Using LED To Grow A Healthier Tomatoes

We have been finding a lot of usages of LEDs, and now it has a new application in growing tomatoes.

Tomato is a healthy and testy fruit. It is relatively easy to grow. But in lots of metropolitan living, limited space tends to stop you from growing this red juicy fruit. If you are considering an indoor system, limited sunlight might give you a poorly grown tomatoes. Standard recommendation of sunlight for growing tomato is 6 ~ 8 hours.

So, HOW? A new study by Philips and Wageningen University, Netherlands, have found that tomatoes can contains more vitamin C if they are exposed to LED lamps. Scientists in the study chose several different plant varieties and suspended LED modules around the tomato clusters. These clusters usually appear under the leaves, so they are partially shaded from the sun. So man-made "sunlight" - LED spotlights, have been used to add little extra ‘sunlight’ to the tomatoes.

In the tomato variety that showed the strongest reaction, the tomatoes receiving extra light from the LEDs contained up to twice as much vitamin C as the tomatoes not exposed to the LEDs, even though the extra dose of light was equivalent to only a quarter of the natural light intensity on a sunny day.

This information is valuable to both the LED industry and to those interested in alternative methods of agriculture. Hydroponic and greenhouse systems are helpful to those who want to grow year-round in harsh climates, or who can't grow in the ground for lack of space or quality soil. Now, LEDs provide an energy-saving solution for producing a superior product in hydroponic and greenhouse systems.

Source: http://www.treehugger.com/clean-technology/want-healthier-tomatoes-grow-em-leds.html