Cultivation

Gretchen Schimelpfenig, PE, is the Technical Director of RII and manages the organization’s Technical Advisory Council. She is an LED-lit home cultivator. While serving Burlington Electric Department customers, she incentivized horticultural LED lighting equipment through energy efficiency programs, and has commissioned LED lighting designs and installed systems in commercial and industrial buildings, including greenhouses used for academic research on hemp and other cultivars. She authored the RII 

Best Practices Guides on HVAC and LED Lighting for Cannabis Cultivation and Controlled Environment Agriculture.

 She has a B.S. in Architectural Engineering from the University of Wyoming and an M.S. in Civil Engineering from Stanford University. She is a licensed Civil Professional Engineer in California and Vermont. 

Articles

Learn about the four major steps of integrated pest management (IPM) programs: setting action thresholds; monitoring and identification, prevention, and control; the various control methodologies; and how climate control systems both enable indoor cannabis cultivation and can manage pests like mold and mildew.

Integrated Pest Management for Cannabis Cultivation Monitoring, Identifying, Preventing, and Controlling Pests with HVAC Solutions

Here we explore how extracting and analyzing plant sap can help growers make real-time decisions that lower their production costs and improve crop quality.

The Future of Nutrient Monitoring:  How Plant Sap Analysis Can Help You Cultivate Healthier Plants for Less 

Isolated CBD, full-spectrum oil, and even smokable hemp are all being diluted down by a draconian regulatory framework that needs to be changed to facilitate growth, innovation, and prosperity throughout the industry.

Hemp Regulations and the Restrictions on Innovation

This article outlines types of cooling equipment that contribute to sustainability and energy-efficiency; how to develop a customized cooling strategy that meets growers’ sustainability goals; and steps growers can take to simultaneously improve energy efficiency and operating costs.

Is Carbon-Neutral Cannabis Possible?

In this interview, Michael Salaman, co-founder and president of GrowGeneration, talks about the trends in cannabis during the COVID-19 pandemic and more.

Hydroponic and Organic Growing in Cannabis Cultivation

Learn about the major choices of substrate, their benefits and disadvantages, the ways watering volume and frequency are affected by substrate choice, and more.

Rooting for Recapture and Reuse Impact of Substrate Choices on Irrigation Approach, Watering Rates, and Recirculation Activities

Learn more about vapor pressure deficit and how it is a critical measurement of air conditions that impact the health and vitality of your plants.

A Deep Dive into Vapor Pressure Deficit for Commercial Cannabis Cultivation

As globalization of demand for cannabis and its derivative products increase, new technology and artificial intelligence solutions can greatly boost the output of production and processing.

New Age Artificial Intelligence for Cannabis Production?

What are the environmental implications of energy consumption for outdoor, indoor, and greenhouse cultivation?

The Environmental Implications of Energy Consumption in Cannabis Cultivation

A review of the changing attitude and knowledge gap in cannabis cultivation and more.