Do Your Cannabis Plants Need UV Light?

By Kelly Hansen and Gretchen Heber, Illumitex

Growers looking to increase potency of cannabis plants may consider adding ultraviolet light to their growing environment.

Is this a smart move?

It’s well-established that UV light in all forms can damage plant tissues. UVB rays specifically damage proteins and nucleic acids in the cells, which harms cell reproduction and plant metabolism.

Cannabis plants respond to this stress by increasing production of trichomes (which biosynthesize cannabinoids). Trichomes help the plant reflect light in an effort to protect the plant’s flowers from damaging UV light.

So, understandably, some cannabis growers are seeking lighting sources that emit UV in an attempt to produce plants with more THC-containing resin.

However, LEDs that emit light in the UV range can be extremely inefficient, burning considerable energy (and dollars to generate that electricity) for negligible gain. Additionally, UV LEDs are expensive to produce and tend to have...

Rate this article: 

This marijuana news is brought to you by 420 Intel. For the latest breaking cannabis industry news, subscribe to the 420 Intel newsletter. If you'd like to promote your product or service in this area after every article, contact us.


URL: 
http://www.illumitex.com/do-your-cannabis-plants-need-uv-light/