovery and rapid growth of plants
UV-B (280nm-315nm）
Most of this ultraviolet (280 nm- 315 nm)is absorbed by the ozone layer above the Earth. The short ultraviolet has an inhibiting effect on plant growth, and it can prevent the plant from growing in vain.
Certainly, if this characteristic of UV-B is what you want and you want to apply it to control the height of your indoor crops, or you want to use it to make further research, you can consider adding a small amount of UV-B to realize your goals. It is worth mentioning that this ultraviolet light has disinfection and sterilization functions and can reduce plant disease.
Relatively, it has great destructiveness on plants. The future is a huge unknown. If one day human beings look out someway to make the most of its disinfection sterilization factor, at the same time, wipe out its destructiveness on the plants. It will create an opportunity for the pollution-free vegetable development.
UV-C (100nm-280nm)
Almost all this scope of this ultraviolet is absorbed by the ozone layer above the Earth. It is highly disruptive for plants.
In this essay. All kinds of effects of different wavelength light on plants are listed. But we don't name the effect of all kinds of light on specific plants. Since different plants, even under the same light, it is possible to produce different effects to a great degree.
These effects that have been found become the theoretical foundations that we use to study the optimal spectra of plants of interest. It is precisely based on these theoretical foundations, our Atop lighting, a LED grow light manufacturer and supplier, has worked out the optimal spectra for cannabis planting by continually exploring and practicing.
Horti-King LED grow light is gaining popularity these days among cannabis growers once launch. With optimal spectrums, it can speed up the pace to achieve the benefit maximization of growers.
