LEDs still expensive, but a lot more goals can be achieved

During the seminar, researchers presented the latest results and insights. Apart from LED, other light issues were discussed extensively, such as the use of light control, working with lights on DC and the effect of red light on the development of fungi in the greenhouse. The attending consultants, suppliers, growers and researchers exchanged a lot of knowledge on the latest developments in research and recent developments in technology.

LED lighting is used in several businesses, but growers still indicate that costs are high. This despite the fact that the lights are about 25% more energy efficient than the same amount of light in current assimilation lamps. Although LED is definitely the future, a lot still has to be done to make deployment practicable. 

Tom Dueck (Wageningen UR Greenhouse Horticulture) and Stefan Persoon (Inno-Agro) gave an overview of five years of research on the lighting of tomatoes at Wageningen UR Greenhouse Horticulture. Arie de Gelder (Wageningen UR Greenhouse Horticulture) discussed the project "A perfect rose, grown energy-efficient." Harry Stokman said that, in addition to a 5% energy reduction, about 2000 kg copper per hectare and 800 kg of aluminium can be saved with DC. 

Sander Hogewoning (Plant Lighting) and Frank van der Helm (Wageningen UR Greenhouse Horticulture) presented the opportunities to control light propagation with gillyflower, lisianthus and freesia. Jantineke Hofland-Zijlstra (Wageningen UR Greenhouse Horticulture) explained the effects of light color on the resistance of plants to powdery mildew and botrytis. Sander Pot (Plant Dynamics) showed the results of the study "more efficiency from light and CO2 in floriculture” which showed that at times lighting isn’t useful at all.