Plant Empowerment has added LED lighting specialist Signify to its international network of horticultural suppliers. "This partnership will strengthen the network's ability to support growers in achieving higher yields, better quality and lower costs through the Plant Empowerment principles", the team says.
The Plant Empowerment approach focuses on data-driven crop production by maintaining balance in water, energy and assimilates. "Lighting plays a crucial role, and LEDs offer an effective year-round solution, especially in regions with strong seasonal changes," says Stijn Jochems of the Plant Empowerment Foundation.
He adds that light must be managed holistically: "Growers need to consider how lighting interacts with climate control, screening, irrigation and other greenhouse factors to keep crops healthy, productive and resilient."
© Signify Netherlands B.V.
Global network
Signify is therefore a very valuable addition to the Plant Empowerment network, according to Jochems. The company has a global team of specialists who understand how LED lighting affects crop balance, and who actively share their knowledge with growers worldwide.
"On top of that, Signify continuously conducts practical, multidisciplinary research to develop data-driven lighting strategies tailored to plant needs. This aligns perfectly with our science-based growth principles," he adds.
Balance for better yields and quality
"Good lighting is essential for year-round cultivation," says Esther de Beer, Global Manager of the Philips LED plant specialist team at Signify. "But you can only achieve optimal results by carefully balancing all the crop-related factors. That is precisely why it's important to share knowledge and join forces, and the Plant Empowerment network is an excellent platform for doing this."
"Multidisciplinary collaboration is becoming even more essential in view of the shift towards intelligent LED lighting, which is based on research-driven algorithms that support dynamic adjustments to changing crop conditions in real time," states Jeroen Thijs, marketing manager Philips Horticulture LED Solutions.
"By joining Plant Empowerment, we are taking an important step forward. By sharing our LED-lighting expertise, we want to contribute to further strengthening and broadening the philosophy in practice, so that this integrated approach can help more growers achieve higher crop yields and better quality, while minimizing expenses," he continues.
© Signify Netherlands B.V.
Tangible improvements
"With our network of 12 respected partners covering all aspects of high-tech cultivation, ranging from seeds, screening and climate control to irrigation, Integrated Pest Management and – now, thanks to Signify – LED lighting, we can translate valuable, data-driven insights into practical actions that help growers make tangible improvements by putting the plant first," explains Jochems.
Putting scientific theories into practice
A focus on the practical application of the Plant Empowerment principles aligns with the foundation's plans for the coming months. "Topics such as plant health and resilience are rapidly becoming more urgent due to tighter legislation. We are now gearing up for the next phase of our activities, in which we aim to get even closer to growers in various regions so that we can identify and understand their real-world challenges faster. We can then help them translate the scientific theories into practice to achieve demonstrable results," he concludes.
For more information:
Signify
Email: [email protected]
signify.com/global
Plant Empowerment
Email: [email protected]
plantempowerment.com/
