Year-round production of peppers with supplemental lighting is possible when cultivating in a different way. That is the conclusion of a study conducted at Proeftuin Zwaagdijk last year. The project will be continued in the form of an examination of different varieties. In nursery Peppers Unlimited, varieties of Enza Zaden, De Ruiter and Rijk Zwaan are grown under 96 umol light.
Initial testing started on September 19, 2012. The plants were seven weeks old and fifty centimeters when going into the greenhouse. In the test, 6.7 stems per m2 and two stems per plant were kept. The trial was conducted at Proeftuin Zwaagdijk, in two modern glasshouse compartments of 150 m2, both with 190 mmol Son-T lighting and 14,000 lux. Both greenhouses were equipped with far-red light.
This year an additional trial was started at Peppers Unlimited in Kampen. Paprika Grower Wilbert van den Bosch keeps a greenhouse with 6 hectares of unlit crops and 7.5 hectares of lit crops.
Stefan Persoon and Kees Vijverberg
Pepper grower Kees Vijverberg, one of the initiators of the trials, is happy with results so far. "Year-round cultivation of high quality and safe products can now be achieved in the Netherlands.”
Research at Wilbert van den Bosch is accompanied by Inno-Agro and Proeftuin Zwaagdijk. The research is privately funded by the seed companies listed, Harvest House and Hortilux Schreder.