What is CleanLight's UV technology?
The short version: UV-C light destroys the DNA of powdery mildew, botrytis and other pathogens on contact, in seconds, with no chemicals and no residue.
What is UV-C?
UV-C is ultraviolet light at 254 nanometers, the germicidal wavelength. It has been used for decades to disinfect hospitals, drinking water and food production lines. When UV-C hits a fungal spore, bacterium or virus, it disrupts the organism's DNA so it can no longer reproduce. The infection cycle stops.
How CleanLight applies it to crops
Raw UV-C would damage plants at high doses. CleanLight's innovation, developed in the Netherlands since 2006, is a calibrated dose delivered through a parabolic reflector: strong enough to destroy pathogens on the plant surface, gentle enough to leave the plant unharmed. A daily sweep of a few seconds per plant is all it takes.
Why growers choose light over chemicals
- Zero residue. Nothing is sprayed, so nothing shows up in lab tests. Usable through flower and even post-harvest.
- No resistance. Fungi adapt to chemical fungicides over time. They cannot adapt to having their DNA destroyed.
- No re-entry intervals. Treat and keep working. No protective-equipment downtime, no waiting periods.
- No license required. UV-C treatment is allowed on all types of cultivation.
What it controls
CleanLight is effective against pathogens that live on the plant surface: powdery mildew (preventative and curative), botrytis / bud rot (preventative and surface-curative), fusarium spores, and bacteria and viruses on plants, surfaces, water and air. Botrytis that has already grown into plant tissue cannot be cured, which is why daily prevention is the winning strategy.
The routine
- Let the unit warm up for about one minute.
- Sweep the light across your canopy, a few seconds per plant.
- Repeat daily (or 2–3× per week minimum for surface fungi).
For airborne spore pressure, the CleanLight Air runs 24/7 and continuously disinfects the air in rooms up to 100 m³.