Trichomes, THC and UVB light.....
- Thread starter tahoe58
- Start date
So guys, this is something I've been hearing about so I decided to research it.... Found potential uses for human health and more technological discoveries on types of UV-B output.
Basically, UV-A is UV that causes tanning and stretches the receptors for UV-B allowing it to absorb more easily, but you can over-do it with UV-A making it hard to isolate proper amounts of absorption with UV-B absorption. UV-A causes potential burning and damage.
Bottom line, there is a more intense version of an isolated healthy UV-B spectrum called Narrowband UV-B, which focuses at the 312nm range with almost no other UV nm range output. This is mostly being intended for human health, but can be used for plant health especially with Cannabis for THC production.
Narrowband UV-B is much different in effectiveness than silly reptile UV-B bulbs that can't compare. They are also costly as they are intended for human health. These can be found on ebay, and if you look at more items from the dealer you can find higher wattage units.
However, as for stressing plants for THC, I can understand how certain forms of stress would create more as THC is a defense mechanism production. Things like Dry, Hot, maybe some other forms of stress, may cause more THC production...
But, UV-B influence is not a stressor, it is directly related to providing a nutrient the plant needs to create the THC for various stress factors (Just as UV-B is what creates the vital vitamin D in our skin).
Keep this in mind... So for optimal THC production, you could influence the plant with Narrowband UV-B and also provide a hot and dry environment. Providing the necessities (air/water/feed, etc) are still required to even produce the THC... Unless the plant could also use it's own energy to also produce more if you used that as a stress factor - near the end of flowering.
Eh, what do I know
Basically, UV-A is UV that causes tanning and stretches the receptors for UV-B allowing it to absorb more easily, but you can over-do it with UV-A making it hard to isolate proper amounts of absorption with UV-B absorption. UV-A causes potential burning and damage.
Bottom line, there is a more intense version of an isolated healthy UV-B spectrum called Narrowband UV-B, which focuses at the 312nm range with almost no other UV nm range output. This is mostly being intended for human health, but can be used for plant health especially with Cannabis for THC production.
Narrowband UV-B is much different in effectiveness than silly reptile UV-B bulbs that can't compare. They are also costly as they are intended for human health. These can be found on ebay, and if you look at more items from the dealer you can find higher wattage units.
However, as for stressing plants for THC, I can understand how certain forms of stress would create more as THC is a defense mechanism production. Things like Dry, Hot, maybe some other forms of stress, may cause more THC production...
But, UV-B influence is not a stressor, it is directly related to providing a nutrient the plant needs to create the THC for various stress factors (Just as UV-B is what creates the vital vitamin D in our skin).
Keep this in mind... So for optimal THC production, you could influence the plant with Narrowband UV-B and also provide a hot and dry environment. Providing the necessities (air/water/feed, etc) are still required to even produce the THC... Unless the plant could also use it's own energy to also produce more if you used that as a stress factor - near the end of flowering.
Eh, what do I know
timmmy2021
Well-Known Member
whould a mh light work like a uv bulb??
dr danky doodle
Active Member
medal halide bulbs put off minor amounts of UV rays. alot less than a reptile bulb though.
born2killspam
Well-Known Member
Some insane ppl have used MH bulbs with the outer glass shell busted off.. Most UV is filtered by glass.. Not quite as dumb as using a carbon arc for the task, but still..
Cold nights are another factor that promote crystal production btw.. Hot UV intense days, and cold dry nights probably work in tandem....
Cold nights are another factor that promote crystal production btw.. Hot UV intense days, and cold dry nights probably work in tandem....
this is some great info. 312nm looks like it's at the lower end of uv-b. there are uv led's on ebay that I'd really like to try, but they are 400nm, just barely uv-a. without telling me how bad led's are to use.. how much would 400nm help with thc production? better then no uv at all?
dr danky doodle
Active Member
I have never thought of the cold nights being a factor in trich production.. makes sense. And about LED lights, i dont know too much about them but i hear they suck and the other day i was camping and my friend was about 20 feet away maybe and he pointed his LED light at me and i was almost blinded. I dont think plants would like that very much. LED light is so far away from natural light
led light is focused like that, so it's strongest in the area where it's shinning. I think this could be good for uv light if the whole plant is covered, or even just the buds. could be worth trying out at least, if the low end uv-a is helpful to the plants. the led's are 400nm, I think the black light cfl's at walmart are around 350nm. anyone have a chart or document showing how much different types of uv light help?
timmmy2021
Well-Known Member
will 2 philips 2700k 40w 1600lumens lights work as a uv ?
707DankSmoker
Well-Known Member
For that matter LED lights are designed to only show the exact spectrim of light essential for optimum plant/bud/thc/cbd/cbn/cbl growth.
born2killspam
Well-Known Member
Regardless of action efficiency at a specific wavelength, I do still wonder if near zero action on other pigments would have adverse effects.. (Or positive effects for that matter..)
