Signs That Your Plants May Be Struggling With Incorrect EC

By Michelle Joe

July 14, 2021

EC (electrical conductivity) is an essential measurement of the total amount of food or nutrients available to your plants. EC is really important, as it communicates with you if your plants are receiving the correct amount of food. 

Therefore, if your plant has an incorrect EC level, it may start to show signs of stress. Too high, and the plant will show signs of toxicity, too low and the plant will have a nutrient deficiency. 

It's helpful to know that plants can only absorb nutrients when they’re in ionic form. When nutrients dissolve in water, they split into ions which carry an electrical charge and the potential for electricity to move through the solution. If we look at pure water—RO, or reverse osmosis water—as an example, it would be a poor conductor of electricity, as it doesn’t contain any ions. The more ions there are, the more electricity it conducts.

So, the more nutrients that are in the water, the higher the EC.  This is good news because that gives us a level of control. We can visually check the plants for signs of stress (incorrect EC), measure the EC level using a meter, then correct it by adding more nutrients. 

Common scales for measuring EC 

• EC (Electrical Conductivity) [1 mS/cm = 1 EC]

• PPM (Parts per Million) [EC x 700]

• TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) or DS (Dissolved Salts) or MS (Measured Salts); otherwise known as PPM 500 [EC x 500]

• CF (Conductivity Factor) [EC x 10]

It is important to note that your EC measurement only displays the complete amount of nutrients available to your plants. It will not show you the breakdown of each available nutrient or nutrient imbalances.  You could have the perfect EC measurement, however, there may still be nutrient deficiencies.  

Preferred EC ranges for some of the most common crop types 

A common mistake made with growers can be to feed your plants as much as possible to ensure there is plenty of nutrients available. This can however have major repercussions. Plants have a preferred conductivity range in order to achieve optimal health. 

The chart below provides a guide on preferred EC ranges for some of the most common crop types.

How to identify your plants are struggling with incorrect EC (and not something else)

As mentioned above, in order for plants to thrive, it’s required they fall within the preferred EC ranges. If your crops sit outside these measurements for a period of time, they will start to demonstrate symptoms of poor plant health. 

  It can be difficult to diagnose problems with plants as they could be suffering with incorrect nutrient levels, affected by pests or it is the pH levels being too high or low that is preventing the uptake of nutrients. So even if the EC levels are within range as presented in the preferred EC range chart, it’s crucial to consider it could be some other factor that’s causing the plants to show symptoms of poor health. 

 Discover the most common nutrient deficiencies in plants and how to fix them to ensure you identify and isolate the problem. It is possible there are various deficiencies and toxicities that could be occurring at the same time. 

What causes incorrect EC in plants?

Incorrect EC can be caused by the levels being either too low or too high. If your EC in plants is low, your crops will not be able to receive enough nutrients.  

Symptoms when your EC is too low: 

• Discolour in leaves (yellow or brown)

• Brown spots of necrosis, or holes in leaves

• Stunted roots, leaves, and growth

• Twisted or disproportion of leaves

• Difference in crop yield

If your EC is too high, this can cause salt burn and nutrient toxicity.  

Symptoms when your EC is too high: 

• Leaf discolouration

• Thickened roots

• Necrosis (when the cells or tissues degenerate) will show brown spots and wilting in leaves and stems. Necrosis will weaken plants and make it more susceptible to other diseases and pests

• Nutrient or salt burn will show bent leaf tips and burnt edges. This will eventually lead to twisting or curling of the leaves if untreated

• Dull appearance on previously shiny leaves

• Slowing down of plant growth

Why measuring EC is vital for plant health 

Measuring your EC is vital as you get a closer look at what is occurring within your nutrient feed. 

Prevention versus treating is the ideal course of action, and it is likely your EC will fluctuate over time, which is why it’s important to test your EC regularly. No matter what medium you are growing in, staying on top of measuring your EC will ensure issues can be identified and resolved early. 

What to expect when EC measurements fall under the following: 

• EC measurement stays the same: There is a balanced amount of water and nutrient, keep this consistency by topping up the nutrient tank with the solution of the same strength and check regularly.

• EC measurement is low: There are more nutrients being used up compared to water. Balance this measurement by topping up nutrient solution, or try a stronger nutrient solution feed. Learn more about increasing your EC when it’s measuring too low.

• EC measurement is high: There is more water being used up compared to nutrients. Add water to dilute the solution and balance out the measurement. Burnt leaf tips and slow growth are certain signs of your nutrient solution being too strong. Be aware of weather temperatures also, as plants will take up more water on hotter days. Learn more about lowering your EC when it’s measuring too high.

