Photosynthesis: The single most important plant growth factor

Due to its overwhelming importance in the act of photosynthesis, light is one of the most important environmental factors that can come into play with plant growth factors.

Additionally, light is often one of the sources that help determine temperature, as copious amounts of light burn off energy that is translated into warmth.

But when discussing the importance of light in photosynthesis, there are three major light factors to keep in mind: the quality, the quantity, and the length of exposure to the light.

When it comes to photosynthesis, plant growth can be inhibited or increased depending upon what type of light the plant is exposed to.

Plants that are raised in artificial light have a different growth response, for example, than plants which are raised in the natural light given off by the sun.

Primarily, the natural sunlight is preferred, but this may not always be possible when dealing with areas where the sun is not out for long stretches of time, or where other environmental factors help to inhibit plant growth (increased acidity and too much salt in the water, for instance.)

The color of the light is also important in terms of quality. Blue light increases leaf growth, while red and blue light together stimulate the production of flowering growth.

The quantity of light refers to how much light a plant is exposed to at one time.

For instance, plants that grow in a hot desert have to be biologically designed to withstand and thrive on greater quantities of light than plants which grow in river beds, or the ocean.

Finally, the duration a plant is exposed to a light source is vital in plant growth. Contrary to popular belief, not all plants grow better with a longer exposure to light.

Just as human beings can become over-exerted or eat too much, so too can plants become over stimulated if they are exposed to light too long during a day.

Summarily, when attempting to manipulate light sources for your plants, it is important to make sure you balance out the quality, quantity, and duration of time that your plants are exposed to light in order to heighten the plant growth factors.

Living Sunlight: How Plants Bring The Earth To Life

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