More uniform young plants by steering light, not guessing

Introduction

Exact µmol-based LED control in Connext 916

If you run a nursery or propagation greenhouse, you know how fast light differences show up in young plants. When you grow multiple crops and varieties side by side, uniformity becomes harder. One compartment runs ahead. Another lags behind. Plant development doesn’t line up. Delivery planning becomes harder than it should be. Often, the issue isn’t your strategy, but how light is applied in daily practice.

At the same time, prices change and the weather shifts. Crops react immediately. That’s why Priva Connext 916 treats light as an active steering instrument. Not just on/off, but precise, crop-driven control that helps you keep young plant growth uniform and predictable across crops and varieties.

Why this matters in daily growing

Young plants respond strongly to light. Internode length, leaf development, rooting speed and plant balance all depend on how much usable light the plant actually receives. When light control is coarse, small differences build up quickly.

In daily practice, this often shows up as:

Uneven plant development across batches and compartments
More manual corrections to keep batches aligned. You could have a big difference in crop plan, especially in paprika, cucumbers, and nurseries.

Uniformity isn’t about growing faster. It’s about growing more consistently. That’s exactly where more precise light steering helps you.

A lighting example in practice

You grow young plants for multiple crops across several compartments under LED, such as tomato, pepper, and cucumbers. Before, lighting was mainly controlled by switching lights on or off. On dark days, the system compensated, but the actual light reaching the crop still varied. Over time, one batch becomes more compact, another more stretched.

With Connext 916, you switch to steering on µmol per square meter per second. You define a clear light target per crop stage. The system translates that target into exact LED output, while accounting for available daylight.

In practice, this results in more uniform crop development and more predictable delivery planning from week to week.

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What’s new in the update: Connext 916

In this release, you’ll notice three concrete changes:

Exact Light Control in µmol: You steer Led output directly on µmol/s/m² and compose the spectrum in % or µmol/s/m² (depending on your LED system)
Recipes with spectrum support: You continue to work with recipes as you are used to. For LED fixtures that support HLP exact light control, recipes can now also include spectrum settings, referenced by a spectrum number.
Simple and advanced light workflows, depending on how much detail you want to use

These changes are designed to support daily decisions, not add complexity.

Adapts to your way of working

Not every greenhouse has the same lamps, and not every grower wants the same level of detail. Connext 916 is built around that reality.

If your LED fixtures support exact µmol control, you can work in an advanced view. Here, you steer light very precisely, including intensity and spectrum per crop stage. This is useful when you want maximum control and fine-tuning.

If your lamps do not support µmol control, or if you prefer to keep working the way you are used to, you can continue with percentage-based settings. Connext includes an automatic converter. It translates your existing light recipes into µmol-based control in the background. This means you can keep working as you always have, without needing to think about calculations or technical conversions.

In daily practice, you keep working with the same clear dashboard you know today. Only if you choose to can you switch to a less complicated view where additional details are available. The system adapts to you, not the other way around. You can choose an easy widget from the library or a more advanced one.

How Priva ECO fits into this picture

Where Connext 916 focuses on precise execution today, Priva ECO helps you plan for stable light conditions for the lowest energy cost.

Priva ECO schedules lights to deliver daily light sum (DLI) in mol/m2 of PAR light, aligned with yourcrop strategy. It uses dynamic energy prices to plan lights in the most cost-efficient way, when energy prices are at the lowest and within the limits of the crop for light intensity during the photoperiod. It supplements natural daylight with HPS and dimmable LED lighting to reach your target.

It saves energy cost, without limiting light levels for the crop
Balances light, energy prices, and weather forecasts
Consistent light levels keep crop growth predictable and yields stable.
Helps you avoid peaks and shortfalls before they happen

Connext then executes that plan accurately at crop level. Together, this supports uniform growth not just on a single day, but across the entire week.

How it works

This update builds on proven control logic, with more precision added. Connext 916 calculates the required LED output based on light targets and available daylight. Spectrum tables link crop stage to light quality and intensity. Planning data and influences can adjust output automatically when conditions change. You steer the crop, the system handles execution.

Who does what in this setup

Priva One: your daily workspace and crop overview
Connext 916: exact light control and climate execution
Priva ECO: forward planning and optimization of daily light sum

What you get

More uniform young plant development across batches and varieties
Better alignment between batches and delivery moments
Fewer manual corrections during the cycle
Clear insight into how much light the crop actually receives

This doesn’t guarantee results. It gives you more control and consistency in daily practice.

Want to see how Connext 916 and Priva ECO fit your situation? Talk to your Priva partner and explore how precise light control and forward planning can support your nursery or propagation strategy.