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"The Crop is Ready for the Darkest Period"
LEDs for bell pepper cultivation
Only two more weeks and the days will get longer again on the Northern hemisphere, making it quite a challenge for growers these days to keep their crop up and running.
The team at the Delphy Improvement Centre is doing their best as well. They're currently conducting a light test in which the first bell peppers were harvested at the end of November. The plant load is now at around 28 fruits/m2. This is also the maximum plant load calculated for the darkest period with the 200 μmol/m2/s light intensity. The most difficult phase is only just beginning, according to BTO, and the current crop is a good start for the next cultivation phase.
During cultivation they've tried to regulate the amount of light according to the needs of the plant. "This way, we wanted to ensure that the crop did not become too heavy during the period that the supply of assimilates was greater than the demand, so that in the first few weeks light was shielded based on the sum of realized light. Starting in week 42 (4 weeks after planting) the number of exposure hours is slowly increased and from week 47 on we will use the lighting for the maximum 18 hours per day."
Fruit thinning
The challenge of the coming period is that the crop will not experience a dip in fruit production. A plan has therefore been drawn up for the number of fruits that are allowed per week, and fruit thinning is the solution. "The plan is to have a maximum of 3.5 fruits/m2 per week. As bell peppers don't always take every node, thinning is a precision job. But when we look back at the plant load, the plan worked well. We currently have fruit hanging in all stages, which should ensure that we get an even production through the winter."
No difference between departments
There are currently no differences between the two departments (full LED compared to a combination of LED and SON-T lighting). In half of each greenhouse there is extra far-red lighting. So far this provided slightly more stretching and less anthocyanin formation on the stem.
The fruits of the first and second nodes are currently harvested. The fruit weight of the main variety Mavera is around 220 grams and the fruits are very thick-walled. These fruits were harvested within 6 weeks after setting. "Two weeks before the first harvest the setting was somewhat lower, but this week we see this again."
Source: Kas als Energiebron
Publication date : 12/17/2018
Jardins Réunis And Cheminant First In France To Grow Cucumbers Year-Round With Full Philips GreenPower LED Lighting Installations
Eindhoven, Netherlands – Signify (Euronext: LIGHT), the world leader in lighting, today announced that Jardins Réunis and Cheminant have both installed Philips GreenPower LED toplighting and Philips GreenPower LED interlighting in their new cucumber greenhouses in the Nantes region of France. The growers are the first to grow high-wire cucumbers with LED lighting in the country, showing their leadership as members of the Océane grower cooperative.
“We have experience growing high-wire cucumbers under LED lighting in other parts of the world, and can predict quite well how much production will increase after installing our LEDs,” says Udo van Slooten, Business Leader Horticulture at Signify. “In general, cucumber production goes up with increased light levels. But with LEDs we can truly optimize production by steering light and heat separately. The Philips LEDs have the right spectrum for cucumber growth – the plants use this color spectrum for optimal photosynthesis, resulting in greater production of a high-quality crop.”
Unique benefits
Both growers expect an increase in production, but that’s not the only reason they’ve opted for full LED lighting. Unlike HPS lighting, LED enables growers to increase light levels without increasing heat. The ability to control light and temperature more precisely guarantees high-quality production as efficiently as possible throughout the year.
“LEDs give a better heat-light balance, generating a significant increase in production without the heat that you would get with HPS lighting,” explains Antoine Cheminant, co-owner of Cheminant. “As per Signify’s calculations, we’re aiming for 30% more production in our 20,000 m² semi-closed lit greenhouse compared to a traditional non-lit greenhouse.”
Productive partnerships
“Signify has worldwide experience in growing high-wire cucumbers under LED lighting, so they can provide us with good advice and support from their plant specialists,” says Vincent Olivon, co-owner of Jardins Réunis. “LED lighting will help us to improve energy efficiency and to reduce gaps in production, especially in the more profitable winter period. This is critical in sustaining our position in the market year-round.”
Like Cheminant, Jardins Réunis installed their lighting in a newly built semi-closed greenhouse. The 25,000 m² greenhouse will use LED toplighting (145 µmol/s/m2) and LED interlighting (67 µmol/s/m2). Installations for both greenhouses were carried out by the French certified Philips Horti LED Partner Eiffage Énergie Systèmes in November 2018. This is the first growing season for both companies to make use of the system.
Visit us at SIVAL 2019
Are you attending SIVAL 2019? Visit us at booth E226 from January 15–17 in Angers Exhibition Center to learn more about Philips Horticulture LED Solutions.
In case of any questions, pls let me know!
Regards.
Daniela Damoiseaux
Global MarCom Manager Horticulture
+31 6 31652969
High Tech Campus 7
5656 AE, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Future Farm: Crops Grown With LED Lighting Might Lead To New Markets
The plan is to see if the cost of using electricity to power the new frontier of “indoor agriculture” is feasible compared to traditional agriculture.
By Powergrams - 2018
Alabama Power engineer Blair Farley and Cheryl McFarland, Commercial and Industrial Marketing Support manager, inside the hydroponic container where they're testing the feasibility of indoor agriculture. (Joseph De Sciose/Powergrams)
Alabama Power’s penchant for pushing the innovation envelope can be seen in a refurbished Freight Farms shipping container outside the Technology Applications Center at the General Services Complex in Calera.
Employees are growing lettuce and other vegetables, herbs and edible flowers in an insulated container retrofitted with LED lighting and climate-control equipment. The plan is to see if the cost of using electricity to power the new frontier of “indoor agriculture” is feasible compared to traditional agriculture.
Alabama Power engineer Blair Farley steps out of the indoor agriculture unit in Calera where the company is test-growing lettuce, carrots, basil, dill, arugula and radishes. (Joseph De Sciose/Powergrams)
Indoor agriculture could be a game-changer for farmers, stores, restaurants, consumers and Alabama Power, in part because:
Crops could be grown in a controlled environment year-round with nutrients in circulated water without soil and few or no pesticides.
Crops could be grown in urban settings and areas classified as food deserts (locations where fresh food is not easily accessible).
Transportation costs could be drastically reduced or eliminated, as food could be grown near consumers and stores.
Indoor farming can produce 12 more lettuce harvests a year, and uses up to 90 percent less water, than a traditional outdoor farm.
Energy-efficient LED lighting and other components can be programmed for off-peak hours to take advantage of cheaper electric rates.
With electricity needed to operate the lighting and climate control systems, indoor farming could usher in a new stream of opportunities for the company.
From an economic development standpoint, vacant warehouses or buildings, including those with existing utilities, could be repurposed for controlled-environment agriculture, providing jobs for Alabamians.
