ENERGY AND ECOLOGICAL EFFICIENCY OF INDOOR PLANT LIGHTING AS A NEW INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEACH AREA
The paper presents an overview of the basic approaches and concepts in the field of plant cultivation under artificial irradiation (indoor plant lighting). A new term - "energy and ecological efficiency of indoor plant lighting" is substantiated from the standpoint of science methodology and suggested for introduction into the academic practice as this expression refers to the latest interdisciplinary research field. Main research findings obtained in the Department of Energy and Ecological Efficiency of Indoor Plant Lighting at the Institute for Engineering and Environmental Problems in Agricultural Production - IEEP are outlined. The concept of Artificial Bio-Energetic System (ABES) as a synergy of power apparatus, technological processes and biological objects is considered. The created hierarchical information model of ABES allows estimating the energy efficiency of production and its eco-friendliness by the degree of its impact on the environment. The relationship between the proposed energy and ecology factor and other parameters of the model was established. The concept of energy and ecology audit for indoor plant lighting was defined. The results of studies on plant development stability in terms of fluctuating asymmetry of bilateral features are shown, including the design of an irradiator with a shaped high-power fluorescent lamp with special light quality for supplementary lighting of the lower tier of long-stalked plants. The paper focuses also on the work of the above Department in the field of metrological support of indoor plant lighting: the system of hardware and software designed to ensure the efficient use of light sources in the greenhouses and to optimize of radiation modes with due account for the actual conditions of electric power supply, distribution and change over the service life of the main parameters of light sources; small-sized devices - analyzers of spectral energy intensity of flow, light quality range and irradiation quality in greenhouses. The research results of indoor plant lighting of individual crops such as parsley, tomato, cucumber and lettuce under advanced cultivating technologies (hydroponics, aeroponics, inter-lighting) are also presented.