GHL – LED Horticultural Lighting
A variety of abiotic factors (temperature, humidity, carbon-dioxide, etc.) have been traditionally used to stimulate plant growth. Light as an abiotic factor is the new frontier. Each plant variety needs a specific spectrum (wavelength) of light at each stage in its growth – this is known as the Light Recipe. This Light recipe is supplied through controls that can affect intensity, spectrum and programmability. Thus, LED lights can be programmed to provide a specific spectrum on an hour-by-hour basis for the entire length of the grow-cycle (which may be as long as a year from rooting to harvest). These lights can also affect crop mass, shape, composition, colour and taste while inducing resistance to pathogens. The end result is a higher yield, better quality and a shorter grow-cycle.
As lighting technology has progressed, it has become increasingly commoditized. The key differentiator has become cost, which we offer through:
- Our topography, which lowers capital cost (by -30%) while increasing reliability
-
Much lower installation costs (-80%) because:
- All the cables are pre-cut at the factory. All the cabling from the driver and down is included in the price.
- The installation does not need any electrical connection for each light. The clips are factory supplied. A lighting diagram is provided.
- No expensive electricians need to be involved. The work of hanging the lights can be completed by your regular greenhouse staff.
- Electricians are ONLY needed to connect the Driver Box (upstream) to the Panel.
Cost is not the ONLY THING; It is EVERYTHING.
Overhead lights typically provide adequate lighting for only the top part of the plant, because the canopy prevents the lights from penetrating any lower. To overcome this issue, we also provide Under-Canopy Lights and Inter Lights.
The same applies to Poultry Lighting for:
- Broilers – poultry raised for its meat
- Layers – poultry raised for its eggs
There are significant differences between human and avian vision. Human vision is trichromatic, based on Red, Green, and Blue. Avian vision is tetrachromatic, based on Red, Green, Blue, and UV-A.
Also, peak sensitivity wavelengths are different between human and avian vision. Avian vision is very sensitive to flickering, as would be experienced for a light functioning at a frequency of 50–60 Hz, while human vision cannot even detect such flickering.
Research indicates that the performance of the lighting system greatly influences the bird’s mortality rate, mobility, behavioral patterns, diurnal rhythms, feed efficacy, and average weight gain. Thus, lighting can greatly affect the productivity of a poultry farm.
Our proprietary lighting system is a true quad-wavelength lighting system specifically developed for the poultry industry. It provides LEDs that emit Red, Green, and Blue wavelengths, plus UV-A wavelength, delivering all the benefits stated above.