Other advantages include growing during drought or excessive rainfall; producing fruits and vegetables not native to a geographic area; and uninterrupted growing seasons.
Engineer Blair Farley and Cheryl McFarland, Commercial and Industrial Marketing Support manager for Alabama Power, walk alongside the modified shipping container where the company is testing the feasibility of indoor agriculture. (Joseph De Sciose/Powergrams)
There is a viable market in Alabama, with $67 million spent on lettuce annually for households and about 70 percent of people buying organic products.
“Indoor agriculture can be a great addition to the already thriving agriculture industry in our state,” said Cheryl McFarland, Commercial and Industrial Marketing Support manager.
But there are challenges. Like any new, fast-growing concept, scarce data is available to determine long-term pros and cons. High startup costs and unavailable labor could be viewed as making it a financial risk. Vague or unfavorable city laws could be a barrier to an indoor agriculture operation.
Cheryl McFarland and Blair Farley monitor the towers where they’re growing vegetables inside a refurbished shipping container. (Joseph De Sciose/Powergrams)
Exploring the container farm concept at Alabama Power originated from an increasing interest in indoor agriculture and the need to fully understand the benefits of using electricity to enhance the process.
Alabama Power employees installed a 40-foot hydroponic container in January 2017 and began producing lettuce one month later. The container has a seed germination table and 256 vertical towers holding up to 17 small heads of lettuce each. Food production at the GSC is not limited to lettuce and includes basil, arugula, carrots, dill and radishes.
Because of automation, the APC container is fairly self-sufficient. However, one to two employees with other work responsibilities spend a little of their time each week planting, harvesting and performing routine maintenance in the container.
“Interest in indoor agriculture or controlled-environment agriculture is growing either in completely enclosed settings, such as our container, augmented greenhouses or empty buildings, like a vacant mall or Walmart,” McFarland said. “It’s a great way to provide access to fresh foods and jobs in rural communities and urban settings, particularly in areas of food deserts.”
Alabama Power’s next move on the chessboard that is indoor agriculture is to assess produce production and water and electricity usage, then compare findings with similar projects within Southern Company.
“We feel the interest in indoor agriculture is continuing to grow as consumers demand more fresh, local and healthy food options in stores and restaurants,” McFarland said. “Alabama Power has always tried to find ways to improve the way of life for our customers, and indoor agriculture is another avenue we are exploring.”
How Osram Is Investing in Horticulture Technology Partnerships
The deal was a key part of Osram’s mission of moving beyond its role as a lighting company, and becoming a leading provider of intelligent plant growth solutions.
By Brian D. Sparks|December 3, 2018
Hällnäs Handelsträdgård in Northern Sweden is using Fluence’s VYPRx PLUS with PhysioSpec Greenhouse spectrum for full-cycle plant growth and development, along with Fluence’s VYPRx PLUS with AnthoSpec as a finishing spectrum to increase anthocyanin accumulation in lettuce. This has resulted in a deep-red color and higher antioxidant properties, which were previously impossible to produce under HPS or sunlight.
Photo courtesy of Osram
Earlier this year, Osram, a Munich, Germany-based tech company, acquired Fluence Bioengineering, which specializes in LED-based horticulture lighting systems. The deal was a key part of Osram’s mission of moving beyond its role as a lighting company, and becoming a leading provider of intelligent plant growth solutions.
Osram’s 110-year history in lighting is based on four pillars:
Mobility
Security and safety
Connectivity, particularly in smart buildings and cities
Health and well-being
Initially focused on the automotive and entertainment industries, the company became more engaged in horticulture when old traditional light sources were disrupted by the growth of LEDs.
“Our products changed over to LEDs for many of the same original applications, in addition to use in the medical and horticulture industries,” says Timo Bongartz, Senior Innovation Manager for Smart Farming at Osram. Now, Bongartz says, we are seeing the next industry disruptor: the Internet of Things.
“Light source alone is not enough anymore,” Bongartz says. “We saw a need to create more value around lighting, and that’s why we are shifting more from a lighting company to a technology company. We do not just want to provide components, but lighting solutions for all types of indoor production, from ornamental greenhouses to vertical farms to cannabis production facilities.”
This innovative mission was the basis behind Osram’s acquisition of Fluence, as well as its partnership with Motorleaf, a software service solutions provider.
“We want to allow growers to make more efficient use of their time, so we’re looking to provide tools for microclimate management and disease and yield prediction,” Bongartz says. “If growers know early how their yields will be, they can hopefully get higher prices.”
Bongartz says Osram also wants to stay in the loop on when a grower’s production system or crop mix may be changing, so it can place lights accordingly.
We see growers wanting to bring more intelligence and cloud-based control into their intelligent lighting systems,” he says. “On a light prediction level, we are making lights connectible and controllable through the cloud. This is how we are bringing more value to lighting solutions.”
Phytofy RL is an LED horticultural lighting system for research applications with real-time control and scheduling features for each individual channel. The calibrated system is capable of delivering light treatments with varying spectra (wavelength and intensity) for horticulture research, including far-red end-of-day treatment, brief UV light, night interruption lighting, etc.
Photo courtesy of Osram
Osram and Fluence Partner on New Lighting Systems
RAZR4 Array
From seed germination and cutting propagation to full-cycle microgreen and leafy green cultivation, RAZR4 is optimized to decrease consumption and increase production for vertical farm applications. At 2.3 µmol/J, RAZR4 is 169% more energy efficient than standard vertical farm lighting systems, while providing up to 350% more photosynthetic photon flux.VYPRx PLUS
With energy efficiency reaching 2.3 μmol/J and output surpassing 1,190 μmol/s, VYPRx PLUS is key to establishing a path to sustainability and productivity in a greenhouse. Whether extending the day or growing season for low daily light integral (DLI) crops, VYPR has the power, energy efficiency, and longevity to grow consistent crops year-round.SPYDR 2i
The SPYDR series is designed for controlled environment horticulture applications requiring efficient, precise, and uniform levels of photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD). The SPYDR 2i is streamlined to quickly deploy in multi-tier vertical farm applications for high-DLI crops and single-tier applications including growth chambers, adjacent aisle tables, and tents.
NASA is studying lighting combinations and recipes that it can then apply to crops grown in the International Space Station.
Photo courtesy of Osram
New Research Is Out of This World
While it is focused on offering growers new lighting systems and components, Osram is also doing its own research to help growers become more innovative by enabling them to develop their own light recipes. Using a tool called Phtyofy, growers can set up trials, changing light spectrums throughout the day based on how the plants are reacting.
