Inaugural LED Research Summit Takes Place at CSU
Colorado State University (CSU) and the horticulture LED lighting group from Philips Lighting recently collaborated to host the first ever LED Horticulture Lighting Research Summit.
The inaugural event, took place on CSU’s campus, assembled a group of university researchers and other experts allied to the horticulture industry to share the key findings from recent research reports and facilitate a lively discussion on the use and application of LEDs.
The Research Summit kicked off with an evening reception and tour of Colorado State University’s new Horticulture Research Center in Fort Collins, Colorado, which opened in 2015. The $7.5 million facility is outfitted entirely with Philips Horticulture LED lighting including Philips GreenPower LED Toplighting, Flowering Lamps, Interlighting and Production Modules.
During the day-and-a-half event, the attending researchers shared highlights from their recent research projects focused on various applications with LED technology. They also discussed the potential of both current and emerging applications of LED lighting in agriculture. Presentations were made by Erik Runkle, Michigan State University; Bruce Bugbee, Utah State University; Ricardo Hernandez, North Carolina State University; Paul Karlovich, C. Raker’s & Sons; Wim van Ieperen, Wageningen University; Travis Higginbotham, Battlefield Farms; and Bill Bauerle, Colorado State University.
Several other presentations investigated:
- The use of LED technology in supplemental lighting and the impact on chemical plant growth regulators
- The photoperiodic response of plants to LEDs
- The use of LEDs as sole-source lighting in plug propagation
- Growing hops in a greenhouse under LEDs
A question and answer session and open discussion followed each presentation.