More Efficient Plant Growth with Quantum Dots by Nanoco Lighting
Using LEDs for plant growth

lights is nothing new, nor is the use of QDs in LED lighting. While it is

already proven that LED systems have big advantages over conventional plant

lighting technologies, it is not common knowledge that Cd-free QDs are ideal

candidates for optimizing the light spectrum for plant growth systems. Dale

Needham, Business Development Director-Lighting at Nanoco Lighting, explains the

opportunities and advantages based on Nanoco’s proprietary and patentprotected

CFQD cadmium-free quantum dot LED grow lighting systems.


For plants to thrive, they require the full-spectrum light of the sun;

chlorophyll in the foliage absorbs sunlight to provide energy for all of the plant

’s needs, while photosynthesis - using wavelengths between 400 and 700 nanometers

(nm) - is the plant’s process of converting light energy from the sun. Most plants

do not need all of the color bands in the visible spectrum. For instance, flowering

plants use the full spectrum of visible light, but some wavelengths are more

important than others. Red light is crucial for hormone activation, which powers

the flowering and fruiting processes, while blue light encourages the compact

“bushy” appearance of healthy plant growth. For this reason, growers relying on

artificial plant lighting such as LEDs concentrate on the blue and red parts of the

spectrum.


Precise spectrum light, along with the intensity and duration of that light,

simultaneously triggers plant flowering, growth, and reproduction, yet plants are

quite selective in the light they use. Generally, their requirements are limited to

small, specific bands of light, and they reject any additional light that’s not

needed. This might suggest that sunlight is rather inefficient as a plant’s energy

source, but, due to its abundance of light energy, wastage is hardly noticed. In

grow lighting environments, however, the exact amount of lighting that’s needed

for plant growth must be provided artificially, while too much lighting can be

harmful to plants, inefficient, and quite costly for vertical system farmers. The

product was

quantum growth lightand it was a meaningful
day as it completely
changed everything
about how we at Gage
Green Group grow
and breed world-class
medicinal plants.


Benefits of LED Lighting


LEDs provide particular benefits to the grow light and horticulture industries

because, unlike traditional sources such as incandescent, fluorescent, halogen, or

high intensity discharge lamps, they can be customized to encourage chlorophyll

absorption in plants. By promoting healthy development through wavelength

specificity and linear photon output, consuming far less energy, and casting less

heat, LEDs are not only a cost-effective solution, but also improve the

agriculturist’s ability to control their growing environment. However, challenges

exist in easily tailoring existing LED fixtures to meet direct specifications in

color for plant variation and different stages of growth.


A new technology with unique optical qualities is poised to take on this

challenge. Cadmium-free quantum dots enable emission wavelength precision that

consistently produces the clear and concentrated color essential for vertical grow

systems. Tuning the size of these brilliant nanoparticles makes it possible to

tweak the light emitted from an LED system to any color in the spectrum, while

maintaining the energy efficiency of the LED.


Development of LED Grow Lighting


If growing potatoes to survive on Mars sounds like a science fiction plot,

consider that much of the early research into LED grow lighting was conducted by

scientists affiliated with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration

(NASA). As early as the 1980s, researchers began to evaluate how LED lighting

systems might ensure healthy plant growth in hostile conditions, and the impact

this new technology could have on serious concerns such as drought, pestilence, and

world hunger.


Since blue-emitting LEDs were not yet available, the earliest experiments were

limited to arrays of red LEDs. Research into industrial applications for LEDs

accelerated during the 1990s, resulting in a stream of technological innovations

that boosted luminous efficacy and increased the range of available colors to

include blue, green, white, and more.


These developments are of tremendous benefit to scientists working in

horticultural lighting, for whom LEDs represent “the first

light source to have the capability of true

spectral control, allowing wavelengths to be matched to plant photoreceptors to

provide more optimal production and to influence plant morphology and composition.

