Selective Plant Lighting for Nutrient Enhancement
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In horticulture, the lower parts of plants often receive insufficient supplemental light from high-power lamps or solid-state lighting mounted above them, limiting nutrient production due to light allocation primarily for growth rather than nutrient generation, especially during periods of limited natural light.
Innovation Solution
A method and lighting device that selectively illuminate target parts of plants with specific spectral light distributions during a nutritional enhancement period, starting within two weeks before harvest, to enhance nutrient production, allowing other parts to receive different light conditions, and using a 2D array of individually controllable LEDs to provide higher intensity in specific wavelength ranges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If high-power lamps or solid-state lighting are mounted above plants to provide supplemental light, then the upper parts of plants receive sufficient light for growth, but the lower parts of plants receive insufficient light, limiting nutrient production
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting system is divided into multiple groups of light sources positioned at different heights and orientations. Some light sources are mounted above plants while others are positioned at side levels, allowing independent control of lighting for different plant zones. This segmentation enables targeted illumination of lower plant parts without requiring complete redesign of the entire lighting system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces side-level lighting in addition to traditional top-down illumination, adding a horizontal dimension to the lighting arrangement. This multi-dimensional approach allows light to reach lower plant parts from lateral directions, complementing the vertical illumination from above and creating comprehensive light coverage throughout the plant canopy.
2Quantity of substance
If light is allocated primarily for plant growth through photosynthesis, then biomass formation is enhanced, but nutrient production in edible parts is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting system implements periodic variation in light intensity and spectral composition. During growth phases, lighting promotes photosynthesis and biomass accumulation. During nutrient enhancement phases, the system adjusts light parameters to stimulate nutrient production in edible parts. This periodic switching between growth mode and nutrient mode allows optimization of both biomass formation and nutrient content at different time periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes changes in light spectral composition and intensity parameters to control plant physiological processes. By adjusting the ratio of red to blue light wavelengths, and modifying light intensity levels, the system can shift plant metabolism between growth-oriented processes and nutrient synthesis processes, thereby enhancing nutrient content in edible parts without permanently compromising overall productivity.
3Quantity of substance
If uniform lighting is provided to all plant parts, then overall plant growth is balanced, but nutritional enhancement of specific edible parts cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting system provides differentiated light conditions to different plant parts based on their specific needs. Edible plant parts receive enhanced lighting with optimized spectral composition and higher intensity to stimulate nutrient production, while non-edible parts receive standard growth lighting. This local quality approach allows targeted nutritional enhancement of specific regions without uniformly increasing lighting across the entire plant, thereby improving ease of operation by focusing resources where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies preliminary lighting adjustments to edible plant parts before harvest to maximize nutrient accumulation. By providing enhanced lighting treatment in the period leading up to harvest, the system prepares the edible parts for optimal nutrient content, ensuring that the nutritional enhancement objective is achieved in advance rather than attempting to modify plant composition after growth is complete.
4Illumination intensity
If multiple light sources are used to illuminate all plant parts, then comprehensive light coverage is achieved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting system is designed with multi-functional light sources that can serve different purposes depending on operational mode. The same light sources provide both general growth illumination and targeted nutrient enhancement lighting by adjusting intensity and spectral composition. This universality eliminates the need for separate dedicated lighting systems for different functions, thereby reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining comprehensive light coverage when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial lighting action by illuminating only specific plant parts that require nutritional enhancement rather than uniformly lighting the entire plant canopy. By focusing light energy on target edible parts and using dimmer or off states for other regions, the system achieves effective nutrient enhancement with reduced total energy consumption compared to full-canopy illumination.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enhances the nutritional value of edible plant parts by optimizing light allocation, increasing nutrient production, and achieving uniform and controlled nutritional enhancement, especially in greenhouses and multi-layer growth setups.
Implementation Method 1
a first subset and a second subset, wherein the first subset and the second subset are individually controllable, wherein in specific embodiments the lighting device is further configured to provide during a nutritional enhancement lighting period horticulture light having a spectral light distribution with at least light intensity at a first wavelength selected from the range of 300-475 nm and at a second wavelength selected from the range of 600-800 nm
Implementation Method 2
Plants use the process of photosynthesis to convert light, CO2 and H2O into carbohydrates (sugars). These sugars are used to fuel metabolic processes. The excess of sugars is used for biomass formation.
Implementation Method 3
photomorphogenesis refers to the change in form in response to the quality and quantity of radiation
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides a method for enhancing the nutritional value in a first plant part (2) of a crop (1), wherein the first plant part (2) comprises an edible plant part, wherein the crop (1) in addition to the first plant part (2) comprises one or more other plant parts (3), wherein the method comprises illuminating during a nutritional enhancement lighting period a target part (5) of said first plant part (2) with horticulture light (511) that is selected to enhance formation of a nutrient in said first plant part (2) while allowing one or more other plant parts (3) to be subjected to different light conditions, wherein the nutritional enhancement lighting period is started within two weeks from harvest of the first plant part (2).