Light is one of the most important factors for optimizing plant growth.

  Plants collect
energy from light to make sugars and these sugars are used for the growth of roots,
leaves, stems and flowers. Plants use light for both photosynthesis and to respond to
the environment to optimize their growth.  Light can be described as the visible
portion of the electromagnetic spectrum which extends from about 380 to about 770
nanometers.

Plants primarily respond to wavelengths from 400-700 nanometers(nm) for

photosynthesis; light within these wavelengths is referred to as photosynthetically
active radiation (PAR).

The various wavelengths of light in the spectrum can trigger morphological

responses.  Light spectrum in terms of plant growth and morphology is often referred
to as light quality, and collectively these responses to light are
called Photomorphogenesis.  Plants have developed sophisticated photoreceptors
that enable them to respond to light quality. In this article we will outline some of
these photoreceptors and their responses in relation to light quality.

Red and Far- Red Light

Light from the red (600-700nm) and far-red (700-750nm) wavelengths are
responsible for enabling the photoreceptor Phytochrome. The pigment phytochrome
allows plants to detect light and regulate morphological processes such as flowering,
vegetative growth and set the plant’s circadian rhythm.  The pigment exists in two
forms – one that absorbs red light and one that absorbs far-red light.  Red light
causes a response in the phytochrome pigment that puts it into an active form and
triggers processes such as regulating photoperiod.  Since some plants require
certain amount of day light hours (referred to as photoperiod) to induce flowering, by
changing the light spectrum we can influence plant growth.  This is typically done by
using a blue-light rich light for vegetative growth and switching to a higher red-light
spectrum to induce flowering.

Plants also use phytochrome to move towards light and away from shade – this is
called the Shade avoidance response.  Since more blue and red light is absorbed
by the upper canopy compared to green and far-red, this distributes more green and
far-red light to lower in the canopy. An environment high in far-red light can trigger
stem extension, leaf extension, petiole elongation and apical dominance in the more
shaded areas of the canopy (Lopez & Rundle, 2017). This can result in an elongated
plant with increased leaf area and overall growth.

Certain seeds also require red light to initiate germination.  This is usually true for
smaller seeds such as snapdragons or coleus.

Blue Light
Blue light (400-500nm) is known to trigger morphological responses associated with
the photoreceptors Cryptochrome and phototropin.

Blue light can act as a growth regulator, and generally suppresses growth extension,
which can be advantageous for when height requirements are a factor or when
plants need to be more compact in size. (In some crops though extension can be
promoted).  Blue light receptors may also play a role in the production of carotenoid
and anthocyanin development. This can be seen in leaf colouration, such as
enhancing the colour of red lettuce varieties or increased pigment and nutrition in
peppers (Naznin et al., 2019).

Blue light responses in relation to phototropin include phototropism (Jones, 2018),

which is the orientation of the plant in relation to light – where the plant’s growth will
be directed toward where the light source is.  This is often seen in indoor plants
whose only light source is that of a window.

Chlorophyll accumulation, leaf expansion and positioning can also be triggered by

blue light.  An increase or decrease in blue light can control the opening and closing
of stomata that affects photosynthesis and transpiration.  Blue light is necessary,
even in low intensities, for healthy plants. Plants require blue light for full functioning
photosynthesis and a lack of blue light may lead to further developmental problems
such as blistering on leaves and stems.

The red colour of lettuces can be enhanced under blue light spectrum

Green light
Green light (500-600nm) responses appear to be triggered under low light
intensities.    It has been studied that high far-red light with high green light can
cause an increase in the shade avoidance response (Wang & Falta, 2013). While
far-red light is not useful for photosynthesis, green light is. And one potential
advantage to green light is since it can penetrate the lower canopy better the lower
leaves can continue to photosynthesize.  This is because red and blue light is more
readily absorbed higher in the canopy and green penetrates further down.  Adding
green light to a spectrum also makes the work environment more pleasant for
employees, as the combination of red, blue and green light creates white light, which
means workers can be more effective at monitoring for pests, disease and other
issues.

UV Light
While UV (280-400nm) does not play a role in the growth of a plant it may have a
role in the activation of a plants’ defense mechanism.  Although damaging in large
quantities, UV light can have important benefits such as producing different defense
proteins that give them protection against pests and disease.  Plants are also able to
increase antioxidant compounds to protect themselves against UV light damage, and
many of these also add to the nutritional value of the plant.  Researchers have found
that UV-B wavelengths in the 280-315nm range can also play a role in the
development of flavonoids and phenolic acids (Escobar-Bravo et al., 2019).

UV light may lead to higher nutrition in crops

Conclusion
So, what does all this mean for your growing needs?  Depending on what type of
crop you are growing and desired goal, light spectrum can play a significant role in
shaping your plants’ development.  It should be noted though, that different plant
species and varieties will respond differently to light quality and the percentages of
various light wavelengths.  More research is needed to effectively use these
wavelengths/spectrums to create light recipes for enhanced plant development.  For
example, Naznin, et al., (2019), found that carotenoid accumulation, triggered by
blue light, increases in lettuce and pepper under a 91% red and 9% blue treatment,
but was different for kale and basil where carotenoid accumulation was higher under
83% red light and 17% blue light.  This demonstrates that to reach your desired goal
when growing using customized light spectrums, you must take each individual plant
into account.