After a first convincing test on 2500m2, the Dutch propagator Noordam Plants decided to extend the RED LED solution to 15000m2. "The flexibility and performance of RED T lighting makes it the perfect ally for producers of young plants", said Martin Noordam, General Manager, Noordam Plants. "Within two years, all our sodium lamps will be replaced."
Martin Noordam is the director of Noordam Plants, a Dutch company based in s-Gravenzande located in Westland, Netherlands, which operates 10 hectares of greenhouses. Drawing on more than 100 years of history, the company specializes in growing young fruit and vegetable plants. Its mission is to produce uniform plants of perfect health quality and deliver them at a date agreed upon.
Martin observes that customer requirements are constantly evolving and tending towards higher quality and homogeneity. "Our customers have increasingly demanding requirements. Our mission is to know how to meet them", he says.
Several years ago, Martin grasped the wide range of possibilities provided by the technological revolution in horticultural lighting.
Transitioning to smart LED with an experienced partner
Until recently, Noordam's lighting installation was comprised of 1000 watt SON-T (sodium). The high-power consumption and lack of functionality have caused Martin to turn to LED. Equipped only with an ON/OFF system, the SON-T lamps did not enable to adapt to the needs of the crop, whether in terms of wavelengths, or in terms of light intensity
A first test on 2500m2
Impressed by RED's experience regarding the innovation that is smart LED, Martin selected RED two years ago to conduct a first trial over a surface area of 2500m2 equipped with RED T lighting. Since then, Noordam and RED Horticulture have been in frequent contact to develop their collaboration. Martin highlights the two-step flexibility of the RED solution: the adjustment of the lighting strategy, and the real-time adjustment.
"Overall, growers emphasize homogeneity. In terms of young plants, working with a large number of varieties also prioritizes the flexibility of the solution", says Martin. "For tomatoes, peppers, or cucumbers, light requirements differ. But for each variety, we must also know how to adapt from one day to another."
The Noordam site is divided into 27 distinct compartments. Each of them has different lighting needs and requires individual control. The notion of flexibility therefore takes on its full meaning. The lighting strategy is spread over several periods. Rooting, plant morphology and even flowering are clearly defined phases in terms of lighting requirements. Thus, overall agronomic control has progressed significantly since the transition to smart LED.
The expertise of RED Horticulture in photobiology makes it possible to fully exploit the potential of the lighting. "We continually invests in R&D in order to continue to advance the sector", the team of RED adds.
The My RED application is central to the daily monitoring of the lighting strategy. After significant initial zoning work, the Noordam teams now operate the application with autonomy. MyRED enables to be informed of all light data and adjust strategies if necessary.
Convincing tests prior to investment over a surface of 15,000m2
As the trial of the RED solution met the expectations of the Noordam teams, an expansion of the RED illuminated surface was carried out last year on over 1.5 hectares.
RED T 680 lighting delivers power equivalent to that of 1000 watt HPS lamps and enables energy savings up to 60%. Very satisfied with collaborating with RED Horticulture, Martin Noordam wishes to replace the entirety of his lighting system by the RED solution.
Martin highlights RED for the quality of its agronomic support. "They helped and guided us upon start-up of the installation, particularly with the creation of lighting recipes specific to Noordam." On a daily basis, crop manager John, is the person working with the RED solution. On-site feedback since the expansion are just as satisfactory.
For more information:
RED Horticulture
60 Quai Perrache, 69002
Lyon, France
Tel.: +33 4 87 91 24 00 60
Email: contact@horticulture.red
http://www.horticulture.red/