Like the lumens, the PPF gives no indication of the amount of photons that actually reach the plants. They are expressed in micromoles / second. In other words, the PPF tell us how PAR is emitted by a light source per second. The Photosynthetic Photonic Flux (PPF) is used to measure the entire PAR light emitted each second by a light source, like your horticultural LED for example. But since it must be a basis for calculation, photo-biologists have developed several parallel units to measure the light energy generated by a light source and useful for plants. Parenthetically, the main drawback of the PAR is that it does not take into account the wavelengths below 400nm and above 700nm which are nevertheless useful to the plant in other mechanisms of photosynthesis. PAR itself is not a unit of measurement, but an indication of the spectrum useful for photosynthesis. They use it in photosynthesis to a certain band of light which is called the Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) or radiation between 400 and 700 nanometers, from blue to red. Then, light for plants Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR)Īs we said, plants do not « see » the light the same way we do. New units of measurement were therefore created to take this into account. Through photosynthesis, plants convert light energy into chemical energy, food, in order to grow and prosper. Plants have a different perception of light and use only a portion of the light spectrum for photosynthesis. The major problem is however they were created to measure the perception of light by the human eye. These three units of the light measurements are still used by some gardeners. The further away from the light source, the less the surface is illuminated. 1 lux emits 1 lumen on 1 m² at a distance of 1m, but he will not emit more that 1/4 lumen at a distance of 2m and only 1/9 lumen at a distance of 3m. Lux, are used to the measurement of illuminance, that is to say the number of lumens emitted at source divided by the distance squared between the source and the illuminated surface. The candela also measures the amount of light but emitted in a certain direction, unlike the lumens that give no indication of the light distribution. A lamp 20 lm / Watt will consume 5 times more electricity than a 100 lm lamp / Watts for the same amount of light. It can also assess the performance or efficiency of the light source, when compared to Watts. This measurement is used primarily to determine the actual brightness from a source of bare light. Lumens measure the flow of light, that is to say the total amount of light generated by a device. The first units of measurement was lumens, candela and lux. The units of measure have been refined and new ones were created to measure the light intensity used by plants. We understand better now how plants use light, and the technology has evolved enough to create quality horticultural LED. Until recently, the lack of light intensity in LEDs was a limiting factor for many gardeners and greenhouse growers indoors. Lumens, Lux, Candela, PAR, PPF, PPFD, DLI Units of measurement and terms to qualify horticultural lights.Įveryone knows what « Lumens » are from Physics class… But what about PPFD, PAR, PPF?
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