UPRtek PG200N Spectral PAR Meter
The PG200N Spectral PAR Meter is a lightweight, mobile device designed for monitoring light in horticulture settings. It’s basically a smart assistant for the next generation farmer! It’s also an ideal research tool for academics with the ability to record information with respect to light and how it effects the growth of vegetables and plants.
The growing indoor horticulture sector has resulted in a booming market for grow lights. Whether augmenting sunlight or using it as the main source of light energy, the practice and proper usage of grow lights will have a significant impact on the appearance, taste and shape of the vegetable, fruit or plant that you are growing. There is only one way to ensure the quality and quantity of light being received over a large indoor farming area and that is to measure it with a suitable light meter. The PG200N Spectral PAR Meter is designed specifically for this application to test grow lights with both spectral and quantitative measurements allowing growers and researchers a tool for getting the best understanding of growing plants with artificial light.
Many growers find it challenging to create the ideal light environment to maximize photosynthesis and boost plant growth. Understanding how different light colors affect this process is crucial for optimal results.
Research reveals that each light color plays a unique role in photosynthesis. Red and far-red lights are essential for initiating and sustaining this process, ensuring that plants receive the necessary energy. Blue light, with its high energy, significantly enhances photosynthesis efficiency. Though often overlooked, green light penetrates deeper into the plant leaves, aiding photosynthesis in lower leaf layers that might otherwise miss out.
By incorporating a balanced spectrum of red, blue, and green lights, growers can create an optimal lighting environment. This approach not only boosts photosynthesis but also promotes healthier, more vigorous plant growth.
Adopting the right light spectrum can revolutionize your growing process, leading to robust and thriving plants. Understanding the science behind light colors and their effects on photosynthesis allows you to make informed decisions and improve your cultivation techniques.
Normal light meters used by photographers and architects measure Lumens a measurement of the amount of light that’s visible to the human eye and Lux is the measurement of the intensity of lumens. These instruments shouldn’t be used in horticultural applications since they don’t measure the light that plants use for photosynthesis. That’s why you need the PG200N Spectral PAR Meter this specialist light meter measures Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) this is the waveband of light that plants use for photosynthesis across the wavelengths of 400…700nm. The PG200N Spectral PAR Meter then displays these measurements in units that can be used to monitor different lighting systems and growing conditions.
Units of measurement include PPFD (400nm…700nm)
The PPF measurement of PAR only counts the total amount of light photons present between 400-700nm. It does not differentiate between photons at different levels within this range.
Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density (PPFD) is the amount (also referred to as intensity) of PAR light that lands on a square meter each second. PPFD is measured in micromoles per square meter per second (μmol·m-2·s-1). In other words, PPFD is how much PPF is hitting each square meter of your crop at any given second. It is important to look at PPFD when planning your grow light installation. Adjusting your fixtures’ height and density will affect the PPFD at your crop canopy.
Many studies have shown that specific wavelengths/coloured light have different effects on the growth of different plants and at different times in their growth cycle, you can use these anomalies to improve the growth and thus efficiency of your growing process. This is why the PG200N Spectral PAR Meter allows you to split the different light groups so that you can monitor the benefits that different light combinations can bring to the growth cycle of the particular plants that you are cultivating.
These are the different light groups that you can monitor.
| PPFD | - | This covers the PAR (Photosynthetic Active Radiation) range 400…700nm wavelength |
| PFD | - | Is an extended range that includes some UV and far red fields in the range 380…780nm |
| PFD-UV | - | This covers PFD in the UV field at 350…400nm wavelength |
| PFD-B | - | This covers PFD in the Blue field at 400…500nm wavelength |
| PFD-G | - | This covers PFD in the Green field at 500…600nm wavelength |
| PFD-R | - | This covers PFD in the Red field at 600…700nm wavelength |
| PFD-FR | - | This covers PFD in the Far Red field at 700…780nm wavelength |
For the grower, it’s important to make sure that the PPFD data you get from your grow light manufacturer is accurate. It’s also important to be able to accurately measure the light that’s falling on your complete growth canopy and here you have to consider factors such as distance from the light source, a number of measurements that account for the average, and the minimum/maximum plus spectral analysis. All possible with the UPRtek PG200N Spectral PAR Meter.
