How’s it going, Andy! I 100% agree with what you’re saying about the dosages. Guiding myself purely by the EC reading and keeping the nutrition at 30-40% of what the charts indicate changed my grow; the roots breathe better and you forget about lockouts.
Regarding DLI and PPFD, you’re absolutely right. In my case, the panel has the capacity to reach 1100 PPFD, but we know that above 900-1000 is throwing photons in the trash without supplementing CO₂ (something unfeasible in my setup because constant extraction would take all the gas outside).
That’s why I aim for the “Emerson Effect” by adding a Far-Red bar (740nm). The literature and tests show that supplementing with far-red increases the photosynthetic rate by up to 30% in combination with PAR light, allowing me to squeeze out that extra yield I’d look for with CO₂, but in a passive, efficient way and without messing with the ventilation.
I used the temporary PPFD peak specifically to add warmth to the environment due to the cold wave. Being on 12/12, the daily accumulated DLI remains spot on within assimilating margins, with the canopy locked in at 24 °C.
Thanks for the input, it’s a pleasure having a technical debate! 