Overhead and Inter-Canopy Lighting for Flower Discoloration Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The formation of white tips or discoloration in the flowers of cannabis plants due to high red light intensity in LED horticultural lighting systems, leading to yield loss and market unsalability, is not addressed by existing lighting technologies.
Innovation Solution
Restrict the red light component in overhead lighting to below a threshold intensity and compensate with increased red light intensity in inter-canopy lighting to maintain overall light intensity and prevent flower discoloration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If high red light intensity is used in overhead LED horticultural lighting, then crop yield is improved, but flower discoloration (white tip formation) occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting system is segmented into two independent components: overhead lighting and inter-canopy lighting. This allows differential control of red light intensity in each zone, enabling high red light intensity in inter-canopy lighting (for yield) while maintaining low red light intensity in overhead lighting (preventing discoloration).
Solution Approach 2:
Different red light intensities are applied to different spatial locations: low red light intensity is applied overhead to prevent flower discoloration, while high red light intensity is applied at inter-canopy level to maximize yield. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between yield and quality.
2Manufacturing precision
If red light intensity is restricted in overhead lighting to prevent discoloration, then flower quality is improved, but overall light intensity and crop yield may decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges overhead lighting and inter-canopy lighting into a unified lighting architecture, allowing the benefits of both low red light intensity (quality preservation from overhead) and high red light intensity (yield enhancement from inter-canopy) to be combined simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution adds a vertical dimension to lighting control by introducing inter-canopy lighting at a lower height level. This dimensional addition allows red light to be delivered intensely near the plants without the discoloration-causing overhead exposure, thus maintaining both quality and yield.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Prevents flower discoloration while maintaining or increasing crop yield by optimizing light intensity distribution, ensuring higher quality and market value of cannabis plants.
Implementation Method 1
supplemental light (e.g. provided by an LED arrangement) is often used
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a horticultural lighting method and corresponding system. The horticultural lighting method to cultivate plants comprises: generating overhead lighting; and controlling the overhead lighting by restricting a red light component in the overhead lighting to below a predetermined intensity threshold, above which at least a portion of the plants is prone to discoloration. The method further comprises generating inter-canopy lighting; and controlling at least the inter-canopy lighting by increasing intensity of the red light components therein to at least approximately compensate for restricting of the red light component in the overhead lighting.