1. Rigid demand to overcome the lighting bottleneck in the northern region
Climate characteristics: There is not enough sunshine and a long winter. The next year's average daylight duration from December to February is three to four hours shorter than in the south, and the low temperatures further reduce plant photosynthesis efficiency.
Demand pain points:
Light compensation: For instance, in Shouguang, Shandong, 72% of second-generation greenhouses have LED fill lights installed, which has led to a 20-day shorter lettuce market cycle and a 40% increase in winter leafy crop yield. The daily cucumber yield rose by 18% under LED lighting, so resolving the "vegetable shortage" issue during the winter.
Temperature synergy: In order to promote plant elongation, northern greenhouses need to increase the amount of red light (660 nm) by up to 60% to 70%. Heating systems are used to maintain the proper development temperature. Liaoning strawberry farmers have seen a 5000–8000 yuan per mu boost in revenue since implementing LED supplemental lighting; however, the initial equipment expenditure is dependent on government subsidies.
Priority for energy efficiency: With an annual carbon sequestration of 42 kg per square metre and a 65% reduction in energy consumption per unit output when compared to conventional high-pressure sodium lamps, the Ulan Buhe Desert Plant Factory in Inner Mongolia has adopted quantum dot LEDs (light efficiency 4.1 μ mol/J) as a model for energy conservation and efficiency improvement in high-altitude regions.
Typical situation:
With a 16-hour light/eight-hour dark cycle and a dynamic dimming system, a tomato greenhouse in Chengde, Hebei Province, increased the percentage of red light to 75% during the low temperature phase. This led to a 15% rise in fruit sugar content and a 40% decrease in flower drop rate.
Using full spectrum LED+hydroponic technology, the vertical farm in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, reduces the length of the lettuce growing cycle to 28 days and produces a yield per unit area that is 20 times higher than that of outdoor planting.
2. Southern Area: High Value Added and Accurate Regulation Operating a vehicle
Climate characteristics include plenty of sunshine all year round, although high temperatures and humidity can cause heat stress, which lowers photosynthetic efficiency.
Demand pain points:
Spectral optimisation: By combining "full spectrum LED+hydroponic" technology, Shunde District, Foshan, Guangdong Province, has reduced the lettuce growing cycle to 28 days, which is 30% less time than the conventional method. At high temperatures, the 30% blue light (450 nm) can improve pore opening and raise the photosynthetic rate by 15%.
Enhancement of quality: The 800-meter-high tea garden in Anji, Zhejiang, saw a 15-day advance in the spring tea mining season, a 12% rise in amino acid content, and a 30% increase in production per acre with the installation of LED supplemental illumination. The Tropical Crop Research Institute in Sanya, Hainan, created the "Moonlight type" LED light, which speeds up the setting of mango fruit by 27% and has no effect on insect pollination at night.
Cost-sensitive: Despite the fact that off-season strawberry cultivation in Dali, Yunnan, has greatly benefited from LED supplemental lighting, small and medium-sized farmers still have a wait-and-see attitude because of equipment costs (12000 yuan per mu) and must promote it through the "enterprise+cooperative" model.
Typical situation:
The rooting time of Phalaenopsis tissue cultured seedlings is shortened by 7 days, and the rate of high-quality seedlings is increased by 30% in a flower greenhouse located in Xiamen, Fujian Province, by using a dimmable LED system to dynamically adjust the ratio of red to blue light according to different growth stages (4:1 for seedling stage and 2:1 for flowering stage).
IoT sensors are used by the vertical farm in Nanning, Guangxi, to track PPFD values in real time. The LED power automatically decreases when the light intensity surpasses 300 μ mol/m ²/s, which results in a 12% increase in vitamin C content and an 18% reduction in energy usage.
3. Unique Climate Zones: Innovations in Technology and Ecological Adjustment Plateau:
High altitude dedicated LED lights are used in the greenhouse in Lhasa, Xizang, to modify plant phytochrome by increasing the amount of far red light (730 nm). This results in a 25% increase in the stem thickness and a 40% increase in the survival rate of highland barley seedlings under low light and low temperature.
Tropical areas:
The Tropical Crop Research Institute in Sanya, Hainan, has created a "insect proof" LED lighting system that uses a particular wavelength (550 nm) to prevent pest phototaxis. This reduces the use of pesticides by 30% and encourages the production of latex in rubber trees, which increases plant yield by 18%.
arid areas:
The grape greenhouse in Turpan, Xinjiang, achieves a 50% water-saving efficiency by using LED fill light to extend the photoperiod to 18 hours, in conjunction with drip irrigation technology, which raises the fruit's soluble solids content by 5%. Additionally, excessive vine growth is suppressed through light quality regulation.
4. In-depth causes of demand discrepancies
Economic level: While the central and western regions still depend on corporate investment or government subsidies, high-value crops like flowers and strawberries can make LED supplemental lighting economically feasible in eastern coastal areas like Shandong and Guangdong.
Through off-season farming, the strawberry base in Dali, Yunnan has produced a yield of 50,000 yuan per mu; nevertheless, small and medium-sized farmers are unable to afford the tens of thousands of yuan needed for equipment investment.
Technical awareness: While the traditional greenhouse planting area in North-east China lacks demonstration projects and has a penetration rate of less than 20% for LED supplemental lighting, the northern facility agricultural area has a greater acceptance rate for spectrum regulation.
In Shouguang, Shandong, some farmers erroneously think that "supplementing light means extending the light exposure time" while neglecting spectral adaptation, which leads to subpar outcomes.
Facilities that support an industrial chain:
While the centre and western regions lack industrial chain support and have high equipment maintenance costs, the Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta have semiconductor chip research & development capabilities (such as Weizhaoye Optoelectronics and Osram).
It is challenging to lower equipment prices in the domestic semiconductor chip epitaxial wafer business due to weak patents and the monopoly of foreign companies like Samsung and Osram on fundamental patents.