This tool has also been developed through partnerships with Michigan State University (MSU) and even NASA. When MSU horticultural lighting expert Dr. Erik Runkle was planning a new controlled environment lighting lab, he reached out to Osram’s Semiconductors division. Partnering with Runkle gave Osram access to plant science from a horticulture perspective, while enabling MSU students to carry out lighting research on the wavelengths and light quality that may be optimal for certain crops.
The NASA partnership started through HortAmericas, whom NASA approached when it was looking for a lighting source. At Cultivate’18, one of the NASA researchers visited with the Osram team, who provided them with three lighting units for use in NASA’s advanced plant habitat lab. The objective of NASA’s research is to study lighting combinations and recipes that it could apply for crops grown in the International Space Station.
Singapore Changi, The World’s Best Airport To Open A Valoya Lit Indoor Garden
For 8 consecutive years Singapore’s Changi airport has been dubbed the world’s best. It is a hub for 62 million passengers annualy and is known worldwide for its indoor greenery designed to promote Singapore’s reputation as a city of gardens. The extension which is to be opened in the first half of 2019 is a futuristic looking dome of curved glass and steel with the world’s highest waterfall (40 m) placed at its center.
Photo by Jewel Changi Airport
The dome will be populated with flora that consists of 2.000 trees and over 100.000 other plants. These will receive sunlight through the glass of the dome which will be supplemented by Valoya’s luminaires, custom made for the Changi Airport. Valoya is a provider of LED grow lights for the crop science, vertical farming and medicinal plants markets globally, known for their research driven approach and high quality, wide spectra. In addition to the standard product series, Valoya offers custom made solutions developed for large scale projects such as Singapore’s renowned airport. These custom solutions are typically made for projects that are demanding and need a high degree of engineering and photobiology expertise and support.
The form factor of the luminaires resembles a compact box designed to fade into the background and not distract from the plants. Valoya’s powerful LEDs are placed inside with a spectrum optimized for the entire growth cycle of the widest variety of plants. The spectrum’s color is a warm white designed to seamlessly fuse with natural sunlight. It is safe for and pleasant to human eyes.
The construction of this dome is a 1,7 billion dollar project. The order of Valoya luminaires is already delivered to the customer and is in the installation phase. In March 2019 the dome will open its doors to the visitors.
About Valoya Oy
Valoya is a provider of high end, energy efficient LED grow lights for use in crop science, vertical farming and medicinal plants cultivation. Valoya LED grow lights have been developed using Valoya's proprietary LED technology and extensive plant photobiology research. Valoya's customer base includes numerous vertical farms, greenhouses and research institutions all over the world (including 8 out of 10 world’s largest agricultural companies).
Additional information:
Valoya Oy, Finland
Tel: +358 10 2350300
Email: sales@valoya.com
Web: www.valoya.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valoyafi/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/valoya
US (MA): Lettuce Grower Decreases Crop Cycle by 30%
Fresh Roots Greenhouse is a hydroponic lettuce, herb and leafy greens grower based in Chelmsford, Massachusetts. After 40 years in the pharmaceutical industry, Fresh Roots’ owner Bill Evans wanted to give back to his community during his retirement years. He found himself drawn to how cooperative-run greenhouses like Evergreen Cooperatives and WellSpring Cooperative created jobs for underserved members in addition to providing local produce, which inspired him to build Fresh Roots Greenhouse. Fresh Roots’ state-of-the-art Harnois greenhouse uses an AmHydro Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) system to grow arugula, kale, basil, and several varieties of lettuce.
The potential to direct plant growth
Since Bill’s goal is to run his greenhouse year-round, he needed the most energy-efficient lighting system possible. His experiences growing with HPS and fluorescent lights at other facilities had been suboptimal. While the fixtures grew plants, Bill could tell that the plants were not growing as quickly and that the red varieties were not coloring up as expected. Bill felt that LEDs were the most practical financial choice – while LEDs cost a bit more up front, they would save him money on electricity and labor in the long run. After Bill learned about spectrum and LumiGrow through Melanie Yelton, Vice President of LumiGrow Research, at a hydroponic tomato growing course at the University of Arizona, he was eager to learn more and stayed in touch. He was impressed with LumiGrow Research’s depth of knowledge and hands-on approach to helping customers implement the latest lighting strategy research. As a result, LumiGrow was top of mind for Bill when he began to search for the right LED lighting system for Fresh Roots Greenhouse.
“I really believe in the promise of spectral science,” says Bill, “From the time I met Melanie [at University of Arizona] and learned about LED lighting’s potential to direct plant growth, I’ve wanted to work with LumiGrow.”
Extending photoperiod to maximize growth
Bill implemented LumiGrow fixtures across the Fresh Roots entire greenhouse. He uses them for all NFT stages of plant growth. Bill was eager to start growing and immediately began using the lights to extend his plants’ photoperiod to 21 hours.
“Keeping the light on for 21 hours keeps the plants awake,” explains Bill, “If they’re kept awake, we maximize their growth period.”
Fresh Roots lettuce varieties reach harvest size about 30% faster than their typical light exposure seen in soil farming. The seed manufacturer reports a typical harvest after 50-55 days, whereas the LumiGrow-lit lettuce is ready after about 35-40 days. Bill has had success growing a wide variety of lettuces, from green butterhead to green leaf to romaine. Depending on the variety, the finished lettuce heads weigh between 7-10 oz. Each variety grows a bit differently under the LumiGrow lights.
Bill has also successfully reduced his basil’s crop cycle by over 35-40%. The basil plants reach harvest size in 35-42 days – unlit greenhouse-grown basil can take up to 56-68 days as reported by the seed manufacturer.
Additional savings using smartPAR Light Sensors
Bill has moved past simple daylight extension and is using LumiGrow fixtures to automate his lighting strategy to improve production. Bill is using LumiGrow smartPAR Light Sensors to constantly monitor the light levels inside the greenhouse and adjust the fixture intensity to achieve a daily light integral (DLI) of 17 μmol·m−2·s−1 over the course of each 21-hour photoperiod. Once the target DLI is reached, the LumiGrow smartPAR Wireless Control System turns down the fixtures’ light intensity to minimize electricity use while keeping the plants awake for the full photoperiod. Bill is happy to see that his plants are thriving under the LumiGrow fixtures.
Bill was even happier to discover that in addition to consistently reaching his lighting goals, the smartPAR Light Sensors are maximizing his LumiGrow fixtures’ energy efficiency. After Fresh Roots’ smartPAR Light Sensors were installed, Bill noticed that his electricity bill was significantly lower than when he was simply turning the fixtures on at the end of the day to extend photoperiod. Bill can rest easy knowing that he can rely on his smart lighting to deliver the appropriate amount of light every day while saving him money each month.
