RED x Pierrick L’Eost #2021
The world-travelling journalist conquering the strawberries of Plougastel
14 November 2023
The world-travelling journalist conquering the strawberries of Plougastel
Pierrick L’Eost is a strawberry producer in the “Fraise de Plougastel” region. After a career in journalism and a trip around the world, Pierrick decided to settle down in 2019 in Loperhet to set up a 1.3 hectare farm.
He produces the Gariguette and Mariguette strawberry varieties in a hanging garden, under a glass greenhouse that has a drip watering system and misting.
In order to produce a quality strawberry, he emphasizes the success of his integrated pest management program:
Allonger la période de production pour fidéliser le personnel
When Pierrick decided to turn to production lighting, his objective was to complement natural light to spread out his production.
During his initial research, he chose to discard the HPS lamps, which he considered too energy-consuming and which considerably increased the temperature of the plant. Pierrick wanted a solution that would guarantee him plants ready 10 days early with a low energy cost.
“When I met Louis and Yassine, the directors of RED Horticulture, I was immediately convinced by their speech and their explanations, and I invested in a 1500m2 surface.”
Teaching the specifics of LED lighting
When equipping a greenhouse with LED lighting for the first time, Pierrick asked to be guided by RED Horticulture’s teams for the equipment installation.
Pierrick chose the TAURUS 300 lighting system, installed under the ridge and controlled using SOLSTICE.
“With RED I found a complementary lighting system that allows me to obtain tastier strawberries while increasing my yield.”
Support in order to provide the necessary knowledge on photobiology
On a daily basis, Pierrick is accompanied by Raphaël Quenum, agronomist at RED Horticulture and specialist in strawberry production. The support consists of one visit per month and regular telephone calls.
Pierrick’s objective is to understand the light factor in order to be able to make the right decisions. Understanding how the plant reacts to each wavelength according to its stage of development is one of the priorities for the Finisterian producer.
During the first season under lighting, Pierrick let Raphaël take the reins of the lighting strategy.
Becoming more comfortable during this second season with the light spectra and the light needs of the plant, Pierrick wanted the collaboration between RED Horticulture and himself to be based on exchange and education.
Precocity, yield and quality: objectives achieved
Malgré un épisode météorologique délicat avec des nuits chaudes succédant à un épisode neigeux causant la perte de plusieurs hampes, Pierrick conserve des plants productifs et mesure un rendement 25% plus élevé sur la surface éclairée.
Concernant la précocité, il observe 10 jours d’avance sur la première récolte pour la production sous LED. Cependant pour Pierrick, le fait le plus important réside dans la précocité du pic de production :
+25%
Yield
+50%
Brix
+10j
Precocity
An increasing production area for the next seasons
Later, Pierrick intends to increase his production area, in particular by taking over the family farm in the area of Le Relecq-Kerhuon.
He will also double his lit surface on the site of Loperhet. To both teams’ satisfaction, the successful collaboration between RED and Pierrick is just beginning.