How to improve the vigor of cuttings

Added on 08 August 2023

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Propagation of cuttings comes with hassles, but new smart lighting systems can help, increasing consistency and vigor. Lighting solutions have come a long way from mechanical timers turning high-pressure sodium (HPS) lights on and off.

LED technology has become more refined, performance has increased, and new opportunities to take advantage of LEDs’ unique benefits are here.

“LEDs are becoming the standard technology for propagation,” explains Dr. Erik Runkle of Michigan State University. How important is good lighting for propagation? Dr. Runkle says, “Light and temperature primarily drive the rate of root development.”

What Is Smart Lighting?

Smart lighting is a system, including the lights, sensors, and controllers, able to adjust light quality (spectrum), intensity, and quantity. LEDs, specifically fully-tunable LEDs, typically provide lighting. Some systems use a hybrid LED-HPS system to attain the tunable benefits of LED technology.

To be of the highest benefit for rooting cuttings, smart lighting should include not only the Photosynthetic Active Radiation (PAR) spectrum of 400-700 nm but also, and importantly, the far-red spectrum, says Dr. Céline Nicole-de Groot, Senior Plant Scientist, Philips LED Horticulture Solutions, by Signify.

Photo Caption: Chrysanthemum cuttings response to different lighting spectrums. Left: dynamic lighting with far-red, Right: standard static recipe. Photo: Dr. C. Nicole, Philips

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