Patent ID: 8739465

Claim:
A method of growing a plant or plant propagule, comprising: obtaining said plant or said plant propagule and an electrically-powered light source; powering said electrically-powered light source with an amount of input power to generate an incident light; illuminating, for a period of time, a growth area of said plant or said plant propagule with said incident light having a spectral profile defined by a first set of wavelengths, a second set of wavelengths and a third set of wavelengths; achieving, using said incident light, a final harvest index from said plant or said plant propagule that is substantially same as that achieved if said growth area of said plant or said plant propagule had been illuminated by another incident light for substantially said period of time, and said another incident light is generated using a greater amount of said input power than said amount of said input power required to generate said incident and said another incident light includes said first set of wavelengths and said third set of wavelengths, but does not include said second set of wavelengths; wherein said final harvest index refers to a ratio of dry weight of harvestable plant components to total dry weight of said plant, and wherein said first set of wavelengths includes wavelengths that are between about 400 nm and about 470 nm, said second set of wavelengths includes wavelengths that are between about 526 nm and about 570 nm, and said third set of wavelengths includes wavelengths that are between about 626 nm and about 700 nm; and wherein said first set of wavelengths comprises between about 12% and about 16% of said incident light, said second set of wavelengths comprises between about 19% and about 25% of said incident light, and said third set of wavelengths comprises between about 27% and about 35% of said incident light.