Cultivation Facilities: UV-C’s Role in Protecting Crops and System Efficiency

Article Excerpt:

The cannabis market is among the fastest-growing in the United States, especially since being fully legalized in several states. According to a new report from New Frontier Data, cited in Forbes magazine, the legal cannabis market is projected to grow at a compound annual rate of 17 percent. Part of the transition from small to larger commercial-scale operations involves protecting crops from damaging airborne microorganisms that might proliferate in room air and cause the plants to develop mold and powdery mildew. Not only can such microbes ruin the crop, but they can force the entire facility to shut down due to health violations.

Ultraviolet germicidal energy or light energy in the UV-C wavelength (253.7nm) disassociates molecular bonds, which in turn disinfects and disintegrates organic materials, making it an ideal means of permanently inactivating microbes like Botrytis cinerea.