RED x Delphy Improvement Centre
Over 10 years of crop experimentation under LED
For about 15 years, Delphy Improvement Centre has been working in improving cultivation techniques and is currently one of the world’s experts in fruits, vegetables and flowers. In charge of greenhouse research, Lisanne Helmus focuses on field trials, which are the last step prior to a grower ‘s decision to change his production methods or investments.
Lisanne has great progression with the use of the LED technology ever since Delphy ‘s first trials using it within greenhouses back in 2010.
Delphy has carried out trials with LED light on all vegetable crops, including tomatoes, strawberries, cucumbers, peppers and eggplants. The research center seeks above all to better understand the interactions between LED light and crop development, which also means investigate the relation with climate conditions as well as irrigation strategy in order to define crop itineraries of the future.
It was very interesting to see RED’s vision and idea regarding crop growth using LED lighting especially with the spectrum. "
2 different strategies
DLI : Daily Light Integral
The influence of the spectrum proven
The test run was successful on both sides. Lisanne was surprised by the high variability of data she had obtained during the winter period.
When you put the same amount of electricity you want to use it the most efficient way. "
As of February 8, the yield under the RED Horticulture spectrum is 13% higher. And the brix 8% higher.
Being competitive in winter is essential because the selling prices are more advantageous for the producer.
According to Lisanne there is a change in mentality in the Netherlands regarding greenhouse lighting. Before, growers thought that the solution to make lighting profitable was to light as much as possible. Nowadays the concern is when and how to use the light.
Future of photobiology
Lisanne believes that the future of the LED lamp culture is based on the search for the optimum and not the maximum. That we will be more and more concerned by the taste and nutritional quality.
“Knowing how to implement photobiology within crop management is still in development” concludes Lisanne.
At RED Horticulture we work every day to make photobiology an essential science in vegetable and horticultural production. This essay proves the extent of the influence of light on crops.
