20 Oct 2023
USDA FNRI: Lighting Plants Indoors, Without Sunlight
Erik Runkle, Michigan State University
An overview of some major considerations when developing an indoor lighting system for crop production.
Downloadable resources from completed projects are available from this page.
Evaluation of the influence of light at the same total intensity (photon flux density, or PFD) using three different types of white LEDs, combined with light from red LEDs, while keeping the blue PFD constant in kale and lettuce.
An overview of some major considerations when developing an indoor lighting system for crop production.
Developments in LED technology and lighting control systems.
Successfully rooting tropical foliage plants and succulents.
Flower induction of specialty cut flowers.
Collaborative research determines how to prevent chlorosis and undesirable purple pigmentation that can sometimes develop on cuttings rooted under LED supplemental lighting.
A collection of articles from the past year by Dr. Erik Runkle from Michigan State University that deal with applications of the light spectrum, LED and supplemental lighting, and more including the 2021 Indoor Lighting Guide.
FRA 2021 Runkle Indoor lighting guide mid res (8000 KB) FRA 2021 Runkle Increasing the DLI (469 KB) FRA 2021 Runkle Hidden benefits of lighting (280 KB) FRA 2021 Runkle Spectrum applications (184 KB) FRA 2021 Runkle Lamp PPF (172 KB) FRA 2021 Runkle LED challenges (5112 KB) FRA 2021 Runkle LEDs more than umol-J (306 KB) FRA 2021 Runkle MakingSenseofLightSensors (895 KB)
A collection of articles from the past year by Dr. Erik Runkle from Michigan State University that deal with supplemental light, light pollutin, and UV transmitting greenhouse glazing.
UV-Transmitting greenhouse glazing (201 KB) Managing light pollution (238 KB) Including far red in lighting spectrum (278 KB) How much supplemental light (189 KB)
Annika E. Kohler, graduate student, and Dr. Roberto Lopez from Michigan State University share the latest findings on supplemental lighting's effect of rooting of herbs.
Annika Kohler, graduate student, and Dr. Roberto Lopez from Michigan State University determine the minimum duration of far-red radiation required during plug production to induce long-day requiring plants into flower after transplant.
studying the effects of light quality on plant growth.
Evaluating the growth (fresh and dry mass), accumulation of key phytochemical constituents (leaf photosynthetic pigment and nitrate content), and aesthetic quality (elongation and pigmentation) of red-leaf lettuce (Lactuca sativa) grown from transplant to a harvest stage in an indoor environment.
Minimum Light Requirements Indoor Gardening Lettuce (839 KB)
An economic analysis of growing young plants indoors with LEDs.
Research about plant responses to far red and light intensity.
Discusses lighting for growing young plants indoors using LEDs.
Understanding the ins and outs of the indoor food gardenig market.
Getting a Piece of the Indoor Food Gardening Market-Greenhouse Product News (1214 KB)
See the grower articles on LED lighting:
1. Lighting Metrics … And What Matters, GPN, October 2015
2. Diffused Glass, GPN, April 2016
3. A Closer Look at Far-Red Radiation, GPN, May 2016
4. The Economic Viability of LED Lighting, Greenhouse Grower TECHNOLOGY, September/October 2016
Lighting metrics... and what matters (106 KB) Economic viability of LED lighting (210 KB)
See the grower articles on LED lighting and effect on plant growth:
1. Keys to Successful Seedling Production, GPN, November 2015
2. Managing Light to Improve Rooting of Cuttings, GPN, September 2016
3. Juvenility in Perennials, GPN, June 2016
4. Efficacy of Lamp Types at Controlling Flowering, GPN, February 2016
5. Red Light and Plant Growth, GPN, August 2016
6. Success with Succulents, GPN, July 2016
Keys to successful seedling production (190 KB) Success with succulents (1169 KB)
See the grower articles on LED lighting and effect on plant growth:
1. Sole-Source Lighting In Horticulture: Microgreens Production, Joshua K. Craver and Roberto G. Lopez, Greenhouse Grower, September 2015
2. Sole-Source Lighting In Horticulture: Bedding Plant Plug Production, Joshua K. Craver and Roberto G. Lopez, Greenhouse Grower, October 2015
3. The Impact of DLI, Light Quality and Photoperiod on Bedding Plant Flowering Response, W. Garrett Owen and Roberto G. Lopez, GPN, August 2016 (Note: the title was modified)
4. Evaluating Greenhouse Supplemental Lighting For Young And Finished Plant Production, Joshua K. Craver and Roberto G. Lopez, Greenhouse Grower, November 2016
Sole-source lighting in horticulture microgreens production (4770 KB) Evaluating greenhouse supplemental lighting for young and finshed plants (1684 KB)
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