It sounds too good to be true: a higher production, and at the same time a lower footprint. But it is possible, as shown during the 'Greenhouse2030: Sustainable cultivation with a future' project of the Greenhouse Horticulture Business Unit of Wageningen University & Research. The project investigates whether emission-free cultivation in strawberry, freesia, gerbera and pot anthurium is feasible.
Researchers look at three themes: the emissions of CO2, water & nutrients and crop protection. To start with CO2. The four crops have been in the Greenhouse2030 in Bleiswijk since spring 2019. This greenhouse does not use gas for heating: it is a so-called all-electric greenhouse with Full LED lighting. The dehumidification takes place through condensation on a cold surface, whereby latent heat is recovered. This keeps the greenhouse more closed in winter and spring.
The CO2 emissions of the cultivation are minimal due to the use of a Full LED lighting and high insulation of the greenhouse through three screens. The chosen strategy of intensifying cultivation also appears to have positive effects on production. Firstly, more strawberry plants per square meter can be grown by reducing the distance. And by making the gutters hoistable, there is still room for harvesting. As a result, the Greenhouse2030 has 20% more plants than usual. The production increased much more than that 20%. In practice, a harvest of 15 kilograms is achievable, in the project more than 22 kilograms per square meter were achieved. The taste of the strawberries of the cultivated variety was very good.
Source: Wageningen University & Research