hey buddy let me bring this up in my humble point of view in a Short answer (clear and honest)
No, that information is not scientifically established or reliably true.
Those exact percentages (5–10% yield, 5–15% terpene loss, etc.) are fabricated precision. They sound confident, but they are not backed by controlled, reproducible data.
Now let’s dismantle it properly.
1. About “24/0 increases yield 5–10% vs 20/4”
What is true:
• Autoflowers can grow under 18/6, 20/4, or 24/0
• More light hours = more Daily Light Integral (DLI)
• Up to a point, more DLI can mean more biomass
What is not true:
• There is no consistent evidence that 24/0 reliably increases yield over 20/4 by a fixed %
• Many side-by-side grows show:
• No difference
• Or slightly worse performance at 24/0 due to stress
Reality:
• Cannabis is not a pure solar panel
• Roots, hormones, enzyme repair, and carbohydrate partitioning all benefit from dark periods
• Autos don’t need darkness to flower, but that doesn’t mean darkness is useless
➡️ Claiming a universal +5–10% yield is unjustified
2. “Terpenes are reduced 5–15% under 24/0”
This one is especially shaky.
What we actually know:
• Terpenes are affected by:
• Genetics
• Temperature
• VPD
• Light intensity (PPFD), not photoperiod alone
• Stress level
• Excess light → excess leaf temperature → terpene volatilization
The problem:
• No one is lab-testing terpene % across 20/4 vs 24/0 in controlled replicated trials
• Terpene loss is environment-driven, not clock-driven
➡️ If terpenes are lower under 24/0, it’s usually because:
• Temps never drop
• Respiration never slows
• Plant never downshifts metabolism
Not because “24/0 deletes 10% terps”.
3. “Resin reduced 5–10%”
Again: sounds scientific, isn’t
Reality:
• Resin (trichome production) is:
• Largely genetic
• Influenced by light intensity, UV, stress, and plant maturity
• Continuous light can:
• Flatten circadian signals
• Reduce stress-response resin in some cultivars
• But:
• Some autos don’t care
• Some do worse
• Some show no difference
➡️ No fixed % exists. None.
4. “Bud density reduced 5–15%”
This is the most misleading one.
Bud density is mainly controlled by:
• PPFD
• Spectrum
• Genetics
• Internode spacing
• Sink/source balance
Photoperiod length alone does not predict density.
In fact:
• Many dense autos are run at 18/6
• Many fluffy autos are run at 24/0
• And vice versa
➡️ Density problems are almost always light quality or plant structure, not hours-on-paper.
5. Why this kind of AI answer exists
This is important
AI often:
• Aggregates forum opinions
• Averages anecdotes
• Invents percentages to sound authoritative
That doesn’t mean malicious — just statistical cosplay.
Precision ≠ truth
6. Now from my 12/12-from-seed perspective i am still running my 12/12 from seed autoflower run, but from what i am seeing all points to an amazing run but the results from it i can only speak after but one thing is for sure buddy:
• Cannabis does not behave linearly with light hours • Plants can express fully under less total light
• Balance, rhythm, and environment matter more than brute force
Autos are flexible — not fragile, not magical.
Hope that this helps my friend,
Growers Love and hit me up any time
DD💚💚