You know I always used to think about doing it this way too... not as gradually as you're suggesting though. I was just going to do it over about a week period... an hour less light a day maybe.

I'd like to do it this way, but I don't have the time. I wouldn't think it'd make that much difference though. Flowering still works.... I think the abrupt change just introduces a stress on the plant (an unnatural one at that), but it's been shown that this stress can be recovered from. Maybe it would increase yields by never being stressed, but I bet it would be a negligible increase.

You know, this is still not imitating nature. It's probably less stress, but in the summer each successive day is only shorter by like ~1 minute or so!!! THAT would be a PAIN IN THE ASS to recreate!