News

CJ Orchids & CornelisJan Flowers switch to Full LED units by MechaTronix

"Thanks to full LED and controllable far-red the quality of our chrysanthemums excels"

In both phalaenopsis and chrysanthemums, Dutch growers CJ Orchids and CornelisJan Flowers recently switched completely to full LED. A third garden with campanula will follow soon. The fixtures are produced by MechaTronix, both greenhouses are equipped with full LED and separately controllable far-red. In addition, the units are dimmable.

Research into bulb cultivation in greenhouses or growing chambers

In order to be able to produce clean starting material for the cultivation of bulbs, we’re looking at how we can produce flower bulbs, which are traditionally grown outdoors, in greenhouses or growing chambers. That way we can keep viral and bacterial diseases at bay in indoor cultivation.

LED light dances to Linkin Park song in Chrysantemum greenhouse

Many growers are facing high energy prices. It can be difficult to cope with that, and while some had some technology in place that helped them save on the electricity bill, others had to make the painful decision of halting winter production. There are some growers, however, who tried to find a quick solution. While this can be quite tough to do right off the bat, it's surely not impossible.

Family business: growing tomatoes in greenhouses for over 60 years with an eye on innovations

Gertjan comes off as someone who isn't afraid to bet on technology and to take on investment if the trade-off is worth it. "I was interested in LED lights for a very long time," he says. "When I started my own greenhouse, I looked into getting an LED light system in the facility. Yet, the cost barrier back then was just too high and just didn't make sense." As time passed, however, LED technology kept improving, and with that, the cost barrier started going down and down.

Strawberry grower has greenhouse ready in time for winter crop under LEDs "Cultivating an expensive crop like this; do it right or not at all"

With all that's going on at the moment, these are already very trying times for growers. However, growers who are in the middle of building a new greenhouse as well, are going through an even more intensive time. Jan van Genderen of Royal Berry is one of those growers. Before the energy crisis hit, he decided to build new greenhouses, and he went through with it. In early September he proudly showed us the results.

Dutch Berries: 20 hectares of high-tech strawberry cultivation

With 20 hectares, the strawberry greenhouse of Dutch Berries was already the largest in the Netherlands when it opened in 2018, and 2 years later, the company expanded by another 4 hectares. Meanwhile, the nursery is equipped with 14 hectares of LED lighting in order to supply strawberries all year round.

LED lighting for strawberry cultivation

Recently, an LED lighting installation was put into operation at Van Dingenen nursery in Merksplas (B) in a greenhouse for the cultivation of strawberries. The engineering of the lighting project with Mecha-Tronix fixtures and the electrical installation was carried out by Bosman Van Zaal.

Longer, nicely stretched branches with some blue and green

Multiple years of research at Proefcentrum Hoogstraten have provided insight into the optimal color composition of LED lighting in winter cultivation. A spectrum with 5% far-red, 5% blue, 5-10% green and the rest red seems to be a safe approach, with possible variations.

Edible flowers under LED lighting at Piet van Vugt: "The customer asks for the same product all year round, so that is what we started to grow"

With the holidays approaching, it is also party time in the greenhouse at Van Vugt Kruiden. Yellow, purple and white pansies look as if spring has already sprung. And that is exactly what Piet van Vugt wants. "With the installation of the right LED lights, we can now supply high quality edible flowers to our customers all year round."

Lettuce grower Hofmann receives full package in new greenhouse

Horticultural projects are spring up all over Germany. Good news for Trintech, as the installation company, has plenty of work to do. Managing Director Albert van Dam talks about various new projects from lettuce and cucumbers to a trip to an endive farm.

Tom Lefevre satisfied with new hybrid lighting installation

Tomato grower Tom Lefevre expanded his tomato acreage under hybrid lighting from 1.5 ha to 6 ha last autumn. The first results are promising, he says. “The cultivation is more flexible because you can manage the climate more easily.”

Vertical farming gaining popularity among traditional growers

'Where in recent years vertical farming enthusiasts have perhaps been mainly qualified as hipsters with a rather expensive hobby, this new branch of horticultural sport is steadily on the rise and traditional growers are also finding their way to the multi-layer installations.'

They see opportunities in using techniques from vertical cultivation, for example in propagation. “It is not just about improving the quality of the young plants, but above all about the controllability of the cultivation, and thus the speed and quality,” says Koen with Mechatronix.

Playing with far-red light improves yield - "Eventually all lighting will be dynamic"

"How much far-red light plants need, changes during the season and even during the day," says Koen of MechaTronix. Lighting with an adjustable partial spectrum allows for this kind of control: the standard spectrum remains the same and the intensity of red and far-red light can be adjusted. "You only have dynamically what you want to have dynamically.” We expect that all lighting will be dynamic eventually.

‘Astronaut food for the grass’: a small step for a stadium, a giant leap for a sports pitch

Football club VVV Venlo chooses the new approach in sports field lighting with the lamps from Stogger. Hi Sports provides the experience and knowledge to make the turf in the stadium stronger.

Cucumber grower Verbaarschot expands with 4 hectares "Year-round cucumber cultivation will become the new normal"

Year-round cucumber cultivation is on the rise. This is also the case at Dutch grower Ties Verbaarschot. He expanded by 40,000m² this winter after taking over a greenhouse from a neighbour across the street. Verbaarschot is one of no fewer than seven growers who invested in new or adapted greenhouses with a high light level before the winter of 2020-2021. In total, roughly 160,000 m² of cultivation expansion. This makes it clear that Dutch and Belgian cucumber growers have determined their strategy for the coming years. "Year round cucumber cultivation will become the new normal," they expect.