New ALTA by Monnit PAR Light Meter Launches to Boost Smart Agriculture Operations

By connecting leaf light saturation to the Internet of Things (IoT) through the PAR Light Meter, growers get actionable data on their mobile devices and computers about how much light crops receive.

“To be a highly successful and competitive commercial grower, you need to know the optimal light your high-value crops require to flourish,” said Brad Walters, CEO of Monnit Corporation. “Our PAR Light Meter gives growers critical data to help fuel real-time decision-making about grow lighting in smart agriculture operations.”

With the wireless PAR Light Meter, growers can:

• Monitor and manage grow light performance to reduce operating costs.
• Optimize lighting in various environments to maximize growth and quality.
• Track light exposure and duration to maintain saturation levels, preventing damage and inhibited or excessive growth.

The PAR Light Meter monitors PAR from indoor and outdoor light sources, including LEDs. The PAR spectral range is measured in photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) of micromoles per square meter per second (μmol/m²/s). In other words, PPFD indicates light intensity and the amount of light that lands onto a square meter of crops each second.

Daily Light Integral (DLI)—the amount of PAR that lands on a square meter of crops during 24 hours—is also measured by the PAR Light Meter. With DLI calculated in moles of light per square meter per day (mol/m²/d), it’s the buildup of PPFD during a full day.

The PAR Light Meter helps growers easily adjust grow lighting height and density over and under the crop canopy by delivering these two vital readings.