GrowKindNugs
Well-Known Member
interesting stuff dudes....what happened to this thread?? i didn't make it through all those pages! is there a general consensus on this? i've got another 3 to 4 weeks on my grow left and i'm wondering if i should add some uvb light in? i only have one 400 hps and would one bulb do? what do i get, a uvb lamp at the pet store? for side lighting i have a 2 tube shop fluoro at 6500k...thanks for any help...i know someobody has got to be alive from this thread! haha, peace
Gkn
Gkn
born2killspam
Well-Known Member
Ppl have liked uvb addition, especially considering the cost.. With pure hps you'll likely see as much benefit as anybody if you go for it.. Post pics of what was close to the UV vs what was not please, more anecdotal evidence can't hurt..
tahoe58
Well-Known Member
a past member did the following experiment. I can't remember where it ended up. I have not gone the next step, with any further field/bench investigation. Other priorities took over. And my grow was hugely successful so little need at the time to follow through. Maybe a project for times coming. Thanks for all the interest and contribution. I think the debate is still alive and the science enticing. Cheers and walk on!!
https://www.rollitup.org/advanced-marijuana-cultivation/48409-death-radiation.html
https://www.rollitup.org/advanced-marijuana-cultivation/48409-death-radiation.html
B.C Chef
Active Member
Hey guys has anyone ever completed grow tests with uvb yet? This thread is old but I would be curious on how or if things have changed in the last year or two!
I want to add them to my grow but still looking for more definitive proof.
Thanks,
tahoe58
Well-Known Member
hey there Mr. Culinary Master. hehehehe ..... I have continued to read as much as I can. I not be actively growing for quite some time. I have not seen any test results. Skunkhybridkush did an experiment. I believe his intent was to see how much intensity (duration and distance to exposure) would kill the plant. I believe he killed the plant but I don't know his final parameters when the plant met its demise. I do know he was using a 300W bulb, the thread title is Death by Radiation (from well over a year ago). I am currently contemplating adding light to my 400W Spectrum Enhanced HPS - including possibly CMH (expensive bulbs, and again no assured and definitive benefits) or a couple of uvb lights, still not sure what might work best. With my renewed interest in doing a grow, maybe its time again to do some thorough research of threads across all forums and see what people have done. Or maybe it just time to pull the pin and do it myself....
I'm getting some new beans and the timing might be right very soon. 
I'm getting some new beans and the timing might be right very soon.
tahoe58
Well-Known Member
well a quick look at trusted sources, and bonus: A recent article that seems quite applicable - I want to read the full deal and see what it has to say. Here's the abstract. Bottom line? seems that there are some pretty powerful data supporting the benefits of uvb light and medicinal productivity. I'll be back with some of my own thoughts (maybe I can find them...). In the meantime enjoy! and Walk On!
The effect of ultraviolet radiation on the accumulation of medicinal
compounds in plants - A review is given of how the production by plants of compounds useful as medicines or raw
materials for manufacture of medicines is influenced by ultraviolet radiation, particularly by UVB
radiation (280315 nmwavelength). The compounds considered in this revieware flavonoids
and other phenolics, alkaloids (especially indole terpenoid and purine alkaloids), essential oils
and other terpenoids, cannabinoids, glucosinolates and isothiocyanates, and compounds having
human hormone activity. A short account is also given of ultraviolet signalling in plants. The
reviewconcludes with a discussion of the possible evolutionary mechanisms that have led to the
evolution of UV-B regulation of secondary metabolite accumulation.
© 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
The effect of ultraviolet radiation on the accumulation of medicinal
compounds in plants - A review is given of how the production by plants of compounds useful as medicines or raw
materials for manufacture of medicines is influenced by ultraviolet radiation, particularly by UVB
radiation (280315 nmwavelength). The compounds considered in this revieware flavonoids
and other phenolics, alkaloids (especially indole terpenoid and purine alkaloids), essential oils
and other terpenoids, cannabinoids, glucosinolates and isothiocyanates, and compounds having
human hormone activity. A short account is also given of ultraviolet signalling in plants. The
reviewconcludes with a discussion of the possible evolutionary mechanisms that have led to the
evolution of UV-B regulation of secondary metabolite accumulation.
© 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
I am in my first grow and have been using two uvb bulbs since week one of flowering and let me tell everyone that ubv is amazing. I have never seen bud grown indoors that has this many trics (three different strains, all of them are sparking huge glands (way bigger then I've seen in any indoor before and its only four weeks of uvb) I have the uvb bulbs on 8-9 hours a day in the middle of the light cycle (and for everyone who says thats too much uvb....it still dosent come close to outdoor, but you will get "hot spots" were thc will build up in responce to the uvb bulb being too close, cant get too close or you baby might burn and uneven ubv absorption) milky trics on every bud surface, top, bottom, inside and out...frosted to the max! If you dont have uvb and your growing indoor go buy one at a pet store (reptile isle) or two or three or four....
PS test dried nug at five weeks and thought I was trippin....so good now, cant wait till harvest
PS test dried nug at five weeks and thought I was trippin....so good now, cant wait till harvest
B.C Chef
Active Member
Sweet! I'm glad this thread is coming alive again. You say to use two or three reptile lights...is that the CFL 10.0 with aluminum reflector?I am in my first grow and have been using two uvb bulbs since week one of flowering and let me tell everyone that ubv is amazing. I have never seen bud grown indoors that has this many trics (three different strains, all of them are sparking huge glands (way bigger then I've seen in any indoor before and its only four weeks of uvb) I have the uvb bulbs on 8-9 hours a day in the middle of the light cycle (and for everyone who says thats too much uvb....it still dosent come close to outdoor, but you will get "hot spots" were thc will build up in responce to the uvb bulb being too close, cant get too close or you baby might burn and uneven ubv absorption) milky trics on every bud surface, top, bottom, inside and out...frosted to the max! If you dont have uvb and your growing indoor go buy one at a pet store (reptile isle) or two or three or four....
PS test dried nug at five weeks and thought I was trippin....so good now, cant wait till harvest
Also how about some pics bro.
I'm currently growing 4 plants, White widow, blue cheese, Mazari and trainwreck....still trying to find my plant of choice. I will be adding UVB lights in three weeks when I switch over to flowering.