Laser instead of LED? This disruptive technology may rewrite agricultural lighting

In artificial light plant factories, how to balance the photosynthetic efficiency required for plant growth and the visual comfort of artificial lighting has always been a core problem in the field of agricultural lighting. Traditional LED light sources have efficiency attenuation problems, but laser-driven lighting can achieve high power density.

In May 2025, a research team from the University of Tokyo and Stanley Electric published a breakthrough study in Frontiers in Plant Science. The results showed that laser diodes (LDs) are significantly better than traditional light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in promoting plant photosynthesis and growth.

The study found that the 660nm wavelength laser diode made the net photosynthetic rate of plants 19.1% higher than that of the 664nm peak LED, and the stomatal conductance and water use efficiency were also significantly improved. This means that plants can absorb carbon dioxide and synthesize organic matter more efficiently.

Laser plant growth control lighting technology

The technical feature of this product is to use laser beam shaping technology to optimize the elliptical spot of the semiconductor laser into a rectangular spot, which increases the coverage area and uniformity of the laser light, which can effectively improve the utilization rate of light energy.

Practical performance: The advantages of laser lighting are fully demonstrated

Laser plant growth control lamps have shown significant advantages in practical applications. Compared with mainstream plant lighting technologies such as LED or pressure sodium lamps, the photosynthetic photon flux density of laser technology only requires one percent of that of LEDs to achieve the same lighting effect.

The laser plant growth control lamp test demonstration project cooperated by Suken Agricultural Development Xinyang Branch and Jilin Agricultural University has been put into use in 2025. Zhang Zhongning, captain of the 19th Brigade, said: "This kind of lamp creates a highly suitable lighting environment for the seedlings. It is like pressing the 'acceleration button'. It can not only greatly improve the photosynthetic efficiency, but also accelerate the absorption and accumulation of nutrients."

The energy-saving performance of laser plant growth control lights is also excellent. Yang Minglai, a professor at Jilin Agricultural University, said: "Under the same light intensity, the energy consumption of laser lights is only 40% of traditional equipment, with longer service life and lower maintenance costs."

Laser vs LED: Technology comparison and development prospects

While laser technology shows great potential, LED technology continues to advance. Jinko Electronics showcased its high-performance LED technology at GreenTech 2025, including high-power 3535 deep red LED and high-power 3535 white LED.

The advantages of LED technology are its low heat, long life, and low energy consumption, which can effectively promote crop production and income and be launched early. Laser technology currently costs more and has limitations in use.

However, laser technology has obvious advantages in precision and energy efficiency. A research team supported by the Fujian Provincial Natural Science Foundation achieved a synergistic improvement in PLER (up to 683 plm/W) and CRI (>90) by combining blue light lasers with YAG:Ce3+ fluorescent glass materials.

The future of agricultural lighting

With the global population expected to exceed 9.7 billion in 2050, 70% of the population will live in cities, traditional agriculture is facing challenges from the reduction of cultivated land and climate extremes. Indoor gardening has become a key direction in solving food problems due to its advantages of not being restricted by geography and having a controllable environment.

Laser lighting technology not only performs well in plant factories and applications, but also shows application potential in extreme environments such as space planting. Combined with optical fiber distributed lighting, LD can achieve "layered precise light supplement" to meet the spectral needs of different plants at different growth stages.

Laser agricultural technology is coming out of the laboratory to illuminate the future of modern agriculture. In the future, laser lighting may complement LEDs to build a more efficient composite spectrum system. The research results of research institutions such as the Chinese Academy of Sciences are opening up new paths for modern agricultural lighting.

The above article comes from Agricultural Lighting Network, author Agricultural Lighting Network