LED farming – An innovative technique of productive and effective crop cultivation

The United Nations conference on Trade and Development has projected that by 2050, two-thirds of the global population will reside in urban areas. In response to the growing demand for food in urban settings, indoor farming-particularly through Controlled Plant Production Systems-offers a viable solution. Among the critical factors influencing indoor cultivation, light availability and quality are especially limiting. The intensity and spectral composition of light are essential for maximizing crop productivity per unit area. Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) have emerged as a transformative tool in indoor cultivation, serving as an efficient and highly effective light source. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) used LED lights to grow plants in space during the 1960s. Later, in the 1980s, Japan began utilizing LEDs for high quality vegetable and fruit production. In addition, LED lights in horticultural crops have been applied intensively, providing specific wavelengths of light to meet the crop demand. LED technology offers numerous advantages including, lower heat generation, higher energy efficiency and reduced power consumption, making it a sustainable choice for indoor farming. Red and blue LED lights, in particular, are more efficient and promote higher photosynthetic rate, flowering , bioactive compound production and overall crop yield. LED light consumes only 25 % of the energy used in conventional lighting systems, which significantly reduces operational costs. The paper reviews the significance of LED farming and its effects on crop growth, crop quality and yield. It also explores the application of LEDs in speedy breeding and algal photobioreactors. Further, it underscore LEDs potential to revolutionize urban agriculture and highlights the need for future research focused on optimizing spectral combinations and improving cost-efficiency.