Bill also appreciates the flexibility that LumiGrow adjustable spectrum offers. While Bill prefers to use his LumiGrow smartPAR Light Sensors to automate his greenhouse’s lighting, he likes that the LumiGrow smartPAR Wireless Control System also gives him the option to adjust each spectral channel to create custom spectral strategies. His LumiGrow fixtures’ versatility and user-friendly software make it simple to fine-tune his spectral programs as leafy greens research continues to develop. Bill likes that smartPAR enables him to easily create new lighting zones, which opens the possibility of growing new varieties of leafy greens under different ratios of light spectrum
In the meantime, Bill will continue to provide high-quality, locally-grown leafy greens to the local community in Massachusetts and share his passion for LumiGrow technology.
“I love sharing the many properties of these lights with people, particularly the science and engineering behind them,” says Bill, “Year-round supplemental lighting is not something a lot of greenhouses in this area have yet.”
For more information:
LumiGrow
800-514-0487
info@lumigrow.com
www.lumigrow.com
Finland: Fully Automatic Vertical Farm Demo Facility Opened
Netled Continues Developing Grow Recipes
“Growing in vertical farms differs from greenhouse growing a lot. This is why new growing recipes and guidance needs to be offered together with the equipment." Speaking is Niko Kivioja, CEO with Netled Oy.
The company develops and sells turn-key fully automatic vertical farms and has just opened a new demo facility in the company's premises in Pirkkala.
"The demo facility serves R&D purposes, but also works for variety testing in order to find and develop most suitable varieties for vertical farming", Niko explains.
Furthermore, the demo facility enables Netled to accurately define the optimal growing environment setups in their Vera® vertical farm system for different varieties. The company has started the variety tests in the demo facility, which works as a platform for their recipe development.
"As a result, we can offer our customers fully tested and verified growing recipes, which enables them to take new varieties in their growing process without investing time and money in their own separate testing procedures."
At the moment the first crops are harvested.
The demo facility is not open to the public, but customers are invited to presentations regularly and of course we will keep you updated on that!
For more information
Netled Oy
Niko Kivioja
T: +358-50-360-8121
niko.kivioja@netled.fi
Publication date : 12/14/2018
Author: Arlette Sijmonsma
© HortiDaily.com
What Is The Best LED Light Recipe?
Mickens has published two manuscripts on the effect of light quality on ‘Outredgeous’ red romaine lettuce and “Rubi F1’ red pak choi, a Chinese cabbage.
By urbanagnews -
November 15, 2018
As a result of his postdoctoral research tenure at NASA Kennedy Space Center, Mickens has published two manuscripts on the effect of light quality on ‘Outredgeous’ red romaine lettuce and “Rubi F1’ red pak choi, a Chinese cabbage.
It was found that various combination of colors, or “light recipes” could be used to manipulate plant morphology (shape), yield, and nutrient content of any crop species. It was also discovered that not all plants respond the same to the same recipe, but that each crop has an ideal lighting regime that can be identified, but it all depends on the needs of the grower. Some recipes are more effective only during certain points of the cycle, and some are more beneficial when provided over the entire cycle. We are only at the beginning of discovering the numerous strategies in which light can be used to optimize plant growth.
Abstract:
To optimize crop production/quality in space, we studied various “light recipes” that could be used in the Advanced Plant Habitat currently aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Lettuce (Lactuca sativa cv. ‘Outredgeous’) plants were grown for 28 days under seven treatments of white (W) LEDs (control), red (635 nm) and blue (460 nm) (RB) LEDs, W + blue (B) LEDs, W + green (520 nm) (G) LEDs, W + red (R) LEDs, W + far red (745 nm) (FR) LEDs, and RGB + FR LEDs with ratios similar to natural sunlight. Total PAR was maintained near 180 μmol m−2 s−1 with an 18 h photoperiod. Lettuce grown under RGB + FR produced the greatest leaf expansion and overall shoot biomass, while leaves from WB and RB showed the highest levels of pigmentation, secondary metabolites, and elemental nutrients.
All other supplemental treatments had varying impacts on morphology that were dependent on crop age. The WG treatment increased fresh mass early in the cycle, while WR increased biomass later in the cycle. The plants grown under WFR exhibited elongation of petioles, lower nutrient content, and similar shoot biomass to the W control. The findings suggest that supplementing a broad spectrum, white light background with discrete wavelengths can be used to manipulate total yield, morphology, and levels of phytonutrients in lettuce at various times during the crop cycle.
Indoor Ag Sci Cafe Discusses Lighting Strategies for Energy Savings
Funded by NASA and USDA SCRI, Cary has a long research history focusing on energy savings while maximizing crop productivities
By urbanagnews
November 2, 2018
The second ‘Indoor Ag Science Café’ of this month had Dr. Cary Mitchell, as a speaker.
Funded by NASA and USDA SCRI, Cary has a long research history focusing on energy savings while maximizing crop productivities through his in-depth understanding of plant physiology under controlled environment.
In his presentation ‘Lighting Strategies for Energy Savings’ introduced his innovative approach to optimize the lighting environment.
Indoor Ag Science Café is a monthly online forum organized by three scientists (Chieri Kubota, Ohio State U; Erik Runkle, Michigan State U; and Cary Mitchell, Purdue U). Please contact kubota.10@osu.edu to join the café.
Agricool Is 'Growing Food In The Cities Where You Live'
Agricool grows fruit in shipping containers in urban areas
Alex LedsomContributor
Agricool is a Parisian startup on a mission to grow delicious strawberries in inner city areas, at scale and for profit, which can be transported ‘from field to fork’ in just 20 km. What’s more, it’s a sustainable business that be replicated worldwide.
Agricool grows fruit in shipping containers in urban areasAGRICOOL
Agricool grows its strawberries in shipping containers using vertical farming methods; this is where food is grown in vertical shelves or on walls, to maximise the surface area used for cultivation. Founders Guillaume Fourdinier and Gonzague Gru are the sons of farmers from the north of France. As CEO Fourdinier explains, he arrived in Paris at age 20 and it wasn’t long before he was seriously missing ‘quality fruit and vegetables’ from the countryside. Strawberries are notoriously challenging to grow well, he says; they are fragile with a growing cycle and post-harvesting process which can be difficult to manage. Also, with increased urbanisation, more and more food is transported into city areas pumped with pollutants to ensure they survive the journey which usually means they are less tasty. He is convinced that ‘strawberries have got lost in the last 30 years’.
