High-brightness LEDs—Energy efficient lighting sources and their potential in indoor plant cultivation

The rapid development of optoelectronic technology since mid-1980 has significantly enhanced the brightness and efficiency of light-emitting diodes (LEDs). LEDs have long been proposed as a primary light source for space-based plant research chamber or bioregenerative life support systems. The raising cost of energy also makes the use of LEDs in commercial crop culture imminent. With their energy efficiency, LEDs have opened new perspectives for optimizing the energy conversion and the nutrient supply both on and off Earth. The potentials of LED as an effective light source for indoor agricultural production have been explored to a great extent. There are many researches that use LEDs to support plant growth in controlled environments such as plant tissue culture room and growth chamber. This paper provides a brief development history of LEDs and a broad base review on LED applications in indoor plant cultivation since 1990.