I. Definition and classification
LED plant lighting is a special lighting extended on the basis of LED lighting, refers to the use of LED plant lights to provide photosynthesis to plants, its essence is through the regulation of light quality, to promote plant growth, improve the purpose of production. At present, LED plant lighting can be divided into two categories, one is full spectrum plant growth lighting, one is red and blue plant growth lighting. Full spectrum plant growth lighting is the use of LED technology to simulate solar light lighting, so as to improve plant photosynthesis; Red-blue plant growth lighting is to use the growth habits of plants to focus on the red light and blue light, which are especially needed for plant photosynthesis, to improve plant photosynthesis.
Second, industry policy
1. Competent authorities and regulatory system
LED plant lighting industry authorities include the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. The National Development and Reform Commission is mainly responsible for drafting and organizing the implementation of national economic and social development strategies, medium - and long-term plans and annual plans; Put forward the overall goals, major tasks and relevant policies for accelerating the building of a modernized economy and promoting high-quality development; Put forward the main goals of national economic and social development, monitor, forecast, and give early warning of macroeconomic and social development trends, and put forward suggestions on macro-control policies. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is mainly responsible for the study and formulation of informatization development strategies, policies and overall plans; Promoting strategic adjustment, optimization and upgrading of the industrial structure; To formulate laws and regulations of the industry, issue administrative rules and regulations, organize the formulation of technical policies, technical systems and technical standards of the industry, and conduct macro-control over the development direction of the industry.
China Lighting Electrical Appliances Association is the industry's self-regulatory organization, which is mainly responsible for the development of industry planning, policies, legislation and other aspects of the proposal, to carry out research on the development of the industry at home and abroad and industry survey statistics, while collecting and publishing industry information, and participate in the development and revision of industry product standards.
2. Industry-related policies
In recent years, LED plant lighting has gradually been attached great importance by the national government, and a series of policies and measures have been introduced. For example, in June 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and other four departments issued the "National Modern Facility Agriculture Construction Plan (2023-2030)", which proposed that according to the characteristics of crops, the development of multi-layer three-dimensional cultivation mode, the construction of a number of vertical farms, promote the efficient use of space, and improve the light efficiency and energy efficiency of different regions and different varieties of plant factories. In the "Guidance Catalogue for Industrial Structure Adjustment (2024 edition)" released in December 2023, it is proposed to encourage the development and application of advanced technologies for vegetable, melon, fruit, and flower facility cultivation (including soillless cultivation), the development and application of high-quality, high-yield, high-efficiency standardized cultivation technologies, the development and application of agricultural biotechnology, the digital transformation of agricultural production and the construction of smart agriculture. The introduction of these policies will be conducive to creating conditions for the application of LED plant lighting products, but also conducive to promoting the continuous progress of industry technology.
Third, the development process
From the perspective of the development history of LED plant lighting industry, since the 1980s, developed countries began to study the feasibility of LED light source as a plant growth light source, focusing on LED light quality on the growth and development of plant tissue culture seedlings, vegetables and food crops, and even related studies on the impact of yield. In the mid-1990s, NASA began screening and developing LED light sources for plant cultivation, developing a number of lighting systems specifically for use on the space shuttle and the International Space Station. These results laid a foundation for the application of LED light sources in various production fields of facility horticulture. In early 2000, commercial LED plant lighting appeared. In 2010, LED red-blue plant lighting devices developed into the mainstream and were applied in plant factories and other production fields. In 2013, LED chips and packaging processes became more and more mature, and full-spectrum LED plant growth lights began to appear on the market. Since 2018, industrial hemp planting lights have become hot, and many domestic lighting companies have entered.
Fourth, industry barriers
1. Technical barriers
LED plant lighting is the product of the development of biology, facility horticulture, vegetable science, plant physiology, plant nutrition, biological environmental engineering, LED lighting, intelligent control technology and other interdisciplinary and organic combination. This means that companies entering this industry need to have strong research and development capabilities and technical expertise. At present, high-quality enterprises in the industry have achieved significant advantages in the industry through years of research and development experience. Therefore, if the potential entrants of the industry have insufficient experience in technological innovation and product development, they are often at a disadvantage in market competition.
2. Financial barriers
The research and development, production and marketing of LED plant lighting products require a lot of capital investment. In the research and development stage, enterprises need to purchase advanced research and development equipment, and hire research and development personnel with relevant professional knowledge and skills. The cost of such equipment and personnel is often high, and the development process can take a long time, further increasing the financial pressure. In the production stage, enterprises need to purchase high-quality raw materials and build production lines that meet production requirements. This involves equipment purchase, production line layout, staff training and other aspects, which require a lot of capital investment. In the market promotion stage, enterprises need to invest funds for brand building, channel expansion, advertising and other aspects. It can be seen that the industry has high financial barriers, which is a big challenge for new entrants and small enterprises.
3. Brand barrier
In the LED plant lighting industry, brand awareness and reputation play a pivotal role in the market competitiveness of enterprises. Well-known brands usually can easily gain the trust and favor of consumers by virtue of their deep market accumulation and broad user base, so as to stand out in the fierce market competition. At present, the leading enterprises in the industry with years of experience accumulation, has a strong brand advantage, and the establishment of the brand is difficult to complete in a short time. Therefore, for new entrants, the industry has a high brand barrier.