Founders Guillaume Fourdinier and Gonzague GruAGRICOOL
And so the two partners began to see if it was possible to find a way to harvest the highest quality strawberries under urban conditions. Fourdinier is keen to point out that this business didn’t start as a shipping container business — the idea to use containers was much more practical and organic. They had previously used containers on their families’ farms and once they had used up all the room in their apartment, it was ‘the easiest room to find’ and highly functional because the size is standardised, you can transport it easily, and you can scale up profitably.
The inside of a cooltainerAGRICOOL
Growing strawberries in containers is an incredibly technical process with an extraordinary amount of factors to control. The fruit has a three-month cycle; two months from the day of planting to the first harvest, and then there is one month where the fruit can be harvested every day. Climate-wise, the temperature, air humidity and carbon dioxide must all be varied in quantity over the course of the three-month cycle. Agricool uses a closed-loop water system, meaning that they fill a tank for three months and use the same water over that period, which uses 99% less water. When strawberries are grown in a field, they are planted in soil where the roots soak up moisture. Agricool uses aeroponics instead of a soil-based system, where the plants’ roots are directly exposed to the air, taking in moisture from mist sprays. Agricool doesn’t aim for having a completely bacteria-free environment — believing this to be impossible, it grows its own ‘friendly’ bacteria, putting ‘friendly fungi in the water and friendly insects into the containers’, to protect against the risk of damaging insects finding a way inside. In this sense, the containers grow their own antibodies. Finally, the lighting is key. Agricool uses LED lights, not just to regulate the intensity of light but also the spectrum of light that the strawberries receive. Fourdinier says that one of the biggest challenges for vertical farming is to get this intensity just right. And never mind the calculations for the number of bees in bee boxes required for pollination... The one drawback always levelled at vertical farming is the amount of energy it consumes but Agricool counter this argument by using renewable energy. They believe it is better to grow food locally in large cities with artificial lighting rather than transporting produce from far away, where it loses its taste and chalks up the food miles.
Harvesting strawberriesAGRICOOL
The business model is to sell directly to the customer, without a middleman and this strategy appears to be working; French customers have been abandoning poorer quality fruit and vegetables sold in some French supermarkets, and so chains have been very receptive to Agricool’s new agricultural model. The company produced its first box of strawberries in October 2015 and now have over 60 staff.
The strawberries look like artAGRICOOL
Funding came in two funding rounds from European venture capitalists. Its CEO adds that it isn’t possible to be profitable if you are not vertically integrated; that is to say, you must own and produce the products you use in your supply chain. And this has been where the real challenge lies, as to develop the best possible LED light for its containers, in the most profitable way, Agricool has had to develop its own technology. They now design and manufacture their own LEDs, which are three times more efficient for their lighting needs at the energy spectrum they require than other LEDs they could find.
A cooltainer in Bercy, ParisAGRICOOL
Urban vertical farming is incredibly on-trend. Just like like the mushroom farms in New York, people are turning to more sustainable farming in urban areas for the quality and ethos but also the urban aesthetic — under the luminous lights, this fruit looks more and more like art. The difference between Agricool and its competitors is that it believes it has the recipe to scale up. Fourdinier explains,
Indeed, Agricool already operates a container in Dubai from its French headquarters.
The end result AGRICOOL
The downsides are really the same as the upsides in that the opportunities are immense but the technology makes each stage a huge challenge. It isn’t a straightforward business; a truth highlighted by the fact that 70% of its staff are in R&D.
The harvest AGRICOOL
And the statistics are impressive for this startup aiming to ‘feed the cities of tomorrow’. Its strawberries have 30% more vitamins than conventional strawberries and contain 20% more sugar. Its containers can yield 10 times as much as a greenhouse and 120 times as much as a field. And while Agricool is keen to point out that farming today is mostly woods and rice, which are difficult to grow vertically at the moment, it believes in 30 years time, about 30% of what we grow will be farmed in cities, for cities. Today Agricool sells about 200kg of strawberries each week but in one years' time, they expect this to be 2,000kg, ten times as much. As Agricool begins to branch out into tomatoes, which are similar in complexity to strawberries, its slogan ‘we grow food where you live’ has never been more true or more deliciously tempting.
Valoya Has One Of the Largest Patent Portfolios of the Horticultural Lighting Industry
Since its founding in 2009 Valoya’s focus has been on research in plant biology and technology for the purpose of creating the best possible LED lighting solutions for growers worldwide. In this process Valoya has accumulated 86 patents making it one of the greatest patent holders in the horticultural lighting industry, globally.
‘None of our spectra are ‘off-the-shelf’ but rather results of years of research. Thus far we have tested more than 60 spectra variations before we commercialized the 6 that we offer at the moment. We believe that a finely balanced spectrum can make all the difference for growers and enable them to bring superior products to the market. This stands for the crop science field as well as the emerging markets such as vertical farming and cannabis’ says Nemanja Rodic, the Marketing Manager of Valoya.
Nowadays the number of LED lighting providers is growing rapidly creating confusion for growers when making their purchase decisions. Furthermore, as LED technology evolves, technical specifications among various manufacturers’ products are converging. One way for growers to identify superior lighting providers is to analyze the amount of research they have conducted and published in plant biology and technology fields as well as the number of patents the company holds. This ensures that claims made by that lighting manufacturer can be substantiated with data and are not just replicated industry standard figures e.g. a 50 000 hour life span of the luminaire, which few manufacturers could show actual light-decay-over-time data on.
Valoya’s research has partially been done in-house and partially in collaboration with various partners, companies and research institutes around the world. This commitment to research has earned it high profile clients including 8 out of 10 world’s largest agricultural companies in addition to countless other partners in the 51 countries Valoya has sold to thus far.
Next year the company will celebrate its 10th anniversary making it one of the most experienced horticultural LED lighting companies in the market. The commitment to research and development continues, especially nowadays in the time of Valoya’s rapid expansion.
To see the full list of Valoya’s patents, please go to: valoya.com/patents
About Valoya Oy
Valoya is a provider of high end, energy efficient LED grow lights for use in crop science, vertical farming and medicinal plants cultivation. Valoya LED grow lights have been developed using Valoya's proprietary LED technology and extensive plant photobiology research. Valoya's customer base includes numerous vertical farms, greenhouses and research institutions all over the world (including 8 out of 10 world’s largest agricultural companies).
