Photo courtesy of OSRAM Fluence

Fluence by OSRAM (Fluence) recently collaborated with Cannabis Business Times to release the sixth annual "State of the Cannabis Lighting Market" report.

The results of this year's report have created another valuable research level that supports the efficacy of LED lighting as a full-cycle cannabis cultivation solution. The report uses data collected from growers across North America after an in-depth investigation conducted by Readex Research, a nationally renowned third-party research organization.

David Cohen, CEO of Fluence, said: "In recent years, we have not only observed a rapid increase in the adoption rate of LEDs, but cannabis growers are especially aware of the benefits of LED lighting strategies at every stage of plant production." "At Fluence, we Led by science, explore the interaction between light and life to create a healthier and more sustainable world."

The report provides a holistic view of the connection between different lighting solutions and plant growth at all stages (reproduction, vegetation, and flowering), and analyzes which solutions point to the upward trend in cannabis growers' adoption and why. The main findings include:

"Under the LED, we saw tighter bud and terpene testing than traditional HPS lamps," said Matt LaBrier, COO of Proper Cannabis. "As electricity becomes more and more a regulator of indoor agricultural spaces, farmers are educating themselves and everyone will use LEDs in vertical agriculture."

The report provides a comprehensive overview of the lighting trends in cannabis cultivation, including collaborations with North American cannabis growers and thought leaders from organizations such as Texas Original Compassionate Cultivation (TOCC), Foggy City Farms, Resource Innovation Institute (RII), Columbia Nursing, etc. Conversations, and more.

View the full report here.

Greenhouse growers recently interviewed Fluence CEO David Cohen to learn more about the report’s findings and what they mean for the industry.

Greenhouse Growers (GG): What are some of the key growers’ gains in the survey?

David Cohen: Most importantly, it is clear that the adoption rate of LEDs is on the rise. We are very pleased that our work to educate people about the benefits of LED is progressing. There are very accomplished growers in the industry, but most of their initial experience is carried out in small facilities. Large-scale growth is difficult, and it is easy to use what you know, so we have seen the use of HPS systems. Growing with LEDs is different; you need different watering and nutrition solutions. Although some large companies initially adopted LEDs, most did not. This report shows that this situation is undergoing tremendous changes, and faster than we thought. We are seeing more use, and even long-term users of HPS systems tell us that they are ready to make the transition. The concept of LED is in their minds, even if they haven't used it yet. They want to learn more.

We have also seen that, although people have long mistakenly said that LEDs are only suitable for specific stages of plant growth, our customers are now using it at all stages. You may need to change the intensity, but the LED is working from start to finish.

GG: How did you translate your research results into a wider range?

Cohen: Just because we can experiment does not mean that anyone can do it. Need a set of skills. Some people do well. It depends on how much you try to control things. We want to put science behind and show how it can help improve quality.

GG: How does the rebate program help motivate growers to switch to LEDs?

Cohen: A few years ago, we had many growers asking us this question, so we invested in those who went to utility companies to create these rebate programs. Utilities like ours enter and cooperate with them. These plans really help to eliminate the pain of initial investment and significantly shorten the return on investment time. This is also the right approach; you use less energy and you need to replace the bulbs less often. This is the money in the growers' pockets, and they don't have to do anything.

GG: What is the next lighting research of your team at Fluence?

Cohen: We focus on the performance and lighting formula of specific varieties. We want to combine the required output with specific cultivars. We have been specializing in tomatoes, and hemp is very similar because it has many different varieties. We know that different varieties perform better under different spectra. We want to build a research library that can highlight this. We found that we can group some similar cultivars into one group.

Brian D. Sparks is the senior editor of Greenhouse Grower and GreenhouseGrower.com. View all author stories here.

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