Increased light intensity for cannabis
When it comes to light intensity, cannabis is different from other CEA crops. Bruce Bugbee, professor of crop physiology at Utah State University and president of Apogee Instruments, is conducting studies delivering 2,000 micromoles of photons to cannabis plants.
“Cannabis benefits from really high light levels,” he said. “Other controlled-environment crops like lettuce can’t tolerate light levels as high as cannabis.” Bugbee said cannabis yields keep increasing beyond an economic optimum.
“Whether or not these higher light levels are an economic optimum for cannabis, the growers have to do the math. What’s the economic value of the cannabis versus what’s the cost of the electricity? That’s going to be the case for whatever controlled-environment crop is grown,” he said.
benefits from really high light levels. Photos courtesy of Wheatfield Gardens.
Bugbee expects a shift in cannabis production to more greenhouse growing and less indoor farms.
Even with the increased use of agrivoltaics to generate electricity, he said greenhouses continue to be cost efficient when it comes to the use of sunlight.
“Sunlight is free so why not take advantage of it,” Bugbee said. LEDs in greenhouses won’t be needed consistently like in closed indoor farms, and the ability to use lighting only when needed will greatly reduce costs and keep production going.
