Page 13 - Griffin Gazette Fall 2015

range of product options include larger, highly directional HOLIDAY SEASON PACKAGE DEAL
assemblies for grow rooms to smaller fixtures with better
light dispersion patterns for greenhouse use. Some growers 3 Chemical Posters
have seen reductions in crop time and superior growth
from LEDs used in young plant production. The wavelength 2 Technical DVDs
(color) of light is often configurable, and lamps can be
placed closer to the crop because they run cooler than and a pre-order of the
HIDs. Initial costs vary greatly by product, and improved 4th Edition Technical Reference Guide.
efficiency should not be assumed. Visit http://cpl.usu.edu/
for more information regarding operational costs and return 3 Posters (Insect, Disease, Fertilizer) $69.90 $S1pP9er9icc.9iea9l
on investment. Be sure to focus on products designed for
greenhouse use and thoroughly investigate the cost in use 2 DVDs (Insect and Disease) $79.90
of the fixtures, including purchase price, efficiency/energy
use, and replacement cost. 1 Pre-Order Tech. Ref. $105

Southern young plant growers may not require supplemental Total $254.80
lighting to increase DLI, but all young plant growers need
the ability to provide long days. Long days are provided Special price when ordered by November 30, 2015. | 1.800.659.4346
by either extending the day to a critical photoperiod (day
length extension, 16 hours is typical) or by interrupting the Beedance Bidens Series
night period from 10 PM to 2 AM (night interruption). While
the minimum light intensity needed to successfully provide Catch Buzz!
night interruption lighting is 1.27 umol/m2/s (10 fc) at plant
height, daylength extension using full-intensity lighting can Warm up your combination plantings with sunny
contribute to a higher DLI. Young plant crops that require new bicolors from Suntory Flowers and tap into
or benefit from long days for proper growth and flowering the bee-friendly trend.
include dahlias, mums, petunias and tuberous begonias.
Growers already providing supplemental lighting to increase 13
DLI will generally extend the daylength past sunset using
their HID or LED lights. Growers not needing to increase
DLI typically choose from one of the following options:

Incandescent bulbs - Historically, 100W incandescent
lights hung at 4 feet above the crop and spaced at four-
foot intervals were the tool of choice for night interruption
lighting. Since incandescents have been phased out of
production and sale, growers are turning to other options.

Fluorescent bulbs – Full fixture fluorescent tubes are
not a good choice for night interruption lighting due to the
structural shading from the fixtures. Compact fluorescent
bulbs could be used for night interruption, but the ratio of
red: far red light isn’t ideal, and some delay in flowering in
some crops has been observed (E.Runkle, Michigan State
University). In the end, few growers choose this technology.

Beamflicker – This innovative solution teams an oscillating
reflector with an HID lamp to provide night interruption to a
30' x 90' space. Includes cord and runs on 120 or 240 V
power. While this is an HID lamp, the fixture is not intended
to increase DLI.

LED – Lower-output LEDs can provide effective photoperiod
control. Plug production utilizing germination chambers
brings another case in which specialized lighting is needed.
While some crops need dark conditions for germination,
many require light, e.g. ageratum, angelonia, gerbera and
impatiens. Fluorescent tubes or LED strips are extremely
well suited to this use due to the reduced heat discharged
from the ballasts and the low light intensity required. Select
fixtures that will perform well under high humidity.

Feel free to contact GGSPro to learn more about
photoperiod needs and general light requirements for
your various crops. Also, feel free to contact the Griffin
Construction team to learn more about lighting options for
your young plant production space.