”


Greater spectral control is one of several advantages that LEDs maintain over

traditional grow lighting systems. To achieve the ultimate spectrum for grow

lighting, color temperature, measured using the Kelvin scale at a given wavelength,

is one of the most important considerations. As a standard definition, the color

temperature of a light source is the temperature of an ideal blackbody radiator

that radiates light of comparable hue to that of the light source. The sun closely

represents a blackbody radiator with a color temperature of about 5,900 K.

Respectively, when discussing LEDs, colors above 5,000 K are known as cool blues

and closely resemble natural sunlight, whereas colors below 3,000 K are known as

warm reds.


In search of this ideal spectrum and most sufficient and efficient light source

for indoor agriculture, the lighting market has evolved with various solutions

triggering different responses from the plants - blue light inducing vegetative

growth and red light inducing flowering. Some of these traditional grow lighting

systems specialize in certain parts of the spectrum, while others span multiple

wavelengths.


The Best Reading Lights


A reading light is one that

can be used for reading, writing, sketching, working on a computer, craftwork, and

other detail-oriented activities. Reading lights illuminate a small area over a

close distance so that you can get a better focus on your activity.


Picking the right light for reading can be tricky, as reading lights vary

vastly in their designs, functions, and features.


You surely don’t have to be an expert or a lighting engineer to be able to buy

a good reading light, but some basic knowledge wouldn’t hurt.


For a set of lamps that shine efficiently on your book, and convey a high taste

of decors, we recommend these Regency Hills.


Each of the lamps comes in a curvy body with decorative carved leaves in wood

finish, creating a bold, traditional feel. Its deep bronze color and a brownish,

ivory shade match beautifully with other wooden furniture in your bedroom.


Each lamp has a shade to direct the light to more focused areas above and under

it. The creme shade, meanwhile, creates a soft romantic glow. Lit together on both

sides of the bed, you will feel like the entire room is full of moonlight.


As the lamp is high (30″ or 76cm), you can now enjoy your book in bed in the

most comfortable position. The light is always sufficient regardless of you sitting

upright or reclining, or lying straight down. No need to adjust your position all

the time to catch a beam like when you’re with smaller lamps.


Despite being tall, the lamp stays sturdy on your table without taking much

space. That is thanks to its considerate design with a thin profile on both the

body and the shade.


Your small bedside tables or petite nightstands can easily accommodate the

lamp, together with your books and a chocolate cup.


Each lamp comes with a metal body engraved with nature patterns, nicely covered

in a bronze finish. Its graceful arm is adjustable, reaching out and sliding back

to where you please to ensure sufficient space and light focus for your bedtime

activities.


Joining the lamp to finish the traditional French country look is a faux

leather shade. The shade is slightly brownish in color, promising to deliver a

warm, pleasant light. The shade pairs perfectly with the metal parts to create an

intimate, but classic and luxurious feeling in the room.


The best reading light on your headboard is one that is portable, produces warm

gentle light, but at the same time has a focused area so you don’t have to widen

your eyes to be able to read. This Newhouse is such one.



At 300 lm, the light is sufficient for reading in a dimmer lit environment. As

it is very soft, your eyes do not have to adjust themselves between pauses of your

read, when they drift off the lit pages into darker areas in the room.


Designed for “stress-free productivity and enjoyment”, the Newhouse produces

an adequate glow at 3000K. It is pleasant to the eye, warm enough to not mess with

your melatonin (the sleep hormone), but bright enough to not lure you to sleep 3

minutes into your book.


The light comes with a sturdy clamp that opens to approximately 2 inches. To

protect the gripped surface from the strong grip, 6 suction cups are added inside

it. If you have had table reading light that scratch or peel off the paint on your reading

table or headboard, you’re gonna appreciate this.


In terms of design, the cutie has a sleek, shiny appearance. It comes in 3

colors: black, purple, and bright blue. Personally, I can see it matching better

with modern designs and decors.


The light would be perfect if it had a dimmable function for those who want a

fast read to lure themselves to sleep.