How an LED manufacturer helped growers transition to LED technology.

Commercial greenhouse operations are trading and trading from traditional high pressure sodium (HPS) supplementary lights to newer and more efficient LED grow lights.

More than two years ago, Woodley Farms and Greenhouse Company made a renovation in one of its 5,000 square feet breeding area. Now, the Canadian manufacturer of liners and stoppers has faster rooting times and overall plant health has improved. The LED lights also provided the owner Barry Woodley with the ability to grow tropical varieties, something that Woodley would never have dreamt of in Ontario's cold, dark winter.

Generally speaking, both HPS and LED lamps provide supplementary light to promote growth. However, when growing under LEDs, you need to consider multiple aspects of your lighting strategy to ensure that you maximize all the advantages provided by LED grow lights.

In Signify's global team of plant experts supporting the Philips Horticultural LED team, Colin Brice advises growers on the transition period under LED cultivation. He provides a "handbook" for lighting applications based on specific crops, cultivation methods, and facility operation goals.  

Brice said that growers need to consider several factors when switching to LEDs:

With the improvements in efficiency and efficacy of LED technology in the past few years, and the fact that the spectral composition of LEDs has been optimized for horticultural applications, there is really no reason not to consider LEDs.

When you start the conversion process from HPS, whether this year or next year, the above information is expected to make your conversion easier. If you decide to use Philips LED grow lights, you can be sure that you will have a solid team of experienced and knowledgeable gardening professionals who can rely on their advice and suggestions.

"There are many cultivation issues that are easily overlooked or underutilized," Bryce said. "Our team of plant experts will not necessarily be here to tell growers how they should use light, and many of them honestly don’t need us to tell them. We are here to make sure they have every tool they can use in order to Make the right decisions for production goals in terms of lighting."