Lights have been used to illuminate for flowers, crops and livestock, such as daisies, dragon fruit, prawn and chickens. However due to the country’s specific natural conditions, pestilent insects can easily develop. Therefore, lights have also been used to prevent insects, contributing to limiting the use of pesticides.

Lighting is indispensable for growing dragon fruit. Providing enough lighting will help increase the quality of dragon fruit, contributing to increased farmer incomes.

Farmers used normal 60-100W bulbs to illuminate crops in agricultural production. Thanks to these normal bulbs, crops developed well. However, this solution wasted electricity. In addition, with high humidity and heavy rain, the life of normal bulbs was not high. According to statistics, annual power use by Lam Dong’s agricultural sector accounted for 60 percent of the province’s power consumption. In some provinces, to save electricity, farmers have used compact 20-50W fluorescent bulbs.

Increasing lighting efficiency

To improve lighting efficiency for the agricultural sector, the Rang Dong Light Source and Vacuum Flask Company has adopted energy-saving solutions. For example, to match the country’s weather conditions, the company has used compact fluorescent bulbs with sealed plastic structures to protect bulbs from negative effects of the weather. The main characteristics of these bulbs are to help crops photosynthesize at night. In terms of power saving efficiency, the company’s compact fluorescent bulbs serving agricultural lighting have received energy efficient labeling by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Trinh Van Binh from Tu Son District, Bac Ninh Province said that to grow daisies over 750sq.m, he previously used 80-100W incandescent bulbs. However, this lighting system was expensive. After using the Rang Dong Light Source and Vacuum Flask Company’s compact fluorescent bulbs, power consumption declined by 80 percent. Thanks to new lighting system he had saved money and used 50W compact fluorescent bulbs to illuminate his daisy fields on an area of 1,800sq.m.

Trinh Van Binh said that after using new lighting system, the flowers had grown quicker, reducing harvest times from ten to seven days.

Phung Nhat Phong from Trang Bang District, Tay Ninh Province said that the new lighting system had helped his family reduce power consumption by 80 percent. In addition, the new lighting system has also helped increased the quality of dragon fruit.

These experiences have underlined the fact that using compact fluorescent bulbs for agricultural lighting has brought greater economic efficiency  for farmers./.