When the new greenhouse was built in 2010, Coghe equipped 2.6 hectares of the facility with Philips HPS lighting with a light intensity of 170 μmol/m2/s. The reason for doing this was to create a better division of labor and a higher yield by producing crops during the winter period. In 2014 Coghe decided to expand the areas of his facility equipped with grow lights in order to further increase the yield.
In October 2014 the tomato grower had 6,600 PhilipsGreenPower LED interlighting modules installed in the area with HPS lighting. Each row hangs at the height of the fourth truss and has a capacity of 55 μmol/m2/s. The modules are raised every week as the plants grow.
Coghe is impressed with the first results from the LED interlighting. “The quality of the fruit is impressive,” he says. “The tomatoes are more consistent and the green parts are heavier, but the most striking difference is the taste which is clearly better.” This is true for all three varieties they grow.
“Ideally I would like to increase the production even more, but I think I need a few more years of experience to do that. We want to differentiate ourselves by the quality we deliver and we hope that that is worth a slightly higher price,” Coghe says.
For more information
Philips Horticulture LED Solutions
Daniela Damoiseaux
Global MarCom Manager
High Tech Campus 45, Eindhoven
HTC 45, Ground Floor, PO Box 80020, 5600JM Eindhoven
T: +31 6 31 65 29 69