Additional information:
Valoya Oy, Finland
Tel: +358 10 2350300
Email: sales@valoya.com
Web: www.valoya.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valoyafi/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/valoya
The Importance of Daily Light Integral (DLI) For Indoor Cannabis Cultivation
Daily light integral (DLI), represents the number of photosynthetically active photons that are delivered to a given space over the course of a day. Considering not all wavelengths of light can be utilized by plants, it’s important to distinguish between PAR light and visible light. PAR stands for photosynthetic active radiation and represents the area within the visible light spectrum that drives photosynthesis (400 – 700 nm).
This range in the visible light spectrum is also known as the quantum response area. PAR light is typically measured as PPFD, photosynthetic photon flux density. PPFD measures the precise number of photons that are delivered to one square meter in a given second. Quantum sensors are used to measure PAR light. They help growers calculate the daily light integral, the most accurate measurement for horticultural lighting.
Factors that can affect DLI are geographic location, weather and season. These variables cannot be controlled in an outdoor environment. Indoor horticulture allows for control of these metrics and consistency throughout a grow cycle. Light, temperature and carbon dioxide concentrations are the three factors that affect the rate of photosynthesis. An increased rate of photosynthesis promotes root development, plant growth and overall biomass production.
Many studies have shown that dialing in DLI values for specific crops can lead to increased flower number, larger biomass and decreased growth cycles. Various crop species require different DLI values for optimal growth. Plants also require different DLI values during various points in their life cycle. For instance, fruits and vegetables require DLIs ranging from 14-40 mol m-2d-2. Meanwhile, cannabis requires a much higher DLI. Large cannabis plants need about 65 mol m-2d-2 during their flower cycle. Sea of green grown cannabis requires about 48 mol m-2d-2 during flower. The sea of green growing method focuses on cultivating a large quantity of small plants, typically grown in vertical racking systems. Traditionally, growers cultivated a small number of large plants.
Read more at Smart Grow Systems
Publication date : 12/3/2018
The Benefits of Installing Light Movers In A Grow Room
Nancy Hamilton | November 15, 2017
Source: Botany Unlimited Design Systems
Takeaway: Plants crave a natural supply of sunlight, which includes movement of the light to reach every leaf. The only way to achieve that in the grow room is to employ the use of automated light movers.
Light mover automation is an important part of the growroom set-up, and the more we automate, the better. With just a little planning, growers can free themselves and have confidence that the automation is working perfectly. With formulas for success plugged in to repeat, growers can advance with improved growth rates and yield numbers.
Complete Grow Light System Control
Automation in our growroom gives us that extra layer of perfection and protection. And, with grow light systems automated on light movers, growers can now expect much higher standards when it comes to results.
In other words, we see an even, high-yield outcome from those perfectly keyed in variables. Consistent quality and yield results are what matters most, and robotic light mover automation can provide growers with that control.
Automation is also about reducing human error, resulting in fewer mistakes in the growroom. Through automation, indoor growing systems can be dialed in for the exact results required. Specifically, a grow light system can be supercharged on light movers.
Lights Make or Break a Growroom
One thing to know by heart is this: a grow light system is the key to everything. Indoor grow lights will either make or break indoor growing results every time.
Quality of light equals quality of yield; it’s just that simple. That statement gets us to the specific details of light mover automation. Quality grow lights on light movers make all the difference in growth rates, numbers of nodes, and yield results.
Goodbye Hotspots, Goodbye Shadows
The light mover grow light system affects light as it relates to distance when the grow lights are moved along the light mover rail—it eliminates hot spots and shadows.
Without the negative impact of hot spots and zoned light overkill, we can now get our grow lights closer for maximum photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) right to the canopy.
It’s an example of the Inverse Square Law, which states the following: The farther away an object is from a light source, the effect of that light is geometrically diminished. So, a grow light that is up close is powerful and effective. But, at five feet away (1.5 meters), that same grow light is only 50 per cent as powerful.
Remember, it’s geometrically diminishing, so at four feet away (1.2 m), we are still doing poorly and are fast approaching that 50 per cent number.
Even at two to three feet away (0.6-0.9 m), we are not using the grow lights to their full potential, even though that is generally what light manufacturers recommend. However, they are giving us these numbers thinking in stationary grow light terms.
We can, however, get 3,000+ PAR right to the canopy, but we cannot do that with stationary grow lights that are multiple feet away. We can only achieve that through robotic light movers.
In other words, stationary grow light systems force us to position our grow lights at a certain distance. In doing that, and trying to avoid the hot spots while also trying for a little stationary light spread, it undermines our efforts.
It is a catch-22 for indoor grow light systems. The solution is to use light movers. That simple change allows growers to break all the stationary grow light rules.
Robotic Lights Reach Every Leaf
At the same time, light movers also affect light as it relates to leaf area. When we move our grow lights along the light mover rails, each leaf area interacts with the intensity of those moving grow lights. That interaction is for the correct period of time for each leaf surface. This is called Leaf Area Index (LAI), and it’s very important for achieving maximum yield.
Light movers, which turn indoor grow lights into robotic moving lights, get all the leaves to interact and work for the good of the plant by getting that closer, quality, improved PAR indoor plant light to reach all the leaves for the right amount of time.
To understand LAI, it’s helpful to know that there is a limit to what each leaf surface can effectively absorb. To put it simply, each leaf surface needs intermittent light.
What is ideal is to have a powerful and intense grow light interaction for a period, have it move off slightly, then return once again to being powerful and intense without the plants waiting too long for that return.
That scenario is perfect for each leaf surface, as each leaf area can only absorb light at its own pace. Only then do all the leaves work best for the good of the plant. In other words, the sun isn’t always at high noon and neither should our grow lights.
Light movers are truly the only way to get the indoor plant light to duplicate a natural supply of sunlight.
30% More Area Covered
Light movers can cover at least 30 per cent more area compared to stationary grow lights. Not only do they employ automation in the growroom, including closer coverage for maximum PAR and more leaves working for the good of the plant, but they also allow each light to cover more of the growroom. That creates efficiency and can reduce maintenance and electricity costs.
The more we automate our set-up, the better results we can achieve. This is especially true when we take the single most important variable, the grow light system, and we make it that much better. Light mover automation gives growers bang for the buck in efficiency, protection of outcome, and improved results.
Robotic light movers provide the ultimate automation and that automation is in the very area that counts the most.
Written by Nancy Hamilton
Nancy Hamilton is executive vice president of Gualala Robotics, the manufacturer of the LightRail brand. LightRail robotic light movers are instrument-grade light movers, rated for continuous duty and made in the USA since 1986. The company headquarters is based in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Full Bio
Bio-Dome At St Mary's Junior School
We would like to start off by giving a special mention to St Mary’s junior school in Shinfield, who have built 24 raised beds to grow food to sell to their local community. After a dry summer, the school decided to install a Bio-Dome to improve the yields.
