In The Mix by Front Row Ag delivers expert-led conversations on commercial cultivation systems, built from real-world experience across high-performance facilities. Each episode features industry operators and Front Row Ag specialists breaking down environmental control, fertigation, water quality, and data-driven decision making. Focused on proven methods—not theory—this podcast helps cultivators identify limiting factors, improve consistency, and drive measurable results.
Adding under-canopy lighting changes more than light distribution. It can also change how much pruning and defoliation your crop actually needs.
In this episode, we look at how under-canopy lighting can influence canopy management and why traditional pruning strategies may need to be reconsidered when more light is reaching deeper into the plant. Instead of automatically removing lower growth, cultivators can evaluate whether those flower sites are now receiving enough light to remain productive.
We also discuss how much pruning and defoliation may be reduced, why there isn't a universal percentage that applies to every facility, and how existing canopy density, plant spacing, and cultivation strategy influence the potential labor savings.
00:00 Under-Canopy Lighting & Defoliation
00:31 Rethinking Lower Canopy Pruning
01:02 How Much Can You Reduce Defoliation?
01:38 Potential Labor Savings
02:08 Finding the Right Canopy Density
02:34 Balancing Productive Growth & Canopy Space
Under-canopy lighting creates an opportunity to rethink how much plant material actually needs to be removed and potentially turn previously unproductive canopy space into valuable production.
30 Sept 2026
25-35% More Yield From Under-Canopy Lighting
Under-canopy lighting can increase productive canopy depth, improve lower flower development, and potentially reduce pruning and defoliation labor, but getting the strategy right requires more than simply adding fixtures below the canopy.
In this episode, we break down how under-canopy lighting changes the way growers should think about light distribution, canopy management, and overall lighting intensity. We look at how different under-canopy fixture designs distribute light, how to measure PPFD within the canopy, and why total light intensity matters when combining overhead and under-canopy systems.
We also cover the relationship between under-canopy lighting and labor. With more usable light reaching lower flower sites, cultivators may be able to reduce pruning and defoliation while maintaining a productive canopy deeper into the plant.
Chapters
00:00 Under-Canopy Lighting Explained
00:37 Types of Under-Canopy Lights
01:15 How Fixture Design Affects Light Distribution
02:01 Measuring PPFD Inside the Canopy
02:51 Balancing Overhead and Under-Canopy Light
03:40 How Much Under-Canopy Light Do You Need?
04:28 Rethinking Canopy Management
05:11 Reducing Pruning and Defoliation
05:55 Potential Labor Savings
The goal isn't simply to add more light. It's to distribute light more effectively throughout the canopy and build a cultivation strategy around the additional productive space that creates.
11 Sept 2026
Runoff Data You Need To Track
Runoff is one of the most useful diagnostic tools growers have for understanding what’s happening in the root zone, but only if it’s collected and interpreted correctly.
In this episode, we break down how to properly collect runoff, what data to record, and how to use runoff volume, EC, and pH to evaluate your irrigation and fertigation strategy. We cover why full-day runoff provides better information than a single sample, how to calculate runoff percentage, and why comparing your drain readings against your drip is critical.
We also dig into what changing runoff EC and pH can tell you about nutrient demand, salt accumulation, irrigation volume, and root-zone conditions. Rather than reacting to a single measurement, the goal is to track trends over time and use that data to make more informed crop steering decisions.
Chapters:
00:00 How Runoff Collection Works01:00 When to Collect Runoff01:30 What Runoff Data to Record02:03 How to Calculate Runoff Percentage02:41 What Is a Good Runoff Percentage?03:26 Comparing Drip and Drain Data04:38 Where Does Irrigation Water Go?05:58 Understanding Runoff EC07:25 Understanding Runoff pH Trends07:55 What Rising or Falling Runoff pH Tells You
Runoff isn't just waste leaving the substrate. It's data that can help you understand how your plants are responding to your fertigation strategy.
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Spotify
5.0 / 5
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