The Effect of Infared Light on Plant Growth
"Light is an essential factor in maintaining plants," says the Texas Agricultural Extension Service at Texas A&M University. Duration of exposure and the type and intensity of the light are all factors in the successful lifecycle of plants, and infrared light is necessary for plant reproduction. Does this Spark an idea?
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Flowering
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Infrared light is required for plants to flower. While most individual plants can survive without flowering, the species would be lost without the infrared spectrum in sunlight. For indoor plants, Texas A&M University suggests that infrared can be "... supplied by incandescent lights or special horticultural fluorescent lights."
Far Infrared Light
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Plants use far infrared light. According to the NASA website, infrared light has wavelengths. Near infrared is close to the visible light end of the spectrum and far infrared is close to the microwave end of the spectrum. While the chlorophyll in plants reflects near infrared waves, plants use far infrared rays in photosynthesis.
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Ethylene Production
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Infrared light may help plants produce ethylene. Data included in a Journal of Plant Biology study suggests that "... far infrared rays emitted from ceramic powder might act on the conversion step of ACC to ethylene."
Photosynthesis
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A study on the National Institutes of Health website suggests that ethylene is a chemical that is used by plants to control the process of photosynthesis.
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References
- Photo Credit camomile image by Andrejs Baburovs from Fotolia.com
