ABSTRACT
Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) of lighting sources is a prerequisite to match well with the absorption spectrum of photoreceptors in plants. Light-emitting diodes (LED) combination with phosphor can be used to construct the simultaneous emission including far-red, red, and blue light for PAR. A variety of rare earth (RE) or transition metal ion-doped phosphors such as nitride, oxide, and sulfide allow emission to suit PAR with proper composition and preparation. These phosphors are excitable by near ultraviolet (NUV), blue LED light sources as applied in the forms of particle, film, or transparent ceramics, providing a great potential to construct the artificial lighting sources in the closed, open, or their combined cultivation system with a customized, precise composition of light to achieve high photosynthetic efficiency. In this chapter, typical mechanisms and phosphors are reviewed, and a few examples of practical application in cultivation are showed. Ultimately, future challenges for research and development of the phosphors are discussed for horticultural lighting application.