In hydroponics, you can add more (pH-balanced) water to your reservoir. This will dilute the concentration of salts and lower your EC. 

In soil, the same applies where you will need to dilute the concentration of salts by adding pH-balanced water in growing pots or containers until fully saturated and drained. 

Creating the optimum EC measurement isn’t only about adding or subtracting nutrients or water. It is recommended to change your nutrient solution regularly, to avoid putting your plants at risk of toxic nutrient levels.  Measure EC daily, top-up nutrients when necessary, and give your nutrients a refresh by emptying your tank when needed.

How to measure EC in plants  

The best way to measure the conductivity (EC) of your plants is with a handheld conductivity pen. This is a robust handheld solution for measuring conductivity and temperature on the go.  The Bluelab Truncheon is another favourite for growers. 

To take care of the fundamentals, the Bluelab Combo Meter  is the ideal device to measure the essential parameters of pH, conductivity and temperature.  These fundamentals all play an important role in driving optimal plant health.  Learn more about measuring and adjusting your fundamental parameters, as well the four plant health checks you should be doing every day to ensure you’re preventing health issues for your plants.  

MICHELLE JOE

Michelle is a creative copywriter and storyteller who loves to connect brands with their audiences. She enjoys being a part of Bluelab’s innovative growing journey.

Controlled Environment Agriculture Funding Breeds Optimism For Post-Pandemic Growth

Carrie Meadows

July 9, 2021

Back in 2019, LEDs Magazine published a feature on investment pacing and market prospects for horticultural solid-state lighting (SSL) and products and systems for controlled environment agriculture (CEA) operations. We were really just beginning to see how venture capital funds and research grants were being distributed among CEA growers themselves in a wave hot investment for advanced farming methods. Indeed, as chief editor Maury Wright wrote regarding the early planning days of the former Horticultural Lighting Conference, “We suspected the primary interest would be investment in the companies supplying technology that could be deployed in vertical farms around the globe. Instead, the sector would soon witness huge investment in the farms themselves.”

Although the pace of announcements slowed slightly amid the coronavirus pandemic, we have covered quite a bit of research on plant science, optimization studies for horticultural lighting, and capital investment alike. And I am pleased to see prospects are growing for companies working toward technology integration in this sector.

For example, the Wells Fargo Foundation’s Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN2), which is co-administered by the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), just announced the latest cohort of startups that will benefit from its funding and partnerships with NREL and an independent research institute, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, MO. All of the companies in this phase are focused on enabling sustainable indoor agriculture.

GrowFlux CEO Eric Eisele was kind enough to point me to the program news, which you can read in the linked release on our site. For background, GrowFlux is a 2021 LEDs Magazine Sapphire Awards finalist for its GrowFlux Dimmer lighting controller. That product is designed with ease of use in mind to allow an end customer to easily deploy intelligent controls without programming experience or a technician to set up.

“With the growing complexity and evolving practices around horticultural lighting control, our user-friendly setup experience and app eliminates a lot of the frustration,” said Eisele. “We've been building out compatibility for all of the major manufacturers of horticultural lighting to make this energy-saving control technology as accessible as possible, especially for the many small and medium-sized businesses in the controlled environment agriculture industry.”

Each participating company in the IN2 cohort will receive $250,000 and will work at NREL and the Danforth center on R&D. When asked what GrowFlux plans to do with its funding, Eisele said that the company will partner with a sensor manufacturer to combine wireless controls and PAR sensors to determine real-time PAR levels in the indoor environment. The idea is to analyze the PAR data and program the lighting control system to evaluate and manage a Daily Light Integral (DLI) target.

The word “automation” came up. GrowFlux is not the first organization to explore the concept of bringing software intelligence, lighting, and systems controls together in a way that delivers both streamlined and adaptable operations to reduce energy consumption in a greenhouse or other CEA setting (refer to the Automatoes challenge and a presentation from AgEye in our past HortiCann Light + Tech insights). However, Eisele explained, the GrowFlux wireless dimmer is compatible with offerings from many well-known horticultural lighting providers (e.g., Fluence, GE Current, BIOS, Heliospectra, and more), and the company intends to maintain out-of-the-box installation and interoperability with the next generation of technology development, rather than pursue customized designs.

Funding placements like this will propel advances for CEA and AgTech, increase technology uptake, and prove out the return on investment for integrated horticultural systems.

Lead Photo: It’s an exciting time to watch engineers, scientists, and horticultural experts in the field receive the support and resources to collaborate and put new knowledge and technologies into action.

