New Grower Grams per day

[ganjalf]

Ive been thinking about this for a while. Since autos are closing the gap with regs in terms of quality, why not use grams per day as an autoflowering benchmark unit.
Imho, this makes sense especially for commercial outdoor operations. Its gives a good comparison point when quality of the green is taken close or equal. This may also motivate auto breeders to consider total crop time more seriously for their breeding projects.

 

[Albert Eimstoned]

Sounds good to me.

 

[pop22]

It might work for strains that were aimed at a commercial market, but I don't know of any growers who use autoflowers yet. Most autos that produce a good crop weight wise, also take about as long as a photoperiod - 90-110 days. A 60 day auto would need to be able to match or exceed the production of photos in a 120 day period - 2 crops.

 

[ganjalf]

It might work for strains that were aimed at a commercial market, but I don't know of any growers who use autoflowers yet. Most autos that produce a good crop weight wise, also take about as long as a photoperiod - 90-110 days. A 60 day auto would need to be able to match or exceed the production of photos in a 120 day period - 2 crops.

What about the no of crops in a calendar year? I believe outdoor commercial growers will be left with no options but to use autos if breeders keep pushing quality and speed.

 

[organic]

The amount of bud a plant can produce is probably the last thing I think about. That comes from growing experience, trial and error as everyone's set up is different,. Its about dialing in your own setup to achieve the most from each plant. The only thing that each of us have in common is time.

 

[pop22]

What about the no of crops in a calendar year? I believe outdoor commercial growers will be left with no options but to use autos if breeders keep pushing quality and speed.

In a commercial grow, speed and quantity rule, they are not out for top quality. And most commercial growers in the legal states are using grrenhouse for a more controled environment. Autos will come into play when you can show them a better total harvest by having more crops. if you can grow 2, 60 day crops that exceed the harvest weight of a 110-120 day photo period, then it will happen

 

[Muddy]

IMO autos will never catch on with commercial growers, mainly because of energy costs. Most commercial growers are still using HPS lighting and running 12/12. Running autos on 20/4 or 18/6 is going to add significantly to both their lighting as well as A/C costs. That alone is the main reason I'm running photos in my hydro room instead of autos. That extra 6 hours a day would add another $35 to my bill just for the lights, let alone the additional A/C, pushing it into a range that might draw undo attention.

 

[Trapper]

In a commercial grow, speed and quantity rule, they are not out for top quality. And most commercial growers in the legal states are using grrenhouse for a more controled environment. Autos will come into play when you can show them a better total harvest by having more crops. if you can grow 2, 60 day crops that exceed the harvest weight of a 110-120 day photo period, then it will happen

Totally correct, Pops....

I would also add that there are gains to be made in how many plants a particular space can hold
in the auto vs. photo for commercial growing discussion.

As a lot of autos have a more compact nature, I think it's safe to be said that autos can utilize
space more efficiently and can therefore be grown in larger numbers in addition to faster....

So the equation becomes one of speed and of grams/sq.in. efficiency.

Soon, though, at least as I watch the landscape unfold in Colorado, competition will generate
a renewed concern with quality...It tracks the same arch as micro and craft brew, really. First
comes the novelty phase where a lack of informed expectations tends to level the playing field,
then comes price wars, then comes a more informed set of expectations, then the need to level
prices points out generates a shift of focus onto quality, then reviews and bad rep (or good rep)
begins to kick off the "quality" wars and people start to lean towards being able to price at a
"connoisseur" level. Right now...you can buy a 12 pack of Coors or a 4-pack of craft brew for
roughly the same price (if not more for the 4-pack) and both offerings perform well.

 

[pop22]

IMO autos will never catch on with commercial growers, mainly because of energy costs. Most commercial growers are still using HPS lighting and running 12/12. Running autos on 20/4 or 18/6 is going to add significantly to both their lighting as well as A/C costs. That alone is the main reason I'm running photos in my hydro room instead of autos. That extra 6 hours a day would add another $35 to my bill just for the lights, let alone the additional A/C, pushing it into a range that might draw undo attention.

I agree. It will also take more adoption of LED technology as well, but that is starting to happen. It may happen when we see the right grower venture into new territory, I'm sure someone will try it, and as I say, in climates where greenhouses can run all or most of the year without lighting, it has a better potential of adoption.

 

[ganjalf]

IMO autos will never catch on with commercial growers, mainly because of energy costs. Most commercial growers are still using HPS lighting and running 12/12. Running autos on 20/4 or 18/6 is going to add significantly to both their lighting as well as A/C costs. That alone is the main reason I'm running photos in my hydro room instead of autos. That extra 6 hours a day would add another $35 to my bill just for the lights, let alone the additional A/C, pushing it into a range that might draw undo attention.

My measurement advice fails indoors i know. However, legal indoor/greenhouse commercial production constitutes a really small part of the whole. Its all about ecomonics as it goes. Do u think it will take much time for south american countries to reap the benefits of currently monopolized us market? Think about Uruguay. They will be growing acres in no time.