Why measure DLI?
An important lighting consideration is the total amount of light your plants receive daily, which cannot be easily extrapolated from instantaneous measurements. One of the most common ways of calculating total daily light is DLI, which reports a total number of moles (instead of micromoles) of photons per day (instead of per second).
Maintaining a consistent DLI based on your plant type and growth stage is critical for achieving ideal growth and maximum yield. However, the amount of supplemental lighting required to maintain a consistent DLI can vary dramatically throughout the year. Providing too little light may negatively impact growth and production, while providing too much light may also negatively impact growth while wasting costly energy resources. With the LI-1500 DLI package, you can ensure that you provide the correct light amount to optimize greenhouse production while conserving resources and being mindful of your bottom line.
Simplify DLI calculation with the LI-1500 DLI Package
Accurate DLI measurements require that measurements are taken at precise, regular intervals and use complex calculus to find the integral of the intensity-time curve. The LI-1500 DLI package greatly simplifies this process, automatically capturing data at the correct intervals and doing the math for you.
After programming your LI-1500 based on your light sensor’s calibration information, calculating DLI takes three simple steps:
- Deploy in your greenhouse. The LI-1500 and LI-190R are rugged and well suited for long-term deployment in hot and humid greenhouses.
- Let the LI-1500 log data over your measurement period. The LI-1500 can log data for a short, 8-hour winter day to several days or weeks at a time.
- Download your data file. The LI-1500 automatically calculates DLI and reports it in a comprehensive format that shows how DLI changes at each measurement.
