What is photon flux density?

Here is the knowledge necessary to grow plants successfully. This time, I would like to introduce photon flux density.

SHOP BARREL staff

Brightness for growing plants
unrelated!?

Customers reading this article, do you think that brightness is important for growing plants well?
No matter how bright a plant growing light can be purchased to grow a plant, it will not grow well.
Many people often mistake the need for bright lights to grow plants.

There are two main factors involved in plant cultivation
"PPFD (photosynthetic photon flux density)" and "wavelength"are these two factors.

On this page, I will explain about that and it will be one guide for purchasing plant growing lights
I will explain "PPFD (photosynthetic photon flux density)".

But before that, I'll explain how human eyes and plants look.

Human eyes and plant eyes
Differences in how light feels

Do you often see dark purple lights in plant growing lights?
Plants do not grow unless we are illuminated by our stereotypes. There is such an idea.
There is a big pitfall there.

We (humans) feel very bright when the green sensitivity is very high and the green wavelength component is high.
On the other hand, plants absorb light of red and blue wavelengths well.
In other words, the quality of light that we (humans) perceive is different from that of plants.

That's why we have a purple light that we feel dark as a plant growing light.

What is photon flux density (PPFD)?

The photon flux density (PPFD) is a unit that measures the amount of light.

The blue (wavelength 400-500 nm) and red (600-700 nm) light that our (human) eyes see as dark
It is effective for photosynthesis necessary for plant growth
Photosynthetic activity depends on the photon quantity of these lights.
Therefore, the evaluation of the light environment in plant cultivation is not "illuminance",
"Photon flux density" is used.

Conclusion

Even though we feel dark, the light that plants feel
Not necessarily dark. Customers considering plant growing lights are not bright,
Focus on the photon flux density (PPFD).

Another element of plant cultivation
"Plant growing wavelength" is also important, so let's deepen understanding of plant growing wavelength