Most plants grown in a hydroponic setting require light, lots of it.
They photosynthesize to produce their own nutrients. They require warmth to keep biochemical reactions going, and going at the right rate. They regulate many processes by the amount of light present, speeding some up and shutting down others.
During photosynthesis plants take in carbon dioxide and water to produce glucose and oxygen. The glucose is used as an internal energy source and much of the oxygen is expelled. But the color and intensity of the light they receive plays a large role in how they do that.
The fact that leaves are generally green and/or yellow shows that those colors are being reflected. The other components of white light (which is a mixture of many wavelengths) are mostly absorbed. But some are taken in more efficiently than others at different growth stages. Wavelengths in the range of the spectrum we perceive as red are used more during growth phases. Blue is absorbed more to produce flowering or fruiting.
Since few hydroponic gardens are simply left out in the sun to take their chances, a lighting scheme is required to assist them in all those activities.
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