Hydrolife Magazine August/September 2016 (Canadian Edition)

grow
"MANY PROFESSIONAL GROWERS ARE SEEING THE
SPECTRAL FLEXIBILITY, REDUCED RUNNING COSTS
AND REDUCED COST-OF-OWNERSHIP AS THE MOST
COMPELLING REASONS TO SWITCH TO LED."
CMH
Ceramic metal halide (also known as light emitting ceramic) is
an emerging new technology previously used in photographic
lighting. Traditional metal halide lighting uses quartz to
provide the light source, with CMH a ceramic material is used
for the light source which improves both the efficiency and the
spectral output of the resulting light. The improved spectral
output and efficiency improvement have been attractive to
indoor growers and the results are impressive. CMH, like
LED, seems to be a more progressive approach to lighting
technology than HPS and offers some benefits. Research and
development continues with CMH, and many expect it to be
an area which will see further development in areas such as
spectral output and power improvements. One of the more
common options, a 315W CMH light is well-suited to a 3x3 foot
growroom and will be a good replacement for a 400W HPS.
Impact of New Plant Genetics
Many home growers have started to grow autoflowering
cannabis varieties in the last couple of years. These grow
under 20 (or even 24) hours of daily light from seed to harvest
in around 70 days. Often, the harvests from an autoflower
exceed those from a photoperiod variety grown under the same
conditions in the same time period. That’s simply because
autoflowers have the advantage of blooming under 20-plus
hours of daylight with consequential advantages in biomass
for autos compared to a photoperiod variety which has just 12
hours of photosynthesis in bloom. The result for home growers
is that the grow light is often running for 20 or 24 hours per
day instead of 12. This allows heavier harvests in shorter
timescales, something all home growers love. But the trade-off
is higher electricity costs. That’s another factor accelerating
the adoption of high efficiency lighting such as LED.
Commercial vs. Home Growers
One of the biggest fixed costs for commercial cannabis
cultivators is the electrical costs for running dozens of
600W HPS fixtures. A number of commercial growers
have started swapping out their 600W HPS lights for good
quality (300W-400W) LED replacements. The reduced
electricity costs mean that the payback on the LED lights
can be achieved within a couple of years. Many expect
the trend away from HPS towards LED will continue, but
that is expected to be an evolution rather than a revolution
simply because of the upfront costs to upgrade.
The self-sufficient home grower is often operating to a
different set of parameters. Quality rather than efficiency
is frequently the main motivator. Many home growers
regard their growroom as one area of their life where
compromise is not necessary. For the enthusiastic hobby
grower, cost is sometimes no obstacle to the onward and
upward improvements to their growroom. And that quest
for continued performance and better quality cannabis,
both for commercial and domestic production, will ensure
continued investment and advancement in growroom
lighting technology for years to come.
Tony has been part of the Dutch Passion Seed Company
for 10 years, with a lifelong love of the cannabis plant
and cannabis breeding. He has a particular interest in the
evolution of autoflowering cannabis, selective breeding of
varieties rich in minor cannabinoids, and unusual genetic
lines. His ambition is to see cannabis widely legalized and
made available as a mainstream medicine.
16
grow. heal. live. enjoy.
myhydrolife.ca