News

Tom Lefevre replaces part of SON-T lamps with LEDs ‘In spring I can still light with high power for a long time’

After having fitted a part with LED lamps at first, Merksplas-based Hortipower kicks off the lit tomato season with a full hybrid lighting installation. With the dimming function, the growers are even better able to control the climate and thus guarantee their product stability.

Onderzoek naar juiste spectrum en lichtverdeling bij full-LED belichting

Onderzoek en telerservaringen met hybride belichting en full-LED trekken veel belangstelling van telers. Belichtende bedrijven hebben duidelijk behoefte aan nog meer kennis over belichtingsniveaus, spectrum en teeltmethode. Proefcentrum Hoogstraten is om die reden een onderzoek gestart naar het juiste spectrum en lichtverdeling bij full-LED belichting boven tomaat. De proeven bouwen voort op eerder onderzoek binnen Glitch.

Growers learn to use 'x-factor' far-red in cucumber cultivation

Growers, researchers and lighting suppliers agree, far-red is the 'x-factor', but when this x-factor should be deployed, that is a different story.

At the Proefstation voor de Groenteteelt (testing station for vegetable cultivation) in the Belgian town Sint-Katelijne-Waver, they are conducting research into high-wire cucumber cultivation with both full led and hybrid lighting in various spectra. One thing is sure: the light recipe for the tomato is not sufficient for an optimal production of the fresh green fruits.

Dutch grower goes hybrid with first 5 hectares of cucumbers

For many years by now the cucumbers at Van Gog Kwekerijen have been growing under SON-T lightings. Recently 5 ha of the Dutch greenhouse was enriched with additional LED-lights, making it one of the first commercial, large-scale cucumber crops with a hybrid installation.

Our 1000Watt LED grow light is a true 'sustainable' investment

Switching to LED lighting is a big, expensive decision. It's, however, worth the investment, according to MechaTronix's Patrick Casteleyn. "Investing in LED lighting is a sustainable choice," he explains. "It contributes enormously to reducing growers' environmental footprint, certainly in the long run."

Tomeco and Mechatronix form partnership

Tomeco is the collaborative effort of several experienced Belgian family-run businesses to grow the best possible specialty tomatoes with the utmost respect for nature and the environment. Within the Tomeco group, the growers share their experience, values and vision: to deliver a sustainable and customer-oriented high quality product.

MechaTronix becomes LED grow light technology partner for the AGROS program by the Wageningen Research University (WUR)

Society has become more critical of the greenhouse horticulture, arable farming and dairy industries and demands change, but the current farming systems can only meet this demand to a limited extent. The way forward will involve a transition to a healthier and more resilient agricultural and horticultural system. In the new AGROS programme, we are investigating how technology can help with this transition.

Strawberry growers in tomato growers' footsteps with increased acreage LED lighting

It's time to put the spotlight on the strawberry - and not just the spotlight but also the HPS and the LED lights. Following tomato growers, more and more strawberry growers opt for year round production of the red fruits. According to Koen Vangorp with Mechatronix, it is both the favorable market conditions as well as the lowered cost price that makes LED lit cultivation interesting to growers.

CoolStack® - MORE than just an HPS SON-T replacement!

Compact and extremely powerful – that is in a few words what the CoolStack® LED grow lights stand for.
While the efficiency and technology of HPS SON-T grow lights has stabilized over years, the efficiency of LED grow lights moves up every year.
Just a few years ago we could still discuss if LED grow lights would offer a major advantage over the well-known and proven technology of HPS SON-T lamps.
Today it is clear that the future of horti assimilation lighting is completely turning in the direction of LED technology.

Controlling with lighting and water hygiene

On the innovation square of the Aardbeien Demodag in Egchel we saw some advanced novelties from companies active in grow lights and water hygiene.

First bell peppers lighting test Hoogstraten already harvested

For the second year in a row, Proefcentrum Hoogstraten is executing tests with lighting for bell peppers. This season, harvest was extra early, last Wednesday January 8 to be precise. Roel Vanderbruggen, manager at the test center: "Normally, the first harvest is in March or April."

Controllable LED lighting, We're going for summer quality products even in winter

There are an impressive 56 different mother plant varieties in the greenhouse of Biological Youngplants, from which over 13 million SKAL certified cuttings are being propagated each year. To improve on both the quality and the cultivation speed of the cuttings, the company uses LED lamps. The lights are equipped in such a way that each lamp can be set for a certain intensity and length of the day. “Every plant has their own lighting needs”, says owner Gerard van der Knaap.

One extra layer with lighting in strawberry greenhouse, also a big step forward

Because it is becoming increasingly difficult for growers to obtain a building permit for the expansion of a greenhouse, it is important to use space creatively. Strawberry growers are also struggling with this, but unlike growers of lettuce, herbs or leafy crops, multi-layer cultivation is not yet that established. Still, that could change, according to Patrick Casteleyn of MechaTronix. "With one extra layer of strawberries, a grower is already making a lot of progress."

Bromeliad plant balance tests show stunning results

A 30 weeks trial to find the ideal balance between LED grow light level and temperature on Bromeliads has been concluded and shows stunning and unexpected results.Where seen the kind of nature of Bromeliads everyone expected that temperature would probably be the biggest influencer on growth, light seemed to be the trigger and factor of success for an accelerated growth of Vriesea and Guzmania bromeliads.

Research toolbox expanded thanks to light with diffused glass

When the lights are out, it looks like a regular grow-rack. However, inside is a specially developed type of diffuse glass, containing both LED lights and a reflecting mirror. This new equipment, the CoolGrow® VF developed by MechaTronix, makes it possible to do dynamic LED research in an affordable way.