surface area is the key. if you make more holes in the canopy and more light passes through the plant without hitting a leaf, it is a net-negative.
ATP, the primary product of photosynthesis, is highly mobile. Apical dominance dictates where it is used, and not dictated by where it was produced. It goes from the leaves into the phloem for use when not stored. where the light hits does not dictate where the sugars will be used.
there's other reasons to try to reduced proportion of larf and this or that, but in the end it mainly just reduces yield, which is fine if you have no use for larf. I don't do extracts so i try to lolipop the trash at bottom. i try to have a good understanding of how deep my plants produce good buds and stick within that range. Sounds counter-intuitive but try to stick to 2.5-3 colas per sq ft. you'll minimize larf and get awesome light penetration too without any effort while still have a solid canopy with no gaps as it fills out. If you want less trash buds, that's the best way to go.
