Lighting Metrics that Matter

[SuperFunker]

You would want to figure out what the target PPFD of your plant is, for what light schedule, and then build the lighting to suit that need...

For instance... if you know you are flowering on a 12/12 schedule, and need 1500 micromoles for flowering for optimal DLI of 65, Then you would situate lights so the entire canopy is getting 1500micromoles.. so multiple datapoints or readings of PPFD would be what you want to see, all in the range of 1500micromoles... that means all 4 corners of the tent should be getting 1500micromoles, and the center shoudl be getting 1500micromoles.

Even though a PPFD reading is the average photons falling over a square meter, its designed for sunlight which does not drop off and remains constant whether you measure it where you stand, or walk 3' over and measure it... PPFD is assuming that the lighting is constant like the sun..... I don't know how to explain it though in terms of LED lights that fall off directly outside of the main beam projection as the lighting isn't uniform and constant in how it disperses.

I don't know how to explain it better so I hope this makes sense...

lol my point is a single center measurement (typically the highest/peak PPFD at canopy) is not an average...

 

[Icemud]

lol my point is a single center measurement (typically the highest/peak PPFD at canopy) is not an average...

hahaa....LOL I read it wrong and though you were asking a question... my bad SuperFunker! hahaa, and I haven't even smoked yet... probably why...haha

 

[Icemud]

This is the spectrum of the hybrid by the way , the one I showed before is the McCree action spectrum.

I like it! Very similar to how I would design it...

 

[SuperFunker]

lol np...

re spydr-like LED... if using it in an area where you can easily access the plants (like a 4 x 4 area), i expect a spydr-like LED is very effective, but what about a warehouse of 100 plants? how do you maintain a crop when the light itself my get in the way? although you are getting great results from a spydr-like LED, it may not be the best choice for a large grow... alternatively, a farmer would have to create a space that is specifically designed to extract the greatest benefit from a spydr lighting strategy... in fact, a farmer may have to drastically alter the type of grow to vertical farming that produces plants that do not exceed 18 inches and the water/nut delivery is automated... "the challenge" right?

 

[SuperFunker]

hahaa....LOL I read it wrong and though you were asking a question... my bad SuperFunker! hahaa, and I haven't even smoked yet... probably why...haha

also, partly my fault... i wasnt necessarily asking a question for me; rather, i was trying to move the conversation along to clarify PPFD & DLI for others...

 

[Icemud]

lol np...

re spydr-like LED... if using it in an area where you can easily access the plants (like a 4 x 4 area), i expect a spydr-like LED is very effective, but what about a warehouse of 100 plants? how do you maintain a crop when the light itself my get in the way? although you are getting great results from a spydr-like LED, it may not be the best choice for a large grow... alternatively, a farmer would have to create a space that is specifically designed to extract the greatest benefit from a spydr lighting strategy... in fact, a farmer may have to drastically alter the type of grow to vertical farming that produces plants that do not exceed 18 inches and the water/nut delivery is automated... "the challenge" right?

I can't say very much at all about it yet, but lets just say your upwards thinking is in the right direction.

Its hard for me to decide what I can say to be conversational, but also respect the companies IP and private info... I actually deleted some of what I typed in previous posts because it was too much info..lol

you got "the challenge" I can say though

instead of putting LED's in a grow facility built for HPS... why not build a facility designed to maximize the potential of LED technology

Thats about all I can say though..

 

[SuperFunker]

kool...

real questions about vertical farming and not directly about the light:

1) are you aware of any studies that project and compare a vertical farming system to a conventional warehouse grow? a light/greenhouse grow? a greenhouse grow? a field grow?
2) can most strains adapt to 'tight' growth (vertical, rotogro, ect)?
3) are some strains better suited to 'tight' growth? if yes, what are they?