Den Berk Délice from Merksplas in Belgium is expanding their cultivation area with 7.3 ha. The new greenhouse is being equipped for the cultivation of high-quality tomatoes. Signify will supply the hybrid lighting installation, with a total light level of 265 µmol/s/m2. In 2019, Signify already supplied a hybrid installation of 180 µmol/s/m2 for 9.7 ha.
The new greenhouse of Den Berk Délice will be realized at location Berkenrijs in Rijkevorsel, next to location Salmmeir, where the first LED lighting installation from Signify was realized in 2019. “It will be our third location for LED lit cultivation,” according to partner and co-founder Koen Lauwerysen. “We took a broad orientation, and eventually our two current suppliers remained. Looking at the long term, we choose Signify with full conviction. They have the most experience, deliver products of consistent high quality, and are a frontrunner in innovation and knowledge development. Furthermore, the team thinks along with us and practices what they preach. That fits perfectly with our ambition to supply consumers and retailers with tasty tomatoes year-round.”
Hybrid lighting
The light plan was created in close consultation between Den Berk and Signify’s account manager and plant specialist. The hybrid lighting installation consists of 50% HPS and 50% Philips GreenPower LED toplighting containing red and blue light, delivering respectively 90 and 175 µmol/s/m2 PAR-light. This light level is exceptionally high for tomato cultivation in Northwest Europe.
“It is a conscious decision,” Lauwerysen explains. “The developments go quickly, and with this configuration we can make the step to a higher light level for the same electricity usage as at the Salmmeir location. It is a good step towards further sustainability of our company. Thanks to the higher light output of the LEDs, we can use the lighting longer and with higher efficacy in the period of April/May, Sept/Oct when the heat radiation from the HPS is less necessary. Our expectation is that the LEDs will be turned on for 3.300 hours per year, against 2.500 hours for the HPS.”
The new greenhouse will be realized at the end of August. Planting will take place in week 36. The LED lights will be installed in week 40, after which the entire installation is ready for use.
For more information:
Den Berk Délice
Berkelaar 10
BE 2330 Merksplas, Belgium
info@denberk.be
www.denberk-delice.com