Can Plants Grow in Artificial Light?

Like any other living thing, plants require specific fundamental elements of life to survive. Plants require carbon dioxide, oxygen, nutrients, and light, among other elements, to efficiently thrive. Light is a crucial element in the growth and survival of a plant, and it's used as energy to facilitate the process of photosynthesis. The term photosynthesis is created from a Greek word whereby 'photo’ means light and ‘synthesis’ refers to combining or putting together.

How does light aid in plant growth?

Contrary to popular beliefs, plants require photons for photosynthesis and not necessarily sunlight. Photons are the smaller components that make up light energy. Every single photon contains a specific amount of energy known as photon energy, and it's this energy that plants utilize to power the whole process of photosynthesis. When a photon comes into contact with an object, it imprints its energy on the object upon impact.

The sun emits sun rays, a free photon emitter that has existed since the big bang. However, the sun is not the only source of light that can support the process of photosynthesis. A torch or bulb can emit the required energy for the process, which only proves that plants can grow in artificial light. But it's not as simple as that; sunlight is preferred since it's more profound, free, and readily available.

Artificial Light on Plant Growth

The intensity of sun rays makes it much more suitable for plant growth compared to artificial light. However, this doesn’t have to be the only solution. With specialized light bulbs for plants, you can get great light energy from artificial light.

Necessity breeds invention, and that's what led to the use of artificial light to grow plants. Currently, artificial light is used to help with plant growth in greenhouses just as if they were in the sun.

Light Emitting Diodes are among some of the best light varieties for plant growth. LEDs are very effective in emitting blue and red parts of the light spectrum. They also contain a higher intensity light level than ordinary fluorescent lights. There has been a rapid change in climate, which makes indoor plant growth a necessity. Also, with the increasing population, there has been increased demand in agricultural supply, meaning people had to venture into newer planting techniques to maintain sustainable agricultural production.

The Effects of Artificial Light on Plants

Artificial light does the trick when it comes to photosynthesis; however, some plants require light signals to track their growth and functioning. For example, sunflowers follow the sun as the day goes by, other flowers require light to bloom, or some plants grow taller to gain exposure to more light. Light acts almost like a biological clock dictating some aspects of the plant's livelihood.

Light intensity and wavelengths have different effects and impact plants in different ways. Recent research on lettuce exposed to different wavelengths of light proved the above-said statement. The stem grew longer than in white light when exposed to a red LED light. The length and overall growth of a stem are dependent on light. Researchers also discovered that introducing blue light helps to prevent the stem from elongating more than required.

Apart from growth, the elements that plants require to complete the process of photosynthesis successfully are affected by light. Chlorophyll is the key ingredient that sustains and supports photosynthesis by capturing the energy exerted by photons. Also, its accumulation in the cell completely depends on the amount of light.

It has been discovered that chlorophyll accumulates more quickly under red LED light than under white or blue LED light. Other processes and particles are also affected by light, such as antioxidants, hormones, metabolites, etc.

Conclusion

Light is essential in the growth and success of plant growth. The truth of the matter is that plants can successfully thrive in artificial sunlight given the right guidance,  care, and maintenance. This comes as a saving grace for people who live in apartments and love growing plants indoors. Growing plants using artificial light is also a solution for the future if it's not already being used currently. With the rapid change in climate conditions, we might need to look to other planting forms to progress and continue our agricultural production.

If you are interested, check our website for indoor lighting for plants.