Optimizing lighting design for higher yields, quality, and efficient climate control and irrigation procedures
Yuvalim Climate Control, founded by Naftali Yosef, is engaged in planning systems for climate control, process control and lighting. The company offers solutions for a wide variety of crops grown in indoor facilities: flowers, greens, cannabis and as of today—the main focus of the company—wheatgrass.
Indoor farming is based on precise control of climate and light conditions. This includes irrigation, fertilization, ventilation, heating, and tailored lighting systems. Naftali meets with customers, listens to their requirements, and accordingly, defines the specs,
needs and goals for each individual crop. These can be the amounts to be harvested; in cannabis, the amount of active ingredients in the plant; in greens, it’s the desired mass. In wheatgrass it’s both mass and nutritional value. He then translates these requests into lighting parameters, formulating a technical solution that will help each customer reach the predetermined goals.
A good example of this is rose cultivation. In the summer, rose stems can reach a length of 90cm. The price potential is high (1-2 dollars) but demand is low. On the other hand, in the winter months, during the busy Christmas season, the stem is only about 60 cm long, so it has no economic value. By adding supplementary lighting, it can stretch to reach 80-90 cm, allowing
the grower to get $1.5 per flower. It’s a similar case with orchids.
Correct lighting design can promote continuous yields throughout the year, like with strawberries. Extra lighting can also improve results when growing vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, etc.
Wheatgrass seeds are often used as animal feed. But if instead of feeding the seeds to the animals, they are sown and the plant grown with the aeroponic method, the grower gets a significant weight multiplier. In our case, 1 kg of seeds became 5 kg of grass, harvested five days later. Another advantage is that the cattle eats the whole plant and enjoys all the nutritional
value it contains—protein, cellulose, etc.
The advantage of growing wheatgrass seeds in closed controlled spaces is threefold: quantity, continuity, and richer nutritional values.
The Challenge
The issue here is finding the right lighting parameters for each type of crop at each specific growth stage and season. This means having lighting devices and equipment with this type of flexibility.
Our Customer Says
“I came to Megalight, after defining the lighting specs vis-a-vis the client - light intensity, amount of light, and unique color composition. In the case of wheatgrass, I came to them after I started planning the light parameters, seeking their help, knowledge and experience in drawing a specific lighting plan for optimal growth.
I found a solid engineering solution, and the ability to design the reflector itself, with the most efficient, high-quality components, high durability and zero breakdowns.
The fact that they are manufactured locally in Israel allows them to be flexible and provide the exact answer to the customer's requirements. In this case it was for wheatgrass.
When I design a device with them, I get the most efficient lamp in the market!!
In addition, and this is perhaps the most important advantage, I enjoy the HORTIV warranty and reliable customer service whenever I encounter a problem. I always get a quick response even at odd hours.
In the still ongoing process with wheatgrass, we manipulate color and intensity of light during the growth cycle to achieve optimal results: increased yield and an especially high nutritional composition. Though we are already seeing good results, research goes on for continuous improvement. I will keep tweaking the options, with the ultimate goal being to establish a protocol for wheatgrass production.” said Naftali Yosef, Lighting Engineer and Founder