NL: Celebrating 15 Years of Horticultural Development At The Horti Science Park

August 9, 2021

Wageningen University & Research (WUR), the Delphy Improvement Centre, and the Municipality of Lansingerland are celebrating fifteen years of scientific development in the field of greenhouse horticulture. Save the date: various activities will be organized during the ’Horti Science Park Event Weeks’, held this year from 20 September to 8 October. From looking back, we are now looking forward to the role that the Horti Science Park will be playing in the future.

The autumn of 2006 saw the launch of a number of cultivation trials at the Delphy Improvement Centre and Wageningen University & Research (Greenhouse Horticulture Business Unit) sites, both located at Violierenweg in Bleiswijk (Municipality of Lansingerland). Pioneering research was conducted in support of both the Dutch and international greenhouse horticulture sector at this Horti Science Park in the past decade and a half.

In addition to devising and developing the Next Generation Greenhouse Cultivation project, a great deal of research was carried out on the application of LED lighting with a view to creating sustainable cultivation systems. The development towards digital cultivation in autonomously controlled greenhouses with the application of newly developed plant sensors is in full swing and will result in far-reaching changes regarding the management of greenhouse horticulture. The development of production systems has always been a part of this, just as several greenhouse prototypes are now being tested and scientific knowledge in the area of cultivation is being developed in support of Vertical Farming practices.

The Municipality of Lansingerland is pleased with the presence of these two leading research institutions in greenhouse horticulture and therefore wishes to further develop its position as a knowledge-intensive municipality focusing on greenhouse horticulture. It is currently collaborating with entrepreneurs and residents on a ‘Horti Science Vision’, which should comprise the basis for guiding greenhouse horticulture research and future plans on themes such as education, employment, and space.

The opening of the ‘Vertical Farming Fieldlab’ by Wageningen University & Research (WUR) and Delphy is scheduled to take place during the ‘Horti Science Park Event Weeks’, which will be held from 20 September to 8 October. In addition to the above, the Municipality of Lansingerland, WUR and Delphy, in conjunction with organizations such as Glastuinbouw Nederland and Greenport West-Holland, will be organizing at least ten other events. Examples are the Knowledge Day for entrepreneurs in horticulture, the WaterEvent and an afternoon symposium on taste research. Meet-ups on the 'Horti Science Vision' will also be planned with young people who are interested in the horticultural sector and residents of the municipality. All events will be looking towards the future based on the knowledge we have today.

For more information:
Wageningen University & Research
www.wur.nl

Seoul Semiconductor Enters The Horticulture Market

There's a new kid on the block in the horticultural market! Well, new... Seoul Semiconductors was founded in 1992 already, when they rented a small space in a commercial building. By now it is one of the biggest global LED manufacturers. And good news: they are also bringing solutions to the horticultural industry. Recently they became a member of the Association for Vertical Farming

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"As a world top innovative company we're constantly thriving for optimization and want to offer solutions by our key technologies", the team says. Based on a differentiated product portfolio, Seoul offers a wide range of technologies, and mass produces innovative LED products for indoor and outdoor lighting, automotive, IT products.

Seoul Semiconductors, also known as SSC, has 4 Production platforms and 6 R&D Labs globally (China, USA, Vietnam, Korea). "We're the only company in the world that can supply all wavelengths UV to IR 200nm – 1000nm," the team says. 

SSC pushes forward its expansion of global business with the belief that they can make new history with light. One of the new areas they will engage in with all their knowledge and experience is horticulture and indoor farming by cooperating with other players and supporting R&D for new applications with the sun spectrum LED they have developed.

The Association for Vertical Farming will closely work with SSCs Munich office by connecting them to the fast global network and projects.

All members are welcome to use the AVF MembersHub for direct and easy communication with each other.

For more information:
www.seoulsemicon.com
www.vertical-farming.net 

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16 Nov 2020

Federal Grant Bolsters Higher Education In AgTech

Growers have indicated the need for highly skilled workforce is becoming more urgent as technology restructures the future of farming.

Today’s blog notes a bright spot amongst many past reports of reduced government-backed financial support in research & development (R&D) and education programs that aim to improve living conditions, reduce environmental impact, and manage the growing population’s resources via technology.

Cornell University has reported that the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), through its National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), has endowed the university’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ School of Integrative Plant Science with a $496,000 grant. The federal funding will be used to develop new controlled environment agriculture (CEA) training programs for a skilled workforce that is sorely needed.

