New scientific soil at horticultural lighting event

　　The US Horticultural Lighting Conference in Denver is just 11 days away, and we’re all gearing up to hear what the latest crop of horticultural science and solid-state lighting (SSL) technology experts has to say.

　　We are witnessing the digitalization of all aspects of business and production. It’s quite apparent when you look at the program for the Oct. 17 event. From using new instruments to measure the impact of light on plant biology, to customizing ultraviolet (UV) LED light sources for growing crops and harnessing the analysis and simulation powers of software to deliver specialized SSL for horticultural operations, the LED and lighting industry is developing the tools and techniques to help growers power up their produce — improve it, protect it, and enhance their profitability over time.

　　The closing Plenary really looks to be ready to provide a powerful summation of that theme of digitalization. Senior research scientist Tessa Pocock of the Center for Lighting Enabled Systems and Applications (LESA) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will deconstruct some misconceptions about the relationship between plants and light. She’ll also present support for the complex interactions between specific plant species and horticultural lighting, in addition to demonstrating how automation and sensors can be incorporated for data collection and monitoring of plants and the horticultural systems that support them.