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Terms to know when adjusting your environment in cannabis production

Indoor cannabis plants thriving under LED lighting by Fluence in Austin, Texas, exemplify advanced vertical farming techniques for superior crop yield and optimized growth conditions.

19 Mar Terms to know when adjusting your environment in cannabis production

Posted at 09:00h in Blog by Fluence Bioengineering

Cannabis cultivation requires precise and diligent management of all aspects of the controlled growing environment. Of the different environmental factors which influence the production of cannabis, lighting is by far one of the most important to adjust and control as it impacts other parameters. Fluence’s horticulture service expert in cannabis cultivation, Sean Sangster, created the Adjusting Your Environment webinar to help growers understand the importance of lighting and the various key factors which will help them maintain and adjust their lighting to achieve the best possible plant yields and crop quality.

Key Environmental Factors for Growing Cannabis

The webinar discusses when considering a light source for the cultivation of cannabis, how the quantity, quality and duration of the light are all key factors that influence a cannabis plants’ growth and development (see Figure 1).

Diagram of light's impact in vertical farming by Fluence, Austin-based LED lighting experts. Highlights: Light intensity, spectrum, photoperiod; key for biomass, morphology, and flowering in controlled environment agriculture and cannabis cultivation. Learn more on our blog.
Figure 1: Influences of light on plant production

PPFD and DLI are two of the first key concepts which are integrally important to understanding how to best adjust your environment. Sangster illustrates the difference between PPFD and DLI in a simple graphic, see Figure 2. As depicted the in graphic, PPFD, or photosynthetic photon flux density, measures the number of photons from a light source at a given time. DLI, or daily light integral, measures the amount of light over a period of time. It is important for cultivators to be measuring both PPFD and DLI as the fluctuations in light have a direct impact on your environmental parameters.

Illustration of PPFD measurement at 10:30 AM and DLI over a day with sun icons and colored dots, ideal for webinars on optimizing LED lighting in vertical farming or cannabis cultivation by Fluence in Austin, Texas.
Figure 2: Differences between PPFD and DLI

Two of these environmental parameters include temperature and CO2 which can be limiting to plant production if not managed properly. With Fluence LED solutions, the higher light intensity can cause an increase in CO2 consumption. Because of this, be sure to manage and monitor your supplementation of CO2 appropriately. Fluence LED lights do not produce a significant amount of heat, be sure to adjust your HVAC units to maintain proper temperatures in your growing facility.

Under high PPFD, transpiration is another vital factor to watch for. To ensure plants can flourish, Fluence recommends carefully monitoring leachate EC nutrient solutions, and carefully strategize water irrigation events to avoid yield reductions.

Finally, VPD (Vapor Pressure Deficit) is a convenient and important metric to monitor in an environment, which Fluence discusses in-depth, in the webinar.

  • Close-up of vibrant cannabis plant with lush green leaves and dense buds, thriving under Fluence LED lighting in an Austin-based indoor vertical farm setup, optimized for enhanced crop production.
  • Cannabis plants flourishing indoors under state-of-the-art Fluence LED grow lights in a vertical farming facility, Austin-based leader in controlled environment agriculture lighting solutions.
  • Cannabis plants flourishing indoors under Fluence LED lights; person in white adjusting settings for optimized cultivation, showcasing vertical farming techniques.
  • Fluence LED lighting enhancing vertical farming; person in white coat adjusts plants on tall shelves to optimize cannabis growth under bright lights, Austin, Texas.
  • An advanced greenhouse showcasing vertical farming with Fluence LED lights in Austin, Texas; people tending to crops for optimized cannabis cultivation and sustainable agriculture.

Growing for Success

By adjusting your environment to eliminate limiting factors under high PPFD, growers can greatly increase yields of their cannabis crops. The Adjusting Your Environment webinar can teach you how to do this, as well as address key questions you may have, such as:

Typically, Fluence has seen growers push as much as 1,500 PPFD for cannabis. We have worked with commercial partners and universities that have had success growing cannabis plants with as much as 1,800 PPFD. It is important to consider the diminishing returns that occur at the highest PPFD levels. While cannabis plants can thrive under these high PPFDs, yield increases begin to taper off after 1,500-1,600 PPFD, so generally, most cultivars do not require more light than that.

To learn other highly relevant research insights and best practices that will help you increase your crop yields, tune in to the Adjusting Your Environment webinar now.

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