Method and systems for indoor farming

Abstract

A method of providing light to plants. The method comprises providing a plurality of plants within a room, grouping each plant of the plurality of plants into one of a plurality of groups of plants based at least in part on a desired total light integral (“TLI”) for each of the plurality of plants and providing the corresponding desired TLI to each plant of the plurality of plants by sequentially providing light to each of the plurality of groups of plants during a time period. For each group of plants, each plant has a substantially similar photoperiod and a sum of the photosynthetic photon flux densities (“PPFDs”) of all plants in the group of plants is substantially similar.

1 . A method of providing light to plants, the method comprising:
 providing a plurality of plants within a room;   grouping each plant of the plurality of plants into one of a plurality of groups of plants based at least in part on a desired total light integral (“TLI”) for each of the plurality of plants for a time period;   providing the corresponding desired TLI to each plant of the plurality of plants by sequentially providing light to each of the plurality of groups of plants during the time period; wherein for each group of plants:
 each plant has an approximately similar photoperiod; and 
 a sum of the photosynthetic photon flux densities (“PPFDs”) of all plants in the group of plants is approximately the same. 
   
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1  comprising grouping each light of a plurality of lights into one of a plurality of groups of lights wherein each group of lights corresponds to one of the plurality of groups of plants within the room. 
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 2  wherein each group of lights is arranged to provide photons substantially only to its corresponding group of plants. 
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 2  comprising maintaining a cumulative rate of heat output of the plurality of lights approximately constant during the time period. 
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 2  wherein sequentially providing light to each of the plurality of groups of plants during a time period comprises sequentially turning on each group of lights of the plurality of groups of lights for a sub-period of time. 
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 5  wherein at least some of the sub-periods of time overlap. 
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 5  wherein each of the sub-periods of time is approximately equal in magnitude. 
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 5  wherein at least two of the sub-periods of time have different magnitudes. 
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 5  wherein the combined magnitude of the sub-periods of time is approximately equal to the time period. 
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 5  wherein each group of lights is turned on only once during the time period. 
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 5  wherein one or more groups of lights is turned on multiple times during the time period. 
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 2  wherein sequentially providing light to each of the plurality of groups of plants during a time period comprises selectively turning on a first group of lights of the plurality of groups of lights for a first sub-period of time while selectively turning off a second group of lights of the plurality of groups of lights for the first sub-period of time. 
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 2  wherein sequentially providing light to each of the plurality of groups of plants during a time period comprises:
 selectively turning on a first group of lights of the plurality of groups of lights for a first sub-period of time while selectively turning off a second group of lights of the plurality of groups of lights for the first sub-period of time; and 
 selectively turning on the second group of lights for a second sub-period of time while selectively turning off the first group of lights for the second sub-period of time. 
 
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 13  wherein the combined magnitude of the first and second sub-periods of time is approximately equal to the magnitude of the time period. 
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein a plurality of lights are moveable between a plurality of locations and in each location the plurality of lights provides photos to a corresponding a group of plants of the plurality of plants within the room. 
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 15  wherein in each location, the plurality of lights are arranged to provide photons substantially only to the corresponding group of plants. 
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein at least one of the groups of plants is arranged across rows of multiple racks. 
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 17  wherein at least one of the groups of plants is arranged across rows of multiple racks at the same height. 
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein at least one of the groups of plants comprises plants spaced apart throughout the room. 
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the time period is approximately equal to 24 hours. 
     
     
         21 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the room is arranged to substantially prevent external light from entering the room. 
     
     
         22 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein for each group of plants, the photoperiods of the plants of said group vary by less than 20%. 
     
     
         23 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the sum of the PPFDs for each group varies by less than 20%. 
     
     
         24 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the plurality of plants comprises at least two different plant varietals. 
     
     
         25 . A method according to  claim 24  comprising grouping each of the plurality of plants into the plurality of groups of plants based at least in part on plant varietal.