Vertical Farm Daily Light Integral Calculator

Translate fixture output, lighting schedules, and optical losses into the daily light integral horticulture teams use to plan growth recipes for leafy greens, fruiting crops, and seedlings.

Canopy-level photosynthetic photon flux density averaged over the lit photoperiod.
Number of hours lights remain on each day for the crop stage.
Percentage reduction applied through dimming schedules. Defaults to 0% when blank.
Fraction of photons lost to lenses, glazing, or canopy obstructions. Defaults to 0% when omitted.

Horticultural planning tool. Validate against in situ quantum sensor readings and crop response trials before adjusting production schedules.

Examples

  • PPFD 320 µmol/m²/s, 18 h photoperiod, 10% dimming, 5% losses ⇒ Base DLI 20.74 mol/m²/day, effective factor 85.50%, effective DLI 17.73 mol/m²/day.
  • PPFD 250 µmol/m²/s, 16 h photoperiod, no dimming, 8% losses ⇒ Base DLI 14.40 mol/m²/day, effective factor 92.00%, effective DLI 13.25 mol/m²/day.

FAQ

How should I handle multi-tier farms?

Measure PPFD separately for each tier and run the calculator per layer. Differences in mounting height or obstructions often require tier-specific recipes.

Can I convert from DLI targets to PPFD?

Yes. Rearrange the equation: PPFD = (Target DLI × 1,000,000) ÷ (Photoperiod × 3,600 × dimming × transmission factors). Set dimming and loss to their fractional values to solve for PPFD.

Does the calculator include spectral quality?

No. It focuses on total photon flux. Evaluate spectrum separately to ensure the red:blue ratio and far-red additions align with crop trials.

Additional Information

  • Result unit: mol/m²/day of photosynthetically active radiation delivered to the crop canopy.
  • Base DLI ignores operational modifiers; dimming and losses reduce delivery through multiplicative factors.
  • PPFD inputs assume an even canopy distribution—validate with light mapping where density varies.

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