Honest question: Would this type of production be considered organic? There's no pesticides and such, but it's also not quite "natural".
Re:Trying to Solve the L.E.D. Quandary
by 0xcde4c3db on Thursday October 06, 2016 @09:49PM
(#12657591)
I think it depends on which definition one subscribes to. Broadly speaking, there are two major lenses through which "organic" is viewed:
1) Focuses on holistic management, rejects intensive injection of industrial inputs into the farm/garden, and emphasizes applications of emergent activity of native species rather than aggressive "pest control".
2) Focuses on keeping "unnatural" chemicals or genes out of / off of the food.
I think this approach would tend to look organic under lens #2 but not lens #1. Various definitions of "organic" lend different weights to them and introduce other considerations, though.
Photovoltaic cells can take in a broader range of energy from the sun than plants can through photosynthesis. LEDs can then emit that energy at specific wavelengths such as red or blue that the plants can take in.
The whole system can end up being more efficient.
Furthermore the prospect of growing plants in a completely controlled environment where you can control all the variables from light intensity, light cycle, temperature, humidity and remove the pest factor and therefore the cost of pesticides can result in a much better final product.