Overview Until relatively recently in human history, all photosynthesis was powered by the sun. But with the invention of electric lights, we can now drive the photosynthetic process without sunlight. Because most microgreen production systems tend to rely wholly (sole source) or partially (supplemental) on artificial light, a valuable skill for any grower is the…

There are several things to keep in mind when taking light measurements and making lighting calculations, so let’s take a journey through the things you need to consider. Measuring Light with a PAR Meter In order to make lighting calculations, you need to be able to measure the photon output of your lights (PPFD). To…

In this article, we take a little side trip to explore photons and energy as they pertain to different wavelengths of light and help you better understand the intricacies of lighting spectra “Blue light has more energy than red—so why do red-rich lights produce better crops?” It seems backward, but here’s the key: Plants count…

Various academic and online sources suggest wide-ranging PPFD values between 50 and 400 µmol/m2s for microgreens and in our own research we have seen healthy crop growth with PPFD values as low as 25 to 85 µmol/m2s on a 14-hour photoperiod. In our early research, where we typically had a 14-hour photoperiod and an average…

When we talk about light quality we are talking about the spectra of the light – the specific wavelengths between 400 and 700 nm – that are emitted by a light source. Light quality is often displayed in a spectral chart (see example to the right) or detailed in accompanying spectrum test reports.  Understanding light…

In this post, we cover multiple topics to help supplement the information we have discussed already. Light Reflection Light reflectors and reflective surfaces can play an important role in how light is distributed across your growing space and how light intensity changes based on crop location relative to the light and reflective surfaces (e.g., walls). …

Let’s start with a question that no longer needs to be answered, but we will address anyway: Should you use LED or fluorescent lights? In short, LED technology has come so far that fluorescent lights are likely on their way out altogether. LEDs are considered much superior to fluorescents for a few reasons: Ever wonder…