UK: APS leads the way of innovative technology by using Philips GreenPower LED interlighting

APS leads the way to go for the future. They see the benefits of year round lighting especially in the Winter months. According to the British Tomato Growers Association currently only 18% of the consumed tomatoes in the UK market are UK grown, but the consumers (and as a result the retailers) are seeing a strong demand for year round British grown products. APS have been working with the Philips LED Horticulture team and their UK certified partner Cambridge HOK using the Philips Interlighting Modules for the cocktail tomato variety “Temptation”. “The results have been encouraging and we look forward to further developments in the near future” says Philip Pearson (Group Development Director of APS).

Pearson & Sons the founding company of APS believes strongly in growing and supplying outstanding, fresh, high quality tomatoes. These values have remained the core to their business for over 60 years, then, as it is now, this meant growing for flavour and best quality in harmony with the beautiful British countryside. Back in 1998 APS were also the pioneers of Combined Heat & Power (CHP) of the horticultural industry in the UK, this enabled them to generate their own electricity and sell it back to the national grid to power the local village in an environmentally efficient way.

Featuring state-of-the-art LED technology, the Philips GreenPower LED interlighting module is specially designed for greenhouse applications, to provide grow light in between the plants where daylight and top assimilation light cannot reach. In effect it “fills the gap” by providing light in between the plants. Nowadays greenhouses have to be as efficient as possible, i.e., filled with the maximum number of plants. The density of the leaf package is increasing, with the result that in high-wire crops the leaves lower down do not receive enough light to produce good yield. With the Green Power LED interlighting module, we are able to “fill the gap” with highly efficient grow light (PAR 400-700 nm). This module has been designed specifically to provide grow light in between the plants. With current technology it is now possible to build a “hybrid” light solution.

For more information:
Philips Horticultural Lighting, the Netherlands
Marjan Welvaarts, Global Marcom Manager Horticulture
Tel.: +31 (0)40 275 64 99
E-mail: marjan.welvaarts@philips.com
www.philips.com/horti