Title: Choosing a PAR light sensor for measuring grow lights and LEDs in greenhouses and grow rooms (press here to see the video)
Description: With the explosion of controlled environment agriculture allowing everything from vegetables to flowers to cannabis to be grown year-round, measuring the light that plants need to optimize growth and yield has become even more important. This video, created by Dave Johnson, briefly explains what photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) is and how plants utilize this energy through the photosynthetic process. Because the intensity of a PAR light is the single most important contributor to growth, choosing the correct type of sensor for measuring PAR is essential. Dave, who is a Sr. Field Application Scientist at LI-COR, also explains how using an inappropriate sensor that outputs light units in either Lux or W/m2 will give you inaccurate information on what your plants really need for effective, optimized growth
Title: What is light spectrum and how can you measure the light quality of grow lights? (press here to see the video)
Description: While light intensity is one of the most influential inputs for affecting the growth of plants such as vegetables, fruits, flowers, and cannabis, light quality can play an equally significant role. The color–or proportion of colors–from a light source (even one that looks white) can have a significant impact on characteristics like yield, flowering inhibition or stimulation, disease resistance, taste, chemical content, and more. This video, created by Dave Johnson, explores how to use a spectrometer to measure light quality, or light spectrum, from a variety of light sources. Included is a brief description of how and why plants are affected by different wavebands of light energy, or colors. Dave, a LI-COR field application scientist, explains that even though several light sources may output the same light intensity and have the same specifications for intensity, they may have quite different spectral outputs. This difference could significantly impact how your plants grow. A handheld, portable spectrometer can be used for answering this important question for growers.
Title: Using a spectrometer to measure light quality and optimize growth in plants (press here to see the video)
Description: This video takes an in-depth look at how a spectrometer can be used to measure the light quality, or spectrum, from light sources frequently used in greenhouse or grow rooms. As seen in Dave Johnson’s previous videos, plants respond differently to lights depending on the ratios of colors emitted from the light source. Having the ability to measure your light composition quickly and accurately can give you an upper hand in the optimization of your plant growth. Different ratios and combinations of colors that make up the light your plants are exposed to can control things such as the color of your lettuce, the taste of your vegetables, the heights and density of your stands, the yield of your cannabis, when flowering starts, etc. Dave, who is a Sr. Field Application Scientist at LI-COR, describes how a spectrometer’s advanced features can give growers interested in tinkering with “light recipes” the ability to have better optimization, control, and output of their vegetation.