The school have raised £7,000 through the sales of their produce and after one of their pupils was deeply saddened by seeing a homeless person in Reading they are donating all of the money to the homeless charity ‘Launchpad’. Whilst learning about biodiversity and self-sufficiency, these children are also directly helping those in need.
*Video embed here* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eDc3SzSw9s
Using our new LED Horticultural Grow Lights in order to help enhance plant growth, the Florence modules are perfect for use with or without supplemental lighting. There are eight standard recipes all chosen by LED industry experts OSRAM Opto Semiconductors. Each LED light recipe is designed to suit particular plants types and stages of growth in order to provide the best solutions for each individual application.
Florence Grow Lights are soon to be available through RS Components. These are also currently available as fully customisable solutions from Intelligent Horticultural Solutions (IHS).
IHS has a full range of customisable PYO (pick your own) LED lighting products so that growers can develop their own LED recipes specific to their application. IHS also have controllers available to make this easier to do.
IHS is a part of the global OSRAM Lighting network LED Light for You (LLFY) and draws on world leading quality LEDs from Osram Opto Semiconductors which combines them with other quality components, materials and services to provide the LED solution you want.
For more information on the Florence Ready to Grow Horticultural range, Click here!
GroSouth 2018 Held on 1st November at Roundstone-Newey Nursery in Chichester Was An Important Day For Intelligent Horticultural Solutions (IHS)
It was their official launch into the fast-growing horticultural market and the first showcase of their new Florence product range. The “Ready to Grow” LED lights were the talk of the show this year. So much so, that the GroSouth judges announced the IHS to be the winner of the Award for Best Innovation 2018. Managing Director of Newey Nurseries Chris Hall presented a glass plaque and a bottle of champagne.
IGS Group Managing Director Richard Williams accepted the award on behalf of the IHS team. Richard said ‘IHS are absolutely delighted to have won the award at the premier Horticultural Show for the South and East of England’.
The IHS stand was lit up with hues of blue and red light, showing off the eight standard versions of the Florence Grow Light, all of which are designed and manufactured in the UK at the IGS Group facilities. Visitors from various Horticultural backgrounds including nurseries, universities, commercial and urban growers, were very interested in the LED lighting being exhibited.
There are currently eight different standard Florence LED recipes to choose from including “Biomass, Seeding, Flowering, and Fruiting” (available with or without supplementary lighting). There are also three different lens options per recipe – narrow, wide and oval to direct the lighting onto the correct areas. These recipes were devised in conjunction with experts from LED manufacturer Osram Opto Semiconductors, who are the market leader in the supply of quality LEDs for the horticultural lighting sector. These lights enable a longer growing season and also increase the speed of growth for plants, when under the correct recipe. LED lighting is now cost-effective, thus making it viable for both the backyard gardeners and the large commercial growers alike. Ideal markets for these grow lights include polytunnels, environmental chambers, propagators, vertical farms and indoor farms, as well as schools, universities and research institutes.
IHS has a full range of customisable PYO (pick your own) LED lighting products so that growers can develop their own LED recipes specific to their application. IHS also have controllers available to make this easier to do.
If you are interested in any of IHS products or would like to discuss your requirements with IHS, please contact Ann Kelleher or the rest of the Horticultural team on 01635 294606 or email on info@i-hled.co.uk
IHS is a LED Light for You (LLFY) Partner, who draws on world leading quality LEDs from Osram Opto Semiconductors and combine them with other quality components, materials and services to provide the LED solution you want.
IHS will be attending Workshop Iberia in Spain, hosted by LLFY on the 26th, 28th, and 30th November. Where LLFY and their partners will provide a vision of the growing market and present the latest developments in LED technologies for the horticultural field.
What Do GMP And GACP Certifications Mean For The Cannabis Industry?
As the world is rapidly opening up to cannabis, growers interested in cultivating it can choose between the two markets to serve: recreational or medicinal. Recreational market caters to customers interested in consuming cannabis and its derivatives for relaxation, for pleasure, out of curiosity etc. Medicinal market, on the other hand targets treating various diseases which range from chronic pain to alleviating side-effects of chemotherapy for cancer patients. Using cannabis in medicine means its cultivation must abide strict quality standards such as the GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) and the GACP (Good Agricultural and Collection Practices), either already or in the near future.
These outline minimum requirements for growers so that they create high quality, consistent products which will later pass authorization by agencies that are in charge of licensing the manufacture and sale of pharmaceutical products. The requirements of GMP concern handling of the products, cleaning of the machinery used to make it, packaging, quality assurance etc. while the GACP requirements outline guidelines for cultivation practices more specifically. For the end-user of the product, these guarantee that it was produced in a sterile, safe environment, that the product is always the same, regardless of the production batch and that it is essentially safe for consumption.
Is GMP Certification required for the cannabis industry?
It is not yet enforced in all countries where cannabis cultivation is legal but it seems that it will become the norm. This is due to the fact that cannabis is considered a drug and thus must abide the same regulations that govern the pharmaceutical industry, GMP certification being one of them. Even if not yet enforced, it might be the reason for some lost sales i.e. a way to differentiate one’s product offering and position it as superior to the non-GMP produced cannabis and it’s derivatives.
What does GMP mean in technical terms?
Below is a brief summary of the requirements of GMP. For the complete resources please click the link at the end of this document.
Staff
The staff of the cultivation facility should be adequately educated for the jobs they are performing as well as trained in the GMP requirements. The number of people interacting with the product should be reduced to the needed minimum, their performance should be reviewed periodically and a record of training is to be kept outlining that all needed trainings have been covered, especially when it comes to staff that handles toxic, highly active, infectious or sensitizing materials.
Equipment
Equipment used to produce cannabis such as benches, lighting, irrigation systems, HVAC systems, containers for harvested product etc:
should be made of materials that can withstand sterilization by various chemicals
should not have cervices that can easily collect dust, pathogens and other substances which could contaminate the product
should have moving parts such as transmission gears, moving chains and fans enclosed or completely covered
should not be made from materials prone to releasing particles
should be made from non-toxic, corrosion resistant and non-reactive materials, if they come in contact with the product
should ideally be high quality equipment that is not prone to malfunctions. If the equipment needs to be fixed, the use of temporary solutions such as tape should be avoided. Maintenance records are to be kept for all the machinery.
should be designed to facilitate easy cleaning as well as visual inspection for potential problem areas
Sterilization
A sanitation program is to be developed which will be available to all staff members involved in the handling of the product. The sanitation program outlines the frequency and methodology of cleaning and it is part of the grow’s SOPs (standard operating procedures). The cleaning should disinfect the production areas and the equipment. All the residues of the cleaning substances are to be removed thoroughly and a record of sanitation is to be kept which can clearly demonstrate the sanitation practices at the grow.
