"Ōdinus" C#5

Time to get the net on right before the stretch or it will be extremely hard later, I want to support as many fulcrums of branches as possible that may have trouble holding heavy buds and will fall to areas with less light slowing flower growth. Using Blue Light in Cultivation TL;DR: Blue light is a key wavelength for photosynthesis and growth. So buy lights that have blue light, whether for growing cannabis or any other kinds of plants. Whether you’re buying a light for a houseplant, indoor cannabis grow, or large-scale plant production, it can be challenging to pick the right light. There are multiple factors to consider and conflicting information online. While light intensity is the most important factor, spectrum can be important too. This article explains how blue wavelengths impact plant growth, based on peer-reviewed research. Blue Light and Photosynthesis Blue light is radiation with wavelengths between 450 – 495 nm. It strongly impacts photosynthesis and vegetative growth [1]. This is because the wavelengths of the blue correspond to the wavelengths that photosynthetic pigments absorb the most. Chlorophylls and carotenoids, two key groups of photosynthetic pigments, absorb blue light and convert it into chemical energy (sugar) that can be used for plant growth [2]. Even though blue wavelengths are highly absorbed by chlorophylls and carotenoids, they are slightly less effective than red light for driving photosynthesis [3]. This can be explained by the absorption and action spectrums of photosynthesis (see Figure 1). The absorption spectrum (dotted line) shows which wavelengths are absorbed by chlorophyll and other pigments. On the other hand, the action spectrum (solid line) shows the photosynthesis rate for each wavelength. action and absorption spectrum blue light Figure 1: The absorption spectrum of chlorophylls and beta carotene correlates with photosynthetic output. Red light is slightly more effective than blue light for driving photosynthesis. (Modified from HyperPhysics Biology) The key is to compare the difference between the dotted and solid lines. The gap between the two lines in the 450 – 495 nm range means that plants absorb large amounts of blue light, but not all of it is converted into sugar energy. This leaves us to wonder — where does the rest of the blue light go? Some of it gets absorbed by lower-efficiency pigments (like anthocyanin) that don’t contribute to photosynthesis. This doesn’t mean that plants don’t need blue light — they do. But even better things happen when blue light is paired with red. Photosynthesis happens faster, plants produce more protein, more pigments, and more leaves, and they generally grow bigger [5, 6, 7, 8, 9]. Blue Light and Stomatal Conductance Aside from photosynthesis, blue light has other effects on plants. Blue wavelengths increase stomatal conductance. Stomatal conductance is the process of gasses (like CO2) entering and exiting leaves through the pores in the leaf’s surface. Blue light impacts stomatal conductance by increasing the number, density, and size of stomata [10]. If the effects on photosynthesis didn’t convince you that blue wavelengths are important, this next part might. Gas exchange through the pores is critical for both photosynthesis and leaf cooling. Thus, providing plants with enough blue light is necessary for them to be able to control their temperature. Relationship to Stem Stretching Tall, leggy plants are undesirable because the plant can easily fall over. Plants often look nicer when they have short stems and compact leaves. Stretching happens when a plant doesn’t get enough light and so it grows taller to capture more. Blue wavelengths are a key way that a plant senses how much light it’s getting. Providing a plant with more blue light helps ensure that the stems stay short. Along similar lines, blue light can also decrease petiole length [3]. Petioles are the small stems connecting the leaves to the stem. For this reason, plants that are given more blue light tend to have more compact leaves [6, 14]. Blue Light and Seedling Growth Blue light also has an effect on seedling growth: it increases the seedling size and antioxidant concentration [15, 16]. Antioxidants protect plants from UV rays and harmful reactive compounds that can cause major problems for photosynthesis and flowering. Thus, increasing antioxidants in plants may be one way to offset the stresses that come along with intense photosynthesis rates. In addition, blue wavelengths increase the sprouting