Light art installation helps crops to grow without pesticides

Different combinations of colours strengthen plants’ metabolisms and resistance to disease

Spotted: Visible only at close quarters, the Studio Roosegaarde-designed light installation in The Netherlands doubles as a crop growth enhancer. Specific combinations of coloured lights improve plant growth significantly and, crucially, reduce the need for pesticides by up to 50 per cent. Designed to blend in with the landscape and avoid creating any sort of pollution (light, sound or otherwise), the exhibition uses red, blue and ultraviolet lights positioned relatively low to the ground.

The high-density, solar-powered LED lights shine across 20,000 square metres of farmland and emit a combination of four different light recipes. The installation is entitled GROW, and the devices situated around the field move up and down to distribute light evenly. The recipes come from photobiology light science research and studies have found that different combinations of wavelengths strengthen plant metabolisms which in turn increase resistance to a variety of diseases and pests.

The studio plans to take the installation on tour, exhibiting in all 40 countries in which Rabobank, the project’s sponsor, works. The light recipes would be formulated specifically to suit the crops in each location.

A number of other agricultural innovations spotted by Springwise also find a way to remind consumers of the connection they have with the land, through food and purchases. In the UK, a partially completed shopping centre could be taken over as a green quarter, including eco-housing and urban farms. In Paris, a plant-filled bridge grows food for restaurants and residents and provides a base for sustainable energy production.

Takeaway: Architecture & Design Innovations | Sustainability Innovations