The modified sunlight spectrum and light diffusion provided by the quantum dot film gave rise to 5.7% improved saleable production yield, nearly identical total fruiting biomass production, 23% higher light use efficiency (g/mol), 10% faster vegetative growth rate, and 36% reduced tomato waste compared to the control, which had no additional films.
The modified sunlight spectrum and light diffusion provided by the quantum dot film gave rise to 5.7% improved saleable production yield, nearly identical total fruiting biomass production, 23% higher light use efficiency (g/mol), 10% faster vegetative growth rate, and 36% reduced tomato waste compared to the control, which had no additional films.
+16% Boost in Cannabis Production AT A GLANCE Results Crop Farm Location After ten weeks of cultivation, dry, trimmed harvest weights were reported. Dry yield measurements showed an additional 7.5 lbs of product harvested from plants under UbiGro, equivalent to a +16.0% increase in total dry yield. 248 Hybrid Cannabis Plants with two different strains: Wedding Cake and Ice Cream Cake. Both are broad leaf Indica-dominant hybrids Little Hill Cultivators Over the 4-yr life of the installed UbiGro product, the farm would benefit from $97,500 in additional profit from this 20ft x 108ft greenhouse alone. Trinity Co., CA, USA. DOWNLOAD CASE STUDY PDF ABOUT THE PROJECT UbiGro was installed at Little Hill Cultivators farm in Trinity County, California, to explore innovative cannabis farming solutions aimed at boosting cannabis production. For this pivotal plant trial in cannabis farming, UbiGro was strategically deployed to cover half of a 20ft x 108 ft greenhouse, creating a direct comparison with the other half that remained unchanged and served as the control. This setup was designed to rigorously evaluate the impact of UbiGro on cannabis yield enhancement within the context of cannabis production. The product was expertly mounted above the lateral purlins and beneath the polyethylene cover, ensuring optimal light diffusion and growth conditions for cannabis farming. The trial encompassed a total of 248 cannabis plants, with a focus on two specific strains to assess the versatility and efficacy of UbiGro across different genetic profiles in enhancing cannabis yields. Of these, 194 plants (78%) were of the Wedding Cake strain (Cherry Pie x Girl Scout Cookies), known for its tall stature and larger internodal spacing, coupled with a slightly extended finishing time of 1-2 weeks, indicative of its potential for increased cannabis production. The remaining 54 plants (22%) were of the Ice Cream Cake strain (Gelato x Wedding Cake), another broad-leaf Indica-dominant hybrid, showcasing the application of UbiGro across diverse cannabis strains for enhanced production outcomes. “To me, the product has proven itself.” – Owner, Little Hill Cultivators All conditions were kept identical for both sides of the experiment: plant size uniformity, planting density, strain layout, watering and nutrient regimen, humidity and temperature, harvesting and pruning regimen, integrated pest management regimen, etc. The cultivation team at Little Hill Cultivators made qualitative observations of the crop during the growth cycle. They noted that the plants under the UbiGro product showed an obvious enhanced vegetative growth, exemplified by an increase in height, width and overall foliage, filling more aisle space than their control counterparts. The grower also observed larger, fuller buds on the UbiGro side. After ten weeks of cultivation, dry, trimmed harvest weights were reported. Dry yield measurements showed an additional 7.5 lbs of product harvested from plants under UbiGro, equivalent to a +16.0% increase in total dry yield. No differences in trichome color, finishing time, bud color, bud odor/flavor, or overall quality were observed. After ten weeks of cultivation, dry, trimmed harvest weights were reported. Dry yield measurements showed an additional 7.5 lbs of product harvested from plants under UbiGro, equivalent to a +16.0% increase in total dry yield. No differences in trichome color, finishing time, bud color, bud odor/flavor, or overall quality were observed. Samples of both strains were taken from both sides of the plant trial and were sent to CW Analytical Laboratories (Oakland, CA) for cannabinoid and terpene testing. Total terpene content for the Wedding Cake strain grown under the UbiGro product was improved compared to those grown under the control (+12.9%, relative). Total cannabinoid content was moderately increased for Weddi ng Cake flowers grown under UbiGro (+3.6%, relative). Total terpene content for the Ice Cream Cake strain grown under UbiGro were slightly reduced compared to those grown under the control (-9.1%, relative). Total