Light-emitting diodes: whether an efficient source of light for indoor plants?

Availability of sufficient light for growth optimization of plants in greenhouse environment during winter is a major challenge, as light during winter is significantly lower than that in the summer. The most commonly used artificial light sources (e.g., metal halide lamps, high pressure sodium lamps, and high fluorescent lamps) are of low quality and inefficient. Therefore, better options should be developed for sustaining agricultural food production during low levels of solar radiation. In recent advances, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have remarkable potential as supplemental source of light for promoting plant growth. LEDs are novel and versatile source of light with cool emitting surface, wavelength specificity, and low electric power requirement. In the present study, we provided a contemporary synthesis of existing evidence along with our hypothetical concepts to clarify how LED approach could be an efficient and cost-effective source of light for plant growth and development especially in closed production system. In comparative analysis of common artificial vs. LED lighting, we revealed that spectral quality of LEDs can have vivid effects on plant morphogenesis and anatomy. We also discussed the influence of different colors of LEDs on growth performance of plants and provided the cost benefit analysis of using LEDs compared with other traditional sources. Overall, we hope that this article will be of great worth in future due to its practical implications as well as research directions.