Some thing you should know before choosing the best plant light

Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR)

PAR is the waveband of light that plants use for photosynthesis. PAR is not a measurement of light, but rather represents the waveband in the light spectrum which is used by plants for photosynthesis. That’s why we say, “PAR is for plants”.

Photosynthetic Photon Flux (PPF)

PPF is the amount of PAR a light source produces. PPF is measured in micromoles per second or μmol·s-1. This is an important measurement to look for when comparing horticultural light fixtures. PPF tells you how much light your fixture will produce that your plants can use for photosynthesis.

Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density (PPFD)

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.

Here an example for PPFD of our OLEX12 grow light

Daily Light Integral (DLI)

DLI is the amount of PAR that lands on a square meter surface over a 24-hour period. DLI is measured in moles of light per square meter per day (mol·m−2·d−1). You can think of this as the accumulation of PPFD over a full day. In human terms, you can think of DLI as a plant’s daily caloric intake of light.

Photosynthetic Photon Efficacy (PPE)

PPE measures a light fixture’s efficiency for converting electrical energy into PAR light. This is expressed as micromoles per Joule (μmol·J-1). PPE is an important measure for comparing the efficiency of different manufacturers’ fixtures.

Keep these metrics and concepts at the forefront as you evaluate horticultural lighting choices for your crop production. We Oleder are here to help you grow your best crops ever! 

Here’s a horticultural lighting definitions in one word: 

• Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) is represented as 400-700 nanometers (nm)

• Photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) is measured in micromoles per second (μmol·s-1)

• Photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) is measured in micromoles per square meter per second (μmol·m-2·s-1)

• Daily light integral (DLI) is measured in moles per square meter per day (mol·m−2·d−1)

• Photosynthetic photon efficacy (PPE) is measured in micromoles per joule (μmol·J-1)