rate, fresh weight, and protein content compared to other colors of light [15]. Effect on Flowering Blue light impacts flowering in two main ways: timing of flowering and flower weight. Through the action of cryptochrome (a light receptor in plants), blue wavelengths can sometimes regulate flowering time. How blue light impacts flowering depends on light intensity and whether the plant is a “long-day” or “short-day” plant. Generally, blue wavelengths cause flowering to happen earlier in long-day plants and later in short-day plants. For example, mustard is a long-day plant, and exposing it to blue light causes flowering to happen 20 days earlier than it normally would [17]. In other species, blue wavelengths have no effect on flowering [18]. For some flowers, pea plants, and violets, blue light doesn’t change flowering time at all [18]! Impact on Cannabinoids Production Last, but not least, some recent research shows that blue light may affect cannabinoid production in cannabis. One study looked at the effect of light quality on the yield of THC and other cannabinoids in cannabis cultivation. Plants grown using LEDs (which had 6 – 16% more blue wavelengths than HPS lamps) had about 38% more THC compared to those grown under HPS lamps [12]. Cannabis plants grown under LED lights also had higher concentrations of CBD, THCV, CBG, and cannabinoids [12]. The authors suggested that UV-A and blue wavelengths might cause the plant to produce more CBG (a precursor of THC and other cannabinoids). The mechanisms underlying the effect of blue wavelengths on the cannabinoid pathways will also require further research. References Singh et al 2015. LEDs for Energy Efficient Greenhouse Lighting. Croce, Van Grondelle, Van Amerongen, and Van Stokkum. 2018. Light Harvesting in Photosynthesis. Cope, Snowden, and Bugbee. 2014. “Photobiological Interactions of Blue Light and Photosynthetic Photon Flux: Effects of Monochromatic and Broad-Spectrum Light Sources.” Photochemistry and Photobiology 90 (3): 574–84. Lu et al 2017. Uncovering LED Light Effects on Plant Growth: New Angles and Perspectives. Sabzalian et al. 2014. “High Performance of Vegetables, Flowers, and Medicinal Plants in a Red-Blue LED Incubator for Indoor Plant Production.” Agronomy for Sustainable Development 34 (4): 879–86. Chandra, S. et al. 2013. “Effects of Different Light Quality on Growth, Chlorophyll Concentration and Chlorophyll Biosynthesis Precursors of Non-Heading Chinese Cabbage (Brassica Campestris L.).” Acta Physiologiae Plantarum 35 (9): 2721–26. Hernández and Kubota. 2016. “Physiological Responses of Cucumber Seedlings under Different Blue and Red Photon Flux Ratios Using LEDs.” Environmental and Experimental Botany 121: 66–74. Naznin et al 2016. “Using Different Ratios of Red and Blue LEDs to Improve the Growth of Strawberry Plants.” Proc. of the VIII Int. Symp. on Light in Horticulture 8: 125–30. Ouzounis, T. et al. 2016. “Blue and Red LED Lighting Effects on Plant Biomass, Stomatal Conductance, and Metabolite Content in Nine Tomato Genotypes.” Proc. of the VIII Int. Symp. on Light in Horticulture 8. Kim et al 2004. “Effects of LEDs on Net Photosynthetic Rate, Growth and Leaf Stomata of Chrysanthemum Plantlets in Vitro.” Sci. Hort. 101 (1–2): 143–51. Zheng and Van Labeke. 2017. “Long-Term Effects of Red- and Blue-Light Emitting Diodes on Leaf Anatomy and Photosynthetic Efficiency of Three Ornamental Pot Plants.” Frontiers in Plant Science 8: 1–12. Hsu and Chen. 2018. “The Effect of Light Spectrum on the Morphology and Cannabinoid Content of Cannabis Sativa L.” Med. Can. and Can. (1): 19–27. Olschowski et al. 2016. “Effects of Red, Blue, and White LED Irradiation on Root and Shoot Development of Calibrachoa Cuttings in Comparison to HPS Lamps.” Proc. of the VIII Int. Sym. on Light in Horticulture. Massa et al 2008. “Plant Productivity in Response to LED Lighting.” HortScience 43 (7): 1951–56. Livadariu et al. 2018. “Studies Regarding Treatments of LEDs on Sprouting Hemp (Cannabis Sativa L.).” Romanian Biotechnological Letters: 1–7. Samuolienė et al. 2011. “The Impact of LED Illumination on Antioxidant Properties of Sprouted Seeds.” Open Life Sciences 6 (1): 68–74. Eskins, K. 1992. “Light-Quality Effects on Arabidopsis Development. Red, Blue and Far-Red Regulation of Flowering and Morphology.” Phys. Plant. 86 (3): 439–44. Runkle et al 2001. “Specific Functions of Red, Far Red, and Blue Light in Flowering and Stem Extension of Long-Day Plants.” J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 126 (3): 275–82.