cannabinoid content was moderately increased for Ice Cream Cake flowers grown under the UbiGro film (+1.9%, relative). Testing accuracy for terpenes and cannabinoids typically has error bars ±10% (relative). Therefore, we conclude that UbiGro had a negligible effect on terpene and cannabinoid content of both strains, except for the +12.9% relative terpene boost in Wedding Cake, which may be a significant result just above the variance threshold. Further trials on the strain would be needed to verify this behavior. Potency Summary: Wedding Cake Terpenes UbiGro: 3.5% Control: 3.1% Rel. Change: +12.9% Total Cannabinoids UbiGro: 23.08% Control: 22.27% Rel. Change: +3.6% Potency Summary: Ice Cream Cake Terpenes UbiGro: 2.0% Control: 2.2% Rel. Change: -9.1% Total Cannabinoids UbiGro: 19.77% Control: 19.40% Rel. Change: +1.9% ECONOMICS OF CANNABIS FARMING Full Season Round (August – November) A yield enhancement in cannabis farming improves the economics of a cannabis production farm, but what is that yield enhancement worth to the cannabis farmer? Taking this experiment as a case study in cannabis yields, we can calculate the value that the yield-boosting UbiGro film brings to the economics of the cannabis farming operation. For this trial in cannabis production, the half of the greenhouse with UbiGro boosted the cannabis yield by 7.5 lbs (+$8.68/ft2 in wholesale revenue) compared to the control in the cannabis farming setting. The farm sells trimmed cannabis for $1250/lb wholesale. If UbiGro had been deployed over the entire greenhouse and achieved the same cannabis yield boost, the farm would have obtained an additional $18,750 in wholesale revenue for that greenhouse in the context of cannabis yields. Since the greenhouse can produce two cannabis crops per year, the yield boost in cannabis production could potentially be realized twice per year, which could result in an increase in revenue from UbiGro of $37,500 per year, per greenhouse in cannabis farming economics. CONCLUSION To quantify the value of the increase in revenue from improving cannabis yields through innovative cannabis farming solutions, we must calculate the increased profit associated with cannabis production enhancements. There are variable costs associated with producing and selling this additional cannabis product, including harvesting, drying/curing, trimming, packaging, and transportation, which are crucial components of efficient cannabis production management. However, fixed costs, which encompass expenses such as real estate (rent/mortgage), heating/cooling, electricity, marketing, and
Results Crop Farm Location +9.4% Wet Weight; +4.4% Dry Weight Lactuca sativa L. ‘Coastal Star’ Romaine Lettuce Santa Fe Community College Research Greenhouse Santa Fe, NM, USA +9.4% Yield Boost in Romaine Lettuce Trial AT A GLANCE
+14-28% Boost in Winter Strawberry Trial AT A GLANCE
+21% Boost in Flowering in Geranium Trial AT A GLANCE
+17% Yield Boost in Romaine Lettuce Trial AT A GLANCE Results Crop Farm Location +17 % Wet Weight at maturity; +6.1% average Leaf Length. Lactuca sativa L. ‘Coastal Star’ Romaine Lettuce. Santa Fe Community College Research Greenhouse. *This work was independently performed by SFCC students Jen Lein and Amanda Garcia with advising by Controlled Environment Agriculture professor Charlie Shultz and greenhouse manager Pedro Casas. Film donation and data analysis were provided by UbiQD, Inc. Santa Fe, NM, USA DOWNLOAD CASE STUDY PDF ABOUT THE PROJECT This study monitored the growth and development of ‘Coastal Star’ romaine lettuce crops, improving crop yields by growing romaine lettuce under an orange-red UbiGro luminescent quantum dot (QD) greenhouse film, and identical high yield lettuce crops grown under a colorless control film at the Santa Fe Community College Research Greenhouse in 2021. These agricultural farming techniques aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of advanced greenhouse technology in improving crop yield. EXPERIMENT UbiGro QD greenhouse films emitting at 600 nm were installed above a 254 ft² (23.6 m²) nutrient film technique (NFT) system inside the Santa Fe Community College Research Greenhouse (SolaWrap cover, 83% PAR transmission). An identical neighboring NFT area in the greenhouse was chosen to serve as the control group, over which a clear polyethylene film (K50 Clear 6 mil, RKW Klerks) was installed to balance the light intensities and diffusivities between the two areas (see Table 1 describing the haze and transmission of the QD film and the polyethylene control film). A reflective mylar barrier was hung between the two areas to prevent light mixing between treatment areas. A Watchdog Plant Growth Micro Station with four quantum light sensors was installed to measure daily light integral (DLI) on each