The following is my summary of a paper (Yin et al., 2016) recently published on Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. It reveals the interaction between two important proteins in UV-B radiation signaling and provides insight on the precise molecular mechanism of UV-B signal
Adding far-red radiation benefits ornamental seedlings
Yujin Park, currently a third-year Ph.D. student at Michigan State University, delivered this oral presentation during the 8th International Symposium of Light in Horticulture held in East Lansing, MI in May, 2016. She investigated the use of adding far-red radiation
Ultraviolet B: invisible light with a visible impact
Plants produce their own beneficial “sunscreens” in response to UV-B. Supplying UV-B to greenhouse food crops can alter growth, increase nutritional value, and enhance flavor. By Michael Dzakovich It’s finally that time of year. The days are getting cooler and your
Grow greens with blue, red and far-red LEDs
Qingwu (William) Meng recently delivered an oral presentation at the 2016 American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) annual conference in Atlanta, GA. His talk was about how blue, red, and far-red radiation interacted to influence plant growth, morphology, and pigmentation.
8th International Symposium on Light in Horticulture
By Qingwu (William) Meng and Joshua Craver GrowerTalks originally published this article in July, 2016. Picture 1. Dr. Kevin Folta from the University of Florida delivered a keynote presentation on the role of light in plant growth, development, and metabolism.
Evaluating different colors of LEDs to control flowering
Researchers at Michigan State University tested the effectiveness of various colors of LEDs. Read on to learn how they affected flowering. By Qingwu (William) Meng and Erik Runkle Greenhouse Product News (GPN) originally published this article in December, 2014. Flowering
Choosing the right LEDs to regulate flowering
LEDs are increasingly being used by commercial greenhouse growers, but their spectra vary and sometimes there is confusion about their flowering application. By Qingwu (William) Meng and Erik Runkle Michigan State University Extension originally published this article in July, 2016.
The light that disrupts sleep: from humans to plants
By Qingwu (William) Meng Like lots of millennials, I like to spend some time on a smartphone or tablet before going to sleep. It has been a habit deeply ingrained thanks to incredible advances in mobile technology. However, it brings about one negative side
Can white LEDs control flowering?
By Qingwu (William) Meng and Erik Runkle Greenhouse Management originally published this article in October, 2015. When the natural days are short (October to March), lighting during the middle of the night (night interruption, NI) can create long days. The spectrum
LightHort launched today!
We are thrilled to launch LightHort today! Our motto is “transform horticulture with light”. LightHort is a blog dedicated to communicating the latest scientific findings on light in horticulture to the public. The goal is to inform scientists and interested audiences alike of