Donate Now
and become
Forum Supporter.
Many perks! <...more...>
|
01-08-2016, 09:29 PM
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 675
|
|
A very interesting site about plant growth LED illuminated
Developing LED Lighting Technologies and Practices for Sustainable Specialty-Crop Production
LED Lighting for Specialty-Crop Production
|
Post Thanks / Like - 2 Likes
|
|
|
01-08-2016, 10:06 PM
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Jul 2012
Zone: 8a
Location: Athens, Georgia, USA
Posts: 3,208
|
|
Based on what I have read and heard from various news sources:
Q: Is it possible to grow vegetables under LED? A: Yes
Q: Is it cost-effective? A: No.
You can produce certain types of food under LED (lettuce, herbs, the occasional tomato maybe), but at high cost relative to the food value produced.
"Sustainable" has become one of the most massively over-used buzzwords of the 2000s. Here, the word has been slapped onto a practice that is anything but sustainable.
|
01-08-2016, 11:29 PM
|
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Jun 2015
Zone: 9b
Location: Phoenix AZ - Lower Sonoran Desert
Posts: 18,578
|
|
Sometimes cost is relatively unimportant to people with plenty of money. There are enormous sealed warehouses in metro Los Angeles where leafy vegetables are grown from seed in hydroponics under banks of pink and blue LED lights. No pesticides need to be used because they are carefully sealed. Many Angelenos are willing to pay for this or it wouldn't exist.
|
Post Thanks / Like - 2 Likes
|
|
|
01-09-2016, 01:02 AM
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 675
|
|
Who knows how to build a LED light is very convenient price.
|
01-09-2016, 06:32 AM
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Jul 2012
Zone: 8a
Location: Athens, Georgia, USA
Posts: 3,208
|
|
@estacion_seca
I understand that this type of agriculture is becoming more common.
My earlier comment was due to frustration over the title of the linked article, "Developing LED Lighting Technologies and Practices for Sustainable Specialty-Crop Production".
I'm not saying people can't or shouldn't grow vegetables under LEDs indoors. If a grower can make a buck doing so, fine. But please, let's not kid ourselves by calling this "sustainable". I grow tropical orchids indoors in the winter under lights, but I don't claim it is "sustainable".
OK, I'll stop foaming at the mouth & shut up now. Sorry for the rant everyone.
|
Post Thanks / Like - 1 Likes
|
|
|
01-09-2016, 06:44 AM
|
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Jul 2013
Zone: 6b
Location: PA coal country
Posts: 3,382
|
|
Trying to make money growing under lights limits one to a very small number of potential crops. The potential profitability of growing legal crops with them lies in using LEDs to supplement natural light in a greenhouse setting, either to supplement intensity or manipulate photoperiod.
__________________
Be who you are and say what you think. Those who matter don't mind and those who mind don't matter.
|
01-09-2016, 07:48 AM
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 675
|
|
Interestingly, I was referred to this site for purposes of broadening the knowledge ...
|
01-09-2016, 04:35 PM
|
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Oak Island NC
Posts: 15,150
|
|
There are places in Europe producing a variety of crops on relatively closely-spaced shelves in tall buildings, each illuminated with LEDs as the only light source.
The very large growing area provided in a very small geographic footprint makes it extremely economical.
|
01-09-2016, 04:39 PM
|
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Jun 2015
Zone: 9b
Location: Phoenix AZ - Lower Sonoran Desert
Posts: 18,578
|
|
Also, the ability to completely exclude pests saves an enormous amount of money otherwise spent on pesticides.
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
All times are GMT -4. The time now is 04:38 PM.
|