HORTI LUMEN: TURNING ON THE LIGHT IN INTERIOR FARMING

Home gardening in cities is expanding as a way for reducing food costs and the environmental impact of the urban food supply. In metropolitan spaces, plant life is mainly constrained by land availability and access to light. Soilless gardens may allow cultivation in courtyards and rooftops, but often farming turns out to be unfeasible due to lacking light availability. Horti lumen are professional LED systems for intensive vegetable cultivations. Their technology is based on the selection of frequency light range detectable by plants and the removal of surplus light. Due to their flexible vertical and horizontal structure they can be used in domestic spaces such as, for instance, kitchens, cabinets, basements or in work spaces, offices, etc. Their adjustable structure allows the light source height to be modulated following the whole vegetation cycle, and adapting them to variable growing surfaces. In the present paper, experimental results of Horti lumen vs. traditional cool-light neon lamps on lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) cultivation will be described, including energetic consumptions, as well as crop performances and plant physiological response.