The Effect Of Strobe Light on the Growth of Millet Plants.
Ten millet seeds (Panicum miliaceum) were planted in clear Dixie cups. One was placed in a window and the other in a dark closet with no light other than a strobe light. The strobe light was placed on its lowest setting. The strobe light was the only variable in this experiment. Plants were thinned to three plants per cup after one week. The plants" growth was measured every other day starting from day seven to day twenty-nine after planting. The plants put under the strobe light grew taller than the plants in the window. The final average growth of the control plants was 99.33mm + 2.08mm. The final average growth of the control plants was 123.80mm + 2.31mm.
Introduction. Some botanists have suggested that the pigments which are used in photosynthesis respond to energy peaks in the light wave. (Rosenthal 2002) These scientists believe that when you grow plants with conventional lighting alot of the energy is wasted because the light isn't always at it's "peak." (Rosenthal 2002) One way that energy can be saved is to supply the plant with only light "peaks." One way to do this is by using a strobe light instead of conventional lighting. The strobe flashes a high intensity of light, but it is on for only fractions of a second. Should this system work, electrical cost can be reduced to 50% - 75%. (John 2002) .
Materials and Methods. On the twelfth of September, I took two clear, plastic Dixie cups, and filled them half full with potting soil(Sam's Choice). I then placed ten millet seeds in each cup and sprinkled potting soil over them until the seeds were covered with two millimeters of potting soil. I watered the plants with a spray bottle, being careful not to wash away the thin top layer of soil. One cup was labeled control, and placed in the window, and the other was labeled variable and placed on the top shelve in my closet.