Shedding Light on Tomato Growth: Why Spectrum Matters

Tomatoes are solar-powered perfection. These sun-chasing plants evolved under fluctuating natural light, adapting daily and seasonally. Their performance—photosynthesis rate, fruit production, flavor, antioxidants—hinges on the quantity, quality, timing, and spectrum of light they receive.

In traditional greenhouse environments, supplemental lighting often comes from static LED arrays or high-pressure sodium (HPS) lamps. While boosting light intensity, these systems don't respond to the plant's daily rhythm. They typically deliver a fixed spectrum that can only approximate nature—and often fall short during long, grey winter months when sunlight pales.

That's where next-gen lighting shines. Dynamic LED systems offer spectrum tuning—time-of-day shifts in wavelength and intensity—and adapt to the crop’s needs in real time. Think sunrise blue-priming, midday red-boosts, and far-red tuning at dusk. This nuanced approach unlocks far more than light quantity—it delivers energy, yield, resilience, and quality.

The Ontario Grape Tomato Trial: Lighting Tomatoes Better Than Ever

In late 2024, a commercial greenhouse in Leamington, Ontario deployed two dynamic LED strategies from Sollum Technologies against a static LED-toplight control. Over 22 weeks (Oct ’24–Mar ’25), the team grew grape tomatoes under identical environmental conditions—only lighting strategy differed.

Tested lighting regimes:

1. Sollum Strategy 1: Broad and far-red base with midday red light surge.
2. Sollum Strategy 2 (B-SML): Dawn blue-light burst “primes” stomata, followed by broad/far-red mix.
3. Control: Static, broad-spectrum LED throughout the day.

The result? Both dynamic strategies boosted yields—up to 19.5% higher than the static LED control. Beyond yield, fruits ripened earlier, and crop uniformity and vigor improved. Remarkably, these benefits came without changing any HVAC, fertigation, or structural systems 

Why Dynamic Spectrum Works for Tomatoes

1. Midday Red‑Light Boost

Tomato leaves peak photosynthesis during midday, especially in the red light range (620‑750 nm). Amplifying red photons at this time helps maximize carbon fixation precisely when the plants can use it most.

2. Dawn Blue-Priming (B-SML)

A strategic blue-light burst at dawn “primes” stomatal opening, accelerating gas exchange and maximizing photosynthetic uptake earlier in the day—essentially giving tomatoes a strong physiological start.

3. Real‑Time Spectrum Control (SUNaaS®)

Sollum’s SUN as a Service® cloud platform (SUNaaS®) seamlessly adjusts light spectrum and intensity. It adapts to ambient sunlight, crop needs, and even energy cost signals—making lighting plant-responsive, efficient, and data-driven 

Learn more about Dynamic Lighting in this video:

Beyond Yield: Smarter, Lean, Greener Growing

• Energy efficiency: Dynamic LEDs deliver the correct spectrum that matches plant needs rather than over- or under-lighting—raising yield per watt.
• No operational overhaul: Swapping static LEDs for smart fixtures is seamless, with the SUNaaS® system integrating into existing greenhouse control systems
• Crop resilience: In low-light winter months, spectrum tuning counters stem elongation (etiolation), maintaining plant structure and health.
• Enhanced fruit quality: Specific spectral “recipes” at key growth stages elevate nutritional compounds—like lycopene, vitamin C, flavonoids—in tomato fruits.

The SUN as a Service® Advantage

Sollum’s lighting solution is more than hardware—it’s a holistic, data-driven Lighting-as-a-Service:

• Smart fixtures (SF-E², SF-ONE, SF-PRO) offer different levels of spectrum control.
• SUNaaS® cloud platform manages light recipes, system health, energy alerts, and supports zone- or variety-based schedules.
• Expert agronomy support ensures growers adjust lighting to crop stage, syndrome, and season.
• Zoning capability means multi-cultivar houses can run customized recipes in parallel .
  
  

A Word on the CEA Census 2025

Sollum is proud to be a sponsor of the CEA Census 2025, the industry-wide survey gathering key data on Controlled Environment Agriculture globally.

What is CEA Census?
An annual open-access survey—taking about 10 minutes—collecting data from growers, suppliers, researchers, and consultants. It tracks crop types, facility size, energy & resource use, lighting systems, economics, and more.

Why participate?

• Contribute to aggregated benchmarks and insights for peer comparison
• Access anonymized global results to help guide investments and strategies
• Help policymakers and analysts understand the growth and needs of the CEA industry

Take part here: Participate in CEA Census 2025

Your Turn: Connect for Customized LED Lighting

Tomatoes don’t just need light—they deserve intelligent adaptive lighting. Sollum’s dynamic LED systems deliver precision, energy efficiency, and crop-optimized spectra tailored to the needs of the crop.

Whether you're running a grape tomato specialist house or multiple varieties under one roof, Sollum's smart fixtures, SUNaaS® platform, and dedicated support team empower you to:

• Boost yield (up to +20%) with real-time spectral tuning
  
  
• Improve fruit quality, uniformity, and nutritional profile
  
  
• Reduce energy costs and environmental footprint
  
  
• Keep operations flexible and future-ready
  
  

Ready for smarter greenhouse lighting? Contact Sollum today to explore how dynamic LED lights can transform your crop’s performance—and your bottom line.

This study was a real-world trial run from October 2024 to March 2025 in Leamington, Ontario, with dynamic LED strategies outperforming static systems. Sollum Technologies — Smarter light for sustainable yields.