LED: a strong option for growers

Dr. Steve Newman, an extension professor in Colorado State University’s horticulture department, had not worked with LEDs before CSU started growing with them in 2014 as part of a research trial. Now, a few years later, Newman is a staunch believer in the advantages of LEDs and sees a bright future for them in greenhouse production. Much of CSU’s current LED research is validating some of the theorized benefits of LEDs.

“A lot of our work is proof of concept,” Newman says.

What he’s learned

CSU has trialed LEDs in a variety of crops, ranging from bedding plants to lettuce to hops. According to Newman, their most recent bedding plant trial was one of their “best in years” because of improved plant germination. Current research is also looking to determine if lettuces grown under LEDs are more nutritious than those that are not.

“We took a leap of faith, not really knowing where the research was going to go,” Newman says. “I was excited about getting to use technology that’s important for the future of the industry. And if land grant institutions [like CSU] don’t do the work, no one will.”

When comparing LEDs to HPS lights, Newman says one major difference is energy consumption. According to Newman, LEDs consume less energy and could mean lower energy costs for growers.

The variety of wavelengths LEDs offer is also completely different than HPS lights. In order to meet production goals, growers can adjust their LEDs to fit their specific needs and possibly have better germination rates and a faster turnaround time. This is a major reason why Newman thinkgs propagation greenhouses will be among the first to widely adopt LEDs.

Additionally, Newman says cost is an important factor for growers as well. While there is an initial investment involved in changing a lighting system that may scare some growers off, he does not believe cost is the main reason growers are hesitant to switch over to LEDs. More than anything, he says, it’s growers needing to see proof that LEDs work for their purposes before being willing to commit. And that’s where CSU’s research efforts come into play.

“As more and more people are successful [using LEDs], then the technology will become more successful,” he says.

The future of university research

According to Newman, skepticism at the university level occurs for the same two reasons it occurs among growers: higher costs than other lighting systems and a lack of familiarity with LED technology.

“University skepticism is nothing more than infrastructure – how expensive it is to buy replacements for existing technologies,” Newman says. “And most university research facilities have diverse cliental that aren’t necessarily familiar [with new technology].”

Colorado State was able add LEDs to its operation largely because of timing. In December 2014, CSU was in the process of constructing a new research greenhouse. Ron DeKok, a sales representative at Philips Lighting, reached out to CSU around that time without knowing about the new greenhouse plans. The partnership set up an entire structure for CSU’s LED research. The facility was completed in 2016 and is part of a long-term partnership between CSU and Philips. The agreement also makes CSU one of the few colleges in the country to have a LED trialing program of this size. It’s an important partnership and initiative, too. At the LED Lighting and Research Summit this past January, DeKok called “growing with LEDs one of the last unknowns in growing,” according to an article by Greenhouse Management editor Karen Varga.

Moving forward, Newman says one key area of interest for researchers will be finding ways for growers to utilize specific colors of the spectrum. Currently, blue, red, far red and green light are all being used at CSU’s trials and at other extensions like Michigan State and the University of Florida. In the coming years, finding ways for to growers to pick the exact wavelength their crops are growing under is a high priority for Newman and the rest of the CSU research team. When that happens, Newman says, it will be another advantage for LEDs over its counterparts.

“People are always intimidated by new,” Newman says. “More research is good. More research by more people is better. When growers see LEDs at home and see that they work, [this mindset] will change.”

Photo courtesy of Dr. Steve Newman