9cannabisbusinessinsights.comJUNE 2025quality crop. For many years, the industry standard was to use conventional HPS light fixtures, which require large amounts of energy and generate significant heat. In addition, conventional lighting was not "tunable" to produce the specific spectrum of light required for varying stages of growth. As a result, energy costs soared due to inefficient lighting and the resulting HVAC use needed to manage facility temperatures­and quality and yields frequently suffered. But today's innovative LED lighting options reduce energy use and costs while increasing efficiency dramatically. For example, higher-powered, spectrum-tunable LEDs can drive crop performance in flowering rooms, resulting in greater yields. The dimming capabilities for mother clones and veg and flowering lights aid in precise photoacclimation, enhancing the plant's natural growth while reducing potential crop damage. As the industry shifts to correct years of neglected sustainability policies, LED lighting has become a rallying cry in the `green' cannabis movement­but it is one of the leading solutions for decreasing costs and increasing quality. Systems Management and IntegrationDisparate systems in a cultivation facility for HVAC, irrigation, lighting, and other essential operations are a relic of the past, and smart operators will banish them as soon as possible. In order to compete in the present market and produce the highest quality product, today's cannabis cultivation facilities cannot afford to maintain separate, siloed operations for fertigation, irrigation, environmental controls and other systems. Software known as a building management system (BMS) is a `must have' in the current environment in order to monitor, control, record and centralize all components of a cultivation facility. A well-designed building management system improves data collection, enabling smarter, data-driven decision-making that optimizes crops, enhances quality and improves efficiency. There is no better way to reduce costs, grow better crops, maintain a consistent product supply and compete in the current market. Improved ProcessesSo many years following the advent of the regulated cannabis industry, it can be easy to forget that not so long ago, the best cannabis cultivators were those who were working out of basements, garages, apartments or inconspicuous greenhouses. Modern cultivators have borrowed from and built upon these legacy growers' best practices. And with a profitable new market to serve, tech innovators have also developed modern tools to help improve and streamline cultivation processes. As a result, a new standard for cannabis cultivation is emerging. Today, enhanced tools and processes allow for crop steering strategies that utilize sensors and software to aid in data-driven crop optimization. Modern lighting, improved airflow strategies, and sophisticated racking and benching to support cultivation canopy eliminate the risk of heat damage and allow growers to devote more facility space to crops. More than ever, cannabis cultivation is a complex endeavor involving a series of engineering and scientific solutions for plant production, delivery of environmental parameters, building management and data-backed decision support. If a cultivation facility is still engaging in the growing practices from 2010, it is guaranteed to be severely underperforming.Today's cannabis cultivators must be agriculture experts, brand managers, predictors of customer preferences, and researchers working to create the next great product. When addressed in a deliberate manner, the three areas of improvement above are the critical factors that can help cultivators accomplish all of these roles. A modernized cultivation operation saves money, increases yield and quality, and greatly increases a company's chance of profitability. Cultivation tech innovations and improved processes are creating the new standard driving quality, consistency and profitability
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