Cornell’s associate professor of horticulture Neil Mattson, well-known to us as the keynote speaker at our 2019 HortiCann Light + Tech conference, will collaborate with Cornell Small Farms program director Anu Rangarajan, Ohio State University’s Agricultural Technical Institute, and SUNY Broome Community College to create a technical training certificate in CEA production. The partners also expect to develop a two-year associate’s degree program for students at these institutions and other community colleges to provide solid education in CEA.

Mattson said in the Cornell Chronicle, “Growers consistently state that finding well-trained personnel to operate their facilities is among the largest barriers to expansion.”

Why do we need this educational support? The global population is growing, and supply needs to ramp up to deliver healthy foods to all economic strata. Many food crops are currently unavailable close to home for many, which places a burden on transportation and increases carbon footprint, as well as impacting shelf life. CEA can bring many food-growing resources closer to consumers, especially in urban areas or regions that would prove inhospitable to sensitive crops in a traditional farming operation.

CEA gives growers the means to apply physical systems of growth media, environmental controls, horticultural lighting, and water supply systems along with evidence-backed research in pest management, food safety processes, light customization, and more to produce food sources in a manner designed to balance economic viability, food demand, and sustainability.

Technologies available to modern CEA growers would naturally require a more advanced skillset. Indeed, said Rangarajan, “Our efforts have laid the groundwork for what I hope will be a dynamic training program that will build the workforce and elevate the industry as a whole.”

It’s an exciting time in the horticultural and agricultural space, and learning opportunities abound. Bookmark our HortiCann Light + Tech conference homepage for updates on our upcoming October program, now virtual for 2020. Moving beyond horticultural lighting fundamentals, the program will also delve into agribusiness and the return on investment in advanced systems and controls, AgTech systems integration, and topics related to legalized cannabis growing operations.

Photo credit: Image by iamereri via Pixabay; used under free license for commercial or non-commercial purposes.

Author: Carrie Meadows | LEDsMagazine | Jul 10, 2020

Vertical Farming Possibilities In The Netherlands

Vertical Farming Possibilities In The Netherlands

Rabobank recently published its annual 'horticultural update' which tracks market developments and makes predictions. This time vertical farming in the Netherlands was one of the main focal points.

2018 has started well for horticulture and most sectors carried over the positive sentiment from 2017. Consumption of horticultural products is increasing and profitability is more than sufficient as a result.

On the other hand, the first quarter did show a decline in exports of ornamentals. There are also some possible threats to the market in the medium term. For example, there is still uncertainty about the impact of the Brexit negotiations and getting enough (seasonal) labor is becoming increasingly difficult. The discussion about ending the consumption of natural gas is also a factor. 

Barometer

The average score of the Rabobank NL horticultural barometer in the second quarter of 2018 is good with 7.23. There are sectors that clearly stand out against this average. The prospects for soft fruit are good this year, the export figures for tree cultivation are rising and spring flower bulbs have sold well. On the other hand, mushroom companies with manual harvest and lily cultivation companies score lower. Tomato and bell pepper prices are also clearly lower in the first quarter of 2018.

There are worries about the increasing employment problems for the medium term. This applies both to middle management and to qualified personnel for cultivation and harvesting. There is also an awareness that diseases and pests can strike at any time. The (looming) virus infection of cucumbers, the closure of a rose plant due to brown rot and the Xylella infestations of tree cultivation propagation material in Spain indicate how quickly issues can develop.
 

Innovation: vertical farming

A major breakthrough in vertical farming for the standard production of fruit vegetables is not expected in the Netherlands in the next three years. However, developments are not standing still so this could change quickly.

Possibilities for vertical farming in the Netherlands
Rabobank has researched the possibilities for vertical farming in the Netherlands. Due to the speed of developments, a time horizon of three years has been adopted. Right now, vertical farming is mainly developed for research purposes (breeding, light, cultivation methods). The knowledge can be applied to projects in other countries that are further ahead with vertical farming.

In addition, there are already opportunities for high-quality crop production with specific ingredients for the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industry. The advantages of supply reliability, product quality, and process controllability then partly offset the relatively high cost of production.

Another application is in the production of food for specific niche markets, such as (top) restaurants and food with specific ingredients (vitamins). In these niche markets, paying a higher price for food is subordinate to the production method, quality, and product characteristics.

A fourth option for vertical farming is larger companies with fully integrated production and sales in the chain. Because of their size and direct sales contracts with retail organizations, they can compensate for the higher costs. If the products also have a longer shelf life, this market could emerge further.

A final application is to make this cultivation method an integral part of the entire cultivation process in greenhouse horticulture. Greenhouse growers want the certainty of year-round uniform, high-quality starting material. Therefore, it is possible to consider vertical farming with the propagation of starting material, extended cultivation and other applications.

Click here for the full report.

Publication date: 6/1/2018