August 2024 - 18

CEA
March, the natural light levels are starting to increase.
These growers might use the lights for maybe a month.
The payback for a month of extra light is going to take a
long time to achieve, " he said.
Higgins said the type of ornamental crops growers are
producing can also impact whether or not investing in LED
lights makes sense.
" The majority of ornamental greenhouse growers are
producing short-term crops, " he said. " Long-term crops
like poinsettias and orchids should have more value per
square foot of production area. The more value there is
per square foot of plant production, the more sense it
makes to consider installing lights so as to ensure quality
crop production.
" The only time there is unquestionable value investing
in lights for a short-term crop is in propagation facilities
where there is a direct correlation between square footage
and profit. Successful propagators continually produce
high quality, highly uniform young plants that ship well
and require minimal touches per tray while in production. "
Young plant propagation has a lot in common with
greenhouse food crop production, including crops like
lettuce, Higgins said.
" It depends on how the crop is grown and what
makes it valuable, " he said. " It often comes down to
the amount of time a crop spends in the greenhouse
The more value
there is per square foot
of plant production, the
more sense it makes to
consider installing lights
so as to ensure quality
crop production.
- Chris Higgins
For growers operating propagation facilities who are
looking to invest in LED grow lights, there is a direct
correlation between square footage and profit.
Photo courtesy of Bailey Nurseries.
18
AUGUST 2024 GPNMAG.COM
where quality is directly related to the ability to control
or manipulate the climate combined with the value per
square foot of crop production. "
LIMITED LIGHT IMPROVEMENTS
Higgins said he's surprised the horticulture industry
still spends a considerable amount of time focused on
LED lights.
" LED lights are 15 years old and we know a lot about
the lights and crops and it's not really new technology, " he
said. " Manufacturers have done a good job of constantly
creating new stories about their products. The reality is we
are reaching a point where there are diminishing returns
with the new innovations and advancements in technology.
" The most efficient LED lights deliver at least 3.0
micromoles per joule. Once the lights achieve 3.4-3.5
micromoles per joule there really isn't much opportunity to
improve efficiency. That level of efficiency is approaching
the limits of LEDs, unless there is some unanticipated
technological breakthrough. "
LEDs continue to improve, but at a decreasing rate,
Runkle said.

http://www.GPNMAG.COM

August 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August 2024

Table of Contents
Editor's Report | Are you controlling?
Production | Savvy sanitation protocols
Variety Information | A need for natives
Editors' Picks | Green goods: Editors' picks from Cultivate'24
CEA | LED lighting
Great Lakes EXPO | Gearing up for EXPO 2024
Forty Under 40 Perspectives | Inventory management in the nursery
Culture Report | Roselilies
Technically Speaking | Extended photosynthetically active radiation
SGAFT | Geometry: Small greenhouse surface area distribution
AmericanHort | Plug & Cutting: Focused on young plants
Product Marketplace
Industry News
Events
Classifieds/Ad Index
August 2024 - Table of Contents
August 2024 - 2
August 2024 - 3
August 2024 - Editor's Report | Are you controlling?
August 2024 - 5
August 2024 - Production | Savvy sanitation protocols
August 2024 - 7
August 2024 - 8
August 2024 - 9
August 2024 - 10
August 2024 - 11
August 2024 - Variety Information | A need for natives
August 2024 - 13
August 2024 - Editors' Picks | Green goods: Editors' picks from Cultivate'24
August 2024 - 15
August 2024 - CEA | LED lighting
August 2024 - 17
August 2024 - 18
August 2024 - 19
August 2024 - 20
August 2024 - 21
August 2024 - 22
August 2024 - 23
August 2024 - Great Lakes EXPO | Gearing up for EXPO 2024
August 2024 - 25
August 2024 - Forty Under 40 Perspectives | Inventory management in the nursery
August 2024 - 27
August 2024 - Culture Report | Roselilies
August 2024 - 29
August 2024 - 30
August 2024 - 31
August 2024 - Technically Speaking | Extended photosynthetically active radiation
August 2024 - 33
August 2024 - 34
August 2024 - 35
August 2024 - SGAFT | Geometry: Small greenhouse surface area distribution
August 2024 - 37
August 2024 - 38
August 2024 - 39
August 2024 - AmericanHort | Plug & Cutting: Focused on young plants
August 2024 - 41
August 2024 - Product Marketplace
August 2024 - 43
August 2024 - 44
August 2024 - 45
August 2024 - Industry News
August 2024 - 47
August 2024 - Events
August 2024 - 49
August 2024 - Classifieds/Ad Index
August 2024 - 51
August 2024 - 52
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/august-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/july-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/june-2024
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/march-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/february-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/january-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/2024-guide-to-cannabis-production
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/november-december-2023
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/new-varieties-digital-guide-2024
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/july-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-july-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/june-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/may-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/april-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-april-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/2023-guide-to-hemp-production
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/march-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/february-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-january-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/january-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/2023-guide-to-cannabis-production
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/november-december-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-october-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/october-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/gpn-new-varieties-digital-guide-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/september-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/august-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-july-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/july-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/june-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/may-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-april-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/april-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/march-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/february-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/cannabisguide-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/hempguide-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/newvarieties-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-january-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/january-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/december-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-november-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/november-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/october-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-september-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/september-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/august-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-july-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/july-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/june-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/may-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/april-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-march-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/march-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/february-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/cannabisguide-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/hempguide-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/newvarieties-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-january-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/january-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/december-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-november-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/november-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/october-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-september-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/september-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/august-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-july-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/july-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/june-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/may-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/april-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/californiaspringtrials-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-march-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/march-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/february-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/cannabisguide-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/hempguide-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-january-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/january-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/december-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-november-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/november-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/october-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-september-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/september-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/august-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-july-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/july-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/june-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/may-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/april-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/californiaspringtrials-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-march-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/march-2019
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-january-2019
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