Adding Emerson Effect to a strip light

graying.geek

Well-Known Member
I'm wanting to leverage the Emerson Effect -- primarily to shorten flowering, but I wouldn't turn down increased yield as well. Perhaps it's my age-addled brain, but synthesizing all of the various processes and parts into the "right" solution leaves me with a lot confusion and questions.

If I understand correctly, synergy between the PS1 and PS2 processes seriously increases a plant's rate of photosynthesis if optimized with proper timing and intensity of EMR in the 660nm and 730nm wavelengths, but the 730nm can also be used at the end of lights-out for a short period of time to quickly transition to their dark cycle. Please feel free to add info or correct my misunderstanding.

My existing light uses 400 watts of 4000'K strips over a 2' x 4' scrog to put out about 1000 PPFD, and, according to the graph of the spectral output of those strips they are about 40% relative intensity at 660nm (though, I'm not sure what that means in PPFD) so a seemingly significant amount. Does that mean I only

eb-4000k.png

need to add a commensurate amount of 730nm during lights-on to compliment the already existing 660nm in my strip light? If so, how many watts of 730nm should I add? Or, if I should be adding both 660nm and 730nm, how much of each?

As far as timing, from what I understand the 730 can be added to 660 throughout lights-on to improve yield, but also, should be left on for 10 minutes at lights-out to quickly transition the plant to their dark cycle. Again, corrections appreciated. If that's true, should I put the 730nm light source on a separate timer that comes on with my main lights, and off 10 minutes after the main lights are off? Here's my light:

uv.jpg

It has 8 x EB-series Bridgelux strips and a 39w UV tube. I'm thinking about adding 2 strips that provide a low wattage of 730nm in the frame channels on either side of the UV tube to give good coverage, but all of the strips I've found that emit 730nm are like 20-30 watts. I'm a DIY guy so suggestions for 730 strips and appropriate drivers appreciated. Seems like a couple of strips that put out 730nm in the slots of my light frame on either side of the UV tube would give good coverage, but no idea as to the best source for hardware.

Regrets for the wall of text, but thanx for any help.
 

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graying.geek

Well-Known Member
Is that the 25%red 75% blue lighting stuff I come across sometimo es? Please forgive my lack of knowledge on the subject.
Emerson Effect has to do with the synergy between the plant processes driven by different wavelengths of near and far red. Adding ~660nm and ~730nm wavelengths seriously impacts the rate of photosynthesis. Flower initiation is a different effect and has to do with exposing plants to far red for 10 minutes overlapping lights-on and lights-off. A grower can leverage the effect to speed up flowering. Google is your friend if you need more info.
 

GrowerbabeAZ

Active Member
Emerson Effect has to do with the synergy between the plant processes driven by different wavelengths of near and far red. Adding ~660nm and ~730nm wavelengths seriously impacts the rate of photosynthesis. Flower initiation is a different effect and has to do with exposing plants to far red for 10 minutes overlapping lights-on and lights-off. A grower can leverage the effect to speed up flowering. Google is your friend if you need more info.
I’ve been playing with the red and blue lights in my set up for a while now. Seeing some nice results so far but I will defiantly have to learn more about this method! Thanks for breaking it down for me!
 

Rurumo

Well-Known Member
I've been interested in adding 730 for the Emerson effect for a while as well-have you found any grow journals where someone did a side by side? It's an interesting idea, I just can't seem to find any info on the results. My next grow I'll be using a "red enhanced" cmh bulb which has some nice far red, but I'm looking at adding some of the 730 leds as well.
 

bcr500

Well-Known Member
You could also look at a couple more bridgelux strips in the 2700k cri90. I heard they have more of the reds then just adding it in with another dedicated red strip but I’m not exactly sure if that’s what you need. I seen a chart somewhere showing how the 2700k cri90 had more red then a hlg r spec quantum board with its reds built in.
 

GrowerbabeAZ

Active Member
I've been interested in adding 730 for the Emerson effect for a while as well-have you found any grow journals where someone did a side by side? It's an interesting idea, I just can't seem to find any info on the results. My next grow I'll be using a "red enhanced" cmh bulb which has some nice far red, but I'm looking at adding some of the 730 leds as well.
I’m really just starting with custom specific lighting and its effect on my plants but I haven’t come across any REALLY GOOD grow journals yet. I will let you know if I do, however, I do know the effect is real! I live in AZ and have seen this effect 1st hand. I moved a plant from the indoors to the outdoors for bud phase and the thing took off!!! It was amazing!! Definitely would like to get this going % indoors if I can. Don’t like to deal with the bugs outside.
 

Rurumo

Well-Known Member
I’m really just starting with custom specific lighting and its effect on my plants but I haven’t come across any REALLY GOOD grow journals yet. I will let you know if I do, however, I do know the effect is real! I live in AZ and have seen this effect 1st hand. I moved a plant from the indoors to the outdoors for bud phase and the thing took off!!! It was amazing!! Definitely would like to get this going % indoors if I can. Don’t like to deal with the bugs outside.
So far I've mostly found threads about "waking up" and "putting to sleep" plants with 660 and 730 nm, and also claims of shorter flowering times, running the plants 11/13, stuff like that, but I really want to see something about the actual growth increase some people mention. Please do let me know if you find something! My next grow I'm going to play around with UV, I just got a couple of agromax pure UV bulbs, so maybe after that I'll get the 730 nm leds. Good luck!
 

