Netherlands: Bringing light to the fields; LED lights may help boost crop production

Daan Roosegaarde, a Dutch artist, and some plant biologists recently created a so-called “light-recipe” for crops that can help them grow and maximize their productivity. During the day, a 20,000 sqm farmland that grows leeks is a typical agricultural landscape, but when the evening comes, the field of leeks turns blue and red as they are installed with multi-colored LED lights. These lights aren’t just for aesthetics because these allow the vegetables to grow better by extending the hours of their light exposure, even after the sun has set. Red and blue ultraviolet (UV) lights have been employed in greenhouses, vertical gardens, and other indoor growing spaces, but this new light recipe can effectively aid outdoor crops, too. Plus, it can decrease the use of pesticides by up to 50 percent. According to Jason Wargent, a plant photobiologist, the use of specific UV types on seeds and seedlings prompts internal mechanisms to increase their output in later stages and build stronger ...