"This is boosting our yields in a way that is increasing profitability tremendously," says Alex Ethier, Head of Cultivation at Craft Farmer. The company recently installed undercanopy lights. "It's about adding light to a portion of the plant that previously wasn't receiving enough to bulk out and produce top-tier products," he says.
Heat
Yet there are some things to look out for when it comes to undercanopy lighting. "There is a heat load coming off the lights. You don't typically have a heat source in your inner canopy. So, you have to be conscious of how that impacts your overall environment. Because of the slight jump in temperature, you need to look out for proper air movement," Alex says.
Secondly, Alex points out the importance of assisting the bottom structure. "This is done by using trellis as well as your plant work. For example, it's important to actively open up the branches to maximize the light intensity and ensure that there's uniformity and no hot spots."
Salt
To understand what is going on with their plants, Craft Farmer looks at their runoff values. "The runoff is a huge part of how we interpret data. An important thing we noticed is that the salt levels jump quickly when using undercanopy lights. This is because there is more drinking going on. There is more foliage that's assisting in the process of transpiration, which means that more salt is being taken in. I would say that's the biggest thing to look out for: the accelerated drinking has quite some effect on your grow," Alex says.
Positive results
While it may take some adjusting, the company is positive about the overall results. "It's top-tier bud that's now sitting 12 to 14 inches from the crown of your plant. It has boosted our yields in a way that is increasing profitability tremendously. Some other growers have seen yield increases as high as 40%," Alex adds.
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A grower's experience with undercanopy lighting