graying.geek

Well-Known Member
I've been interested in adding 730 for the Emerson effect for a while as well-have you found any grow journals where someone did a side by side? It's an interesting idea, I just can't seem to find any info on the results. My next grow I'll be using a "red enhanced" cmh bulb which has some nice far red, but I'm looking at adding some of the 730 leds as well.t
Haven't found any comparative grow journals but I'm pretty sure I've read a scientific research article on Emerson, but not specifically Cannabis. I'll try to locate it, but it was sufficiently convincing to get me started on the topic.
 

graying.geek

Well-Known Member
So far I've mostly found threads about "waking up" and "putting to sleep" plants with 660 and 730 nm, and also claims of shorter flowering times, running the plants 11/13, stuff like that, but I really want to see something about the actual growth increase some people mention. Please do let me know if you find something! My next grow I'm going to play around with UV, I just got a couple of agromax pure UV bulbs, so maybe after that I'll get the 730 nm leds. Good luck!
I've introduced UVA+B by way of a 39w reptisun tube. Seems to have done it's job, but you gotta be careful; too much, too fast and you'll see nanners popping out all over.
 

TimBar

Well-Known Member
I just added a couple Hyperlite panels to my tent and I was shocked at how the plants reacted - in a good way, Then I saw that they do reach far more into the +700nm range.

I am thinking it could be some slight Emerson Effect - now it has me wanting to add more Far Red
 

sf_frankie

Well-Known Member
I'm looking into this too. I'll be ordering 4 of these and adding 2 to each of my 720w bar lights. They're cheap enough that I won't care if they don't work but the science say's they'll do fine. I'm more after the 730nm but the UV is a nice bonus that I'm interested in testing as well. I have a friend doing a side by side with and without, I'll see if I can get him to send me some pics. He doesn't do anything fancy with the timing. The supplemental bars switch on and off with his main lights.

 

OneHitDone

Well-Known Member
I'm wanting to leverage the Emerson Effect -- primarily to shorten flowering, but I wouldn't turn down increased yield as well. Perhaps it's my age-addled brain, but synthesizing all of the various processes and parts into the "right" solution leaves me with a lot confusion and questions.

If I understand correctly, synergy between the PS1 and PS2 processes seriously increases a plant's rate of photosynthesis if optimized with proper timing and intensity of EMR in the 660nm and 730nm wavelengths, but the 730nm can also be used at the end of lights-out for a short period of time to quickly transition to their dark cycle. Please feel free to add info or correct my misunderstanding.

My existing light uses 400 watts of 4000'K strips over a 2' x 4' scrog to put out about 1000 PPFD, and, according to the graph of the spectral output of those strips they are about 40% relative intensity at 660nm (though, I'm not sure what that means in PPFD) so a seemingly significant amount. Does that mean I only

View attachment 4775532

need to add a commensurate amount of 730nm during lights-on to compliment the already existing 660nm in my strip light? If so, how many watts of 730nm should I add? Or, if I should be adding both 660nm and 730nm, how much of each?

As far as timing, from what I understand the 730 can be added to 660 throughout lights-on to improve yield, but also, should be left on for 10 minutes at lights-out to quickly transition the plant to their dark cycle. Again, corrections appreciated. If that's true, should I put the 730nm light source on a separate timer that comes on with my main lights, and off 10 minutes after the main lights are off? Here's my light:

View attachment 4775531

It has 8 x EB-series Bridgelux strips and a 39w UV tube. I'm thinking about adding 2 strips that provide a low wattage of 730nm in the frame channels on either side of the UV tube to give good coverage, but all of the strips I've found that emit 730nm are like 20-30 watts. I'm a DIY guy so suggestions for 730 strips and appropriate drivers appreciated. Seems like a couple of strips that put out 730nm in the slots of my light frame on either side of the UV tube would give good coverage, but no idea as to the best source for hardware.

Regrets for the wall of text, but thanx for any help.
This cat get's pretty deep into Emerson Effect and the required par ratio's

 

tstick

Well-Known Member
I'm confused as to how the Emerson effect can be quantified into a formula that applies to all the different strains of marijuana that are out there today. For example: Some plants are purple because they have higher anthocyanin levels than they do chlorophyll. So (depending on the spectrum) the wavelengths of light travel differently through purple than they do green...right? So does the Emerson effect have to be adjusted for each, individual strain?
 

sf_frankie

Well-Known Member
I'm confused as to how the Emerson effect can be quantified into a formula that applies to all the different strains of marijuana that are out there today. For example: Some plants are purple because they have higher anthocyanin levels than they do chlorophyll. So (depending on the spectrum) the wavelengths of light travel differently through purple than they do green...right? So does the Emerson effect have to be adjusted for each, individual strain?
Dr. Bigbee's study tested like 17 different plants and got the same results for all of them. He didn't mention cannabis in that particular video but I'm assuming that they probably did a cannabis test as he talks about far red in other videos.
 

OneHitDone

Well-Known Member
I'm confused as to how the Emerson effect can be quantified into a formula that applies to all the different strains of marijuana that are out there today. For example: Some plants are purple because they have higher anthocyanin levels than they do chlorophyll. So (depending on the spectrum) the wavelengths of light travel differently through purple than they do green...right? So does the Emerson effect have to be adjusted for each, individual strain?
I believe natural sunlight "naturally" initiates the emerson effect. So it's basically adding back what has been robbed from the spectrum :peace:
 

cobshopgrow

Well-Known Member
Dr. Bigbee's study tested like 17 different plants and got the same results for all of them. He didn't mention cannabis in that particular video but I'm assuming that they probably did a cannabis test as he talks about far red in other videos.
he mentioned cannabis
 
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