side of the experiment using five-minute measurement spacings. Crops, including romaine lettuce, were grown with Calcium Nitrate, Magnesium Sulfate, and Potassium Nitrate-rich nutrient salt solutions with targets of EC 1.7 and pH 5.8. In order to better achieve proper light intensity and improve crop yields for growing romaine lettuce, shade curtains were deployed over the crops in both treatments until August 26 (covering the first three crops in this experiment), when they were removed. These adjustments provided insights into how to grow lettuce fast while maintaining optimal crop health. Table 1. Optical properties of the QD film and the polyethylene control film. Every week for 12 weeks starting in July 2021, two groups of 27 plants were seeded in Oasis Rootcubes on an ebb-and-flow seedling table inside the greenhouse. Each pair of plant groups was transplanted into the NFT system, under the QD film and control films, at 21 days after sowing (DAS). In order to explore differences in growth rates over time, each transplant group was split into three subgroups, where each subgroup consisted of 9 plants. Each subgroup was harvested a week apart from the others in order to explore all stages of growth – early to late (mature). The staggered harvest times ranged from 39 DAS to 59 DAS. Separating the staggered harvests into DAS ranges allows a better understanding of how development changes over time under the altered QD film spectrum. Amongst 12 crop groups, including romaine lettuce, a total of 35 individual harvests (subgroups) were made during the experiment. These efforts were aimed at exploring ways to improve crop yields. The first harvest was completed on August 20, 2021, and the final harvest was completed on November 23, 2021, showcasing the effectiveness of high yield lettuce techniques, how to grow lettuce fast, and agricultural farming techniques. HARVEST DATA Staggered harvests were grouped into similar DAS ranges, as indicated in Table 2, such that four growth stages were explored: very early growth (39 DAS), early growth (44-46 DAS), mid growth (51-53 DAS), and late growth (56-59 DAS). Due to labor scheduling, the harvests were conducted ±2 days from the target nominal DAS. The maturity time for this lettuce species, including romaine lettuce, is 57 DAYS according to seed purveyor Johnny Seeds, so these ranges represent harvest times up to a typical harvest time for a commercial grower. However, this 57-day maturity time can vary with sunlight intensity, seasonality, climate, and other variables, which are critical factors in growing romaine lettuce. *Table 2. Harvested wet weights, % difference and p-value for lettuce harvests from four growth stages. * indicates that the difference is not significant beyond a 95% confidence threshold. Average wet weights for each harvest were compared across all crops, and are shown in Table 2 and in the form of growth curves in Figure 1 and bar plots in Figure 2. Harvest results outside of one standard deviation from the mean were excluded as outliers. Plants grown under the QD film exhibited larger wet weights for all DAS ranges. The largest yield increases were for the very early and early harvest windows, +20% and +28%, respectively. The mid stage showed a small yield increase of +4%. The late harvest showed a +17% yield improvement which represents the total growth during the full period. This late stage growth represents the most impactful result of this experiment, as a commercial grower would grow out their romaine lettuce crop to full maturity and realize the yield benefit in terms of greater revenue (if selling by weight) or faster growth cycles (if selling by headcount). This yield boost for the mature crop translated to the ability to harvest the same size crop 2-3 days earlier, demonstrating the effectiveness of high yield lettuce, advanced agricultural farming techniques, and methods to improve crop yields. Additionally, these results offer insights into how to grow lettuce fast, which is vital for optimizing production cycles. *Figure 1. Top: Growth curves for lettuce grown under the QD film and under the control film, with 1 standard deviation error bars. Bottom: Average wet weight yield increases for different DAS ranges for staggered harvests. *Figure 2. Average wet weight yields for different DAS ranges for staggered harvests, with 1 standard deviation error bars. Plots marked with the same letter are not
This study, locally known as the ‘Glow and Grow’ project, monitored the growth and development of two aquaponic microgreen crops: mizuna (a Japanese mustard green) and a 7-crop braising mix. These crops were grown under an orange-red UbiGro luminescent quantum dot (QD) greenhouse film, and identical crops were grown in a control area without a QD film.
Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA | Wet yield showed an extra 47 lbs (estimated 7.0 lbs dry) harvested from the greenhouse with UbiGro installed, equivalent to a +8.0% increase in total yield compared to test plants grown in the control greenhouse. No differences in trichome color, finishing time, bud color, bud odor/flavor, or overall quality were observed.
Alcalde, NM, USA | In this example, that translates to $12,807 additional profit per year from this greenhouse. Over the projected 4-yr life of the installed UbiGro film, the farm would take in over $51,000 in extra profit from this greenhouse alone.
Hunter McDaniel, PhD
Founder & CEO
Hunter earned a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, before joining Los Alamos National Laboratory in the Chemistry Division. Ultimately the value proposition of UbiGro is about boosting crop yields and quality without the cost or energy impact of lighting. Hunter has more than fifty publications and patents, and more than 2000 total citations, h-index: 20. Hunter fundamentally believes that novel materials underpin every significant technology advancement, and he is focused on leveraging new materials to have a lasting and sustainable impact.
Damon Hebert, PhD
Director of Agriculture
Damon brings a wide range of experience in agriculture, materials science, spectroscopy, and small business. During his time in Prof. Angus Rockett’s research group at The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), Hebert authored a doctoral thesis and multiple papers on the materials science of CIGS semiconductor materials, which is closely related to the materials developed at UbiQD. He also served as a consultant to Nanosolar, a CIGS nanocrystal solar cell manufacturing company. Hebert has industry experience having co-founded Dr. Jolly’s, a leading cultivation and distribution operation in Bend, OR.
Tania Lafaille
Sales Representative
Tania is a UbiGro Sales Representative, with over 7 years of experience in product sales (specifically berries and avocados) covering all of North America and parts of South America. While in agriculture, Tania has cultivated strong relationships with growers and distributors, granting her a unique insight into both perspectives. That understanding, paired with her fierce dedication to results, drives her fun and fiery commitment to her craft. Tania is based in Gilroy, CA.
Tyler Veyna
Sales Representative​
Tyler brings 15 years of experience in Greenhouse production and facility management of a wide range of crops in multiple states to the UbiGro team. Based in Salinas, California. “Being a fourth-generation farmer, I look to improve and empower the grower, and with UbiGro, we can do just that.”
Jim Gideon
Sales Manager
Jim Gideon is an UbiGro Sales Manager, with over 25 years of greenhouse industry sales experience covering all of North America. Previously Jim has worked for Green Tek, Plazit-Polygal, Texel, Cherry Creek, and Nexus. He is based in Montgomery, AL, and Jim believes that “light is everything to the grower.”
Eric Moody
Director of Sales
Eric Moody is UbiQD’s Director of UbiGro Sales. Eric has more than 6 years of experience in horticulture lighting industry, building relationships with greenhouse growers of all sizes and crops on optimal lighting for their growing operation, and most recently managed a North American sales team for PL Light Systems. Overall, Eric has been in sales leadership positions for more than 13 years. Eric brings with him a great understanding of the market and available technologies for growers, greenhouse facilities, and sales leadership. Reach Eric by phone at 541-490-6421 or by email at [email protected].
Mike Burrows, PhD
Dr. Michael Burrows is UbiQd’s Vice President of Business Development. His educational background includes a Materials Science doctorate from the University of Delaware and an MBA from Duke University Fuqua School of Business. His career has specialized in the commercialization of novel electronic materials in venture-run programs for different industries including solar, biosensors, and the automotive industry. In both start-up and corporate environments, he has extensive experience in global market development, foraging supply chain partnerships, productization, and brand building. He is currently leading UbiQD’s partnership efforts in luminescent greenhouse technology, smart windows, and security ventures.
Matt Bergern, PhD
Cheif Product Officer
As Chief Product Officer at UbiQD, Dr. Matt Bergren leads the company’s product development efforts, sales, and product manufacturing, including the company’s first commercial agriculture product, UbiGro. He plays a critical role in continuing the company’s path of technology development and vision of powering product innovations in agriculture, clean energy, and security.
He serves as the principal investigator for UbiQD’s contract with NASA, focused on tailoring the solar spectrum for enhanced crop production for space missions. Dr. Bergren’s leadership experience includes serving on the board of directors for the New Mexico Energy Manufacturing Institute, focused on job creation in New Mexico’s energy, and related manufacturing community.