"Resilience Is Going To Become A Key Element of Food Security"

July 5, 2021

When it comes to rethinking agriculture to create better products with much less impact 365 days a year on a large scale, Cristián Sjögren and Pablo Bunster, two professionals from the renewable energy sector, left their jobs behind to bring sustainable farming to cities.

A little over two years ago they formed AgroUrbana, a startup dedicated to vertical agriculture, which consists of producing food in vertically stacked layers, in their case using LED lights and hydroponic cultivation, to provide the light and water necessary to harvest vegetables with nutrition. very accurate in spaces with controlled climates. 

In 2020, despite the fact that its creators consider that much more work needs to be done to advance in a country where traditional agriculture prevails, they have managed to expand their distribution channels. “Our investors and clients are excited. We have seen a very positive reception from the markets ”explains Bunster, who points out that last August they began to sell their vegetables in Jumbo, and since last week they have been in the North American multinational Walmart. 

“The new generations read the label in the supermarket more than any other. The sophistication of the consumer is demanding more from the producers, and the way agriculture has been done until today has not been able to cope with these consumption conditions. This is part of the value of bringing vertical agriculture to Chile ”, says Pablo Bunster, who sees in the startup a possible solution by automating food production.

In March 2020, AgroUrbana closed its second round of financing, which was led by the CLIN fund of ChileGlobal Ventures, the Venture Capital area of ​​Fundación Chile. To date, the startup adds USD 1.5 million in financing, in which funds from Venture Capital, Family Offices, and individuals have participated, which has allowed them to reach an advanced stage of the AgroUrbana Series A round for USD $ 4 million, to finance the construction of a much larger scale vertical farm. 

Read the complete article at: Vertical Farm Daily

"Providing A Multi-Faceted Solution With The Potential To CEA Farmers And The Industry"

Light Science Technologies Opens Its New In-House Laboratory

Light Science Technologies (LST), has opened its new, state-of-the-art in-house laboratory as it aims to help growers create the most optimal plant recipe. 

Simon Deacon, CEO of Light Science Technologies said: “The opening of the laboratory demonstrates our full commitment to the ‘art’ of plant science. It will help accelerate the development of horticulture lighting and environmental technologies over the next few years. And, beyond as we seek out more sustainable, energy-efficient ways of farming."  

The purpose-built testing facility at LST’s Derby site will mimic, via a test and replicate process, a grower’s closed indoor environment and test new crops in its controlled environment chambers managing temperature, humidity, and CO2. By running up to 12 concurrent trials in 6 chambers, a team including in-house scientists and top-level industry experts will harness historical and real-time data to help farmers and growers create the right recipe.  

Simon continued: “Our testing facility provides a multi-faceted solution with the potential to controlled environment agriculture (CEA) farmers and the industry at large. Not just recipe development for higher density and profit margin crops, but a pathway to industry-leading scientists in different plant species. And, equally importantly, an opportunity to prototype new crops before investment.” 

Utilizing its Conviron A2000 reach-in grow chambers along with its integrated, fully updateable and bespoke lighting solutions, LST’s lab offers multiple benefits to growers while helping them achieve the optimal yield, including lowering CAPEX and OPEX costs.​ 

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One of LST's scientists outside Conviron growth chambers in lab

By harnessing advanced lighting technology, LST’s lighting systems can identify the right spectral waveforms and PPFD levels required for any species of plant or microbiology and can validate the performance of a grower’s existing set-up or compare new solutions independently, using its own Quantum PAR Photo-Goniometer testing facility. Built inside a 22-meter bespoke light tunnel using its 2021 SSL Spectral Photo Goniometer, it can accurately measure PAR (400nm-700nm) Quantum PAR (250nm-1040nm) and CIE.*  

The lab’s capabilities also mean it can measure plant health thanks to the LIcor LI-6800, the only photosynthesis system capable of measuring combined gas exchange and fluorescence from leaves and aquatic samples in just a few seconds with the highest level of accuracy and detail. It also instantly details temperature and humidity.  

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Other key elements include advanced water and environmental testing, used to help growers identify the macronutrients in their plants and check for all types of food safety, quality and chemical contamination. And, to ensure only plant performance data is collected, GrowFoam, a natural biodegradable growing medium that has no effect on the plant, will be used in the chambers.  

One of the most interesting aspects of the lab is the focus on developing an AI capable of monitoring and proactively controlling environmental parameters and plant performance. This is done by leveraging LST’s partnership with a number of universities and its work using an in-house Big Data resource. Using the latest stacked GPGPU technology, data can be brought to life to increase plant performance, taste control and quality. 

For more information:
Light Science Tech 
Claire Brown, PR Consultant
claire.brown@lightsciencetech.com
www.lightsciencetech.com 

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Publication date: Wed 17 Mar 2021