Potential and use of artificial lighting in horticulture

The use of supplemental lighting in horticulture is continuously increasing. Compared to HPS luminaires LED have significant advantages like the possibility of a targeted compilation of the spectrum, the use of dimmable and dynamic adaptable luminaires, the insensitivity to the switching frequency, less heat radiation and the and the high energy efficiency. Experiments with monochromatic lighting show potentials for influencing various quality factors with specialized light spectra in order to reach the targeted plant quality. However, many questions are still open, resulting in a rather low transfer rate of specific lighting strategies in the applied horticulture. Beneficial effects of interlighting were shown in greenhouse experiments and their potentials discussed. In the future higher requirements on plant and fruit quality and a sustainable use of resources will result in a greater importance for specialized lighting strategies and advanced technological solutions.