Cannabis Lighting and GMP Compliance
All the regulation regarding equipment explained above refers to the lighting supplier of a cannabis grow. In essence it means that luminaires need to:
be easily cleanable
made from non-toxic materials
the spectrum must of be of high quality so that yields and cannabinoid profiles are consistent
the luminaires must be of high quality so that their light output does not decay quickly and dramatically, affecting the yields. This also concerns the wavelength distribution of the spectrum i.e. the spectrum must remain without significant changes throughout the luminaires’ life so as to ensure consistent yields and cannabinoid expressions.
This disqualifies HPS lamps from being used in GMP / GACP compliant cannabis grows. Their light loses intensity rapidly creating differences among growth cycles. Overall, HPS lamps create poor light uniformity resulting in varied crop. In the case of the bulb inside the HPS lamp breaking, the entire room would be compromised as the sodium and mercury which constitute the bulb interior would get dispersed all over the canopy.
When it comes to LED technology, things are not any simpler. Most LED luminaires have deep fins which are used as a heat dissipation tool. While good at removing excess heat the lamps produce and directing it upwards and away from the plant, these are very difficult to clean. One would need a special set of tools and a great deal of time to get inside the ridges and remove the dust particles and pathogens from within. Even after that it would be hard to be absolutely sure that these have been properly sterilized. On the other hand, LED luminaires with active cooling such as fans, create other challenges. Naturally, fans cannot be completely enclosed as they need to circulate air. This means having a device that is even more difficult to clean than a passively cooled LED i.e. one with deep fins.
Furthermore, the quality of spectra inside LED luminaires, while better than HPS, vary significantly from manufacturer to manufacturer. With some manufacturers parts of the spectrum will start to diminish already after 10000 hours of operation, starting with the blue peak and other shorter wavelengths resulting in taller plants with less cannabinoid accumulation (similar to HPS grown plants). This is dependent on the quality of the LED chips the manufacturer uses. The best quality chips will sustain the same spectrum quality with minimal variation over its entire lifespan.
Additionally, in multitier grows, LED luminaires are often placed really close to the canopy. While a great strategy to minimize the loss of precious photons, it can easily happen that the plant has contact with the lamp. In that case we have to be sure that the lamp is made from non-toxic materials.
How to Select a Lighting Manufacturer for a GMP Compliant Grow?
Tip 1 – Look at the form factor
If the lamp is mostly smooth and appears to be sealed shut it means you will be able to take a sterilization chemical soaked cloth and sterilize the luminaire in one swipe. If it has fins and other kinds of deep crevices you will need much more time and in some cases it will simply be impossible to do it to the GMP standard.
Tip 2 – Ask the manufacturer which chemicals their luminaires can be cleaned with
Some materials that make up an LED luminaire such as silicone, cannot withstand all cleaning chemicals. Ask the manufacturer if they have awareness of how all the components their product is made from react to typically used cleaning chemicals.
Tip 3 – Ask the manufacturer for a spectrum decay analysis
In an ocean of LED companies which seems to be getting bigger it is hard to make sense of the differences between the companies. Ask your lighting supplier for a quality guarantee of their spectrum outlining the permitted variations in it over time and across production batches. If they do not have it, chances are they have not thought about it. Do no settle for the industry standard ’50 000’ hours of operation claim as this one is typically copied from component suppliers or simply taken as a standard for LED chips without any data to back it up. Depending on the quality of the LED chips they use some will deteriorate faster than others. A good manufacturer conducts ‘light decay’ tests and can show you data on how the spectrum actually looks after 10 000, 20 000 etc hours of operation. Minimal variation over time is inevitable and will still result in consistent yields and cannabinoid profiles. You will however find that most manufacturers simply do not have this data on their luminaires. Choose the ones that do.
Tip 4 – Check if they have sold to other GMP compliant facilities
Ask your lighting manufacturer for references of other GMP compliant grows they have sold to. It does not necessarily need to be a cannabis grow. If your lighting supplier has earlier worked with the pharmaceutical industry or high level academic research, chances are they had to carefully develop their product keeping all GMP requirements in mind.
What About GACP and the Cannabis Industry?
GACP (Good Agricultural and Collection Practices) is a set of guidelines covering areas of cultivation (from seeds and propagation material), collection, harvest, processing, packaging, personnel, equipment, documentation and others for the sake of satisfying the minimum required quality assurance in plant cultivation. Together with GMP these guidelines completely define the entire process from seed to sale of all plants with Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) to which cannabis belongs to.
In simple terms GACP states that the personnel should be adequately trained, that cultivated plants should be grown observing all local regulations on fertilizing, storage, handling, packaging etc and that the whole process should be transparent and documented. The ultimate goal is bringing a product to the market that is consistent and safe for consumption.
Cannabis is considered a medicinal plant regardless whether cultivated for recreational or pharmaceutical use. Because of this growers should abide both the GMP and GACP guidelines even if they are not yet enforced in the territory where they have their operations. Before it becomes enforced it will be a unique selling point for growers who choose to follow all these guidelines and once it does become enforced, those who got an early start will be less prone to mistakes that could render their product useless in the market or even worse result in health complications of the end users and an inevitable PR crisis and brand image deterioration.
To learn more about GMP, please go to: ISPE (International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering) GMP Resources
To learn more about GACP, please go to: WHO (World Health Organization) Guidelines on Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP) for Medicinal Plants
For more information:
Valoya Oy, Finland
Tel: +358 10 2350300
sales@valoya.com
www.valoya.com
Wageningen University Announces Course On Lighting In Greenhouses And Vertical Farms
By: urbanagnews -
October 30, 2018
In 2019, the Horticulture & Product Physiology group, together with Wageningen Plant Research, again will organize a course on lighting in greenhouses and vertical farms. In this course WageningenUR scientists share their unique knowledge with international students, researchers, and horticultural and light experts.
The course is held in Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Registration for the course in February 2019 is now possible.
The course consists of a mixture of interactive classroom lectures, group discussions, demonstrations, and an excursion day.
The lectures will be given by a team of experts of Wageningen University & Research. Lecturers include Prof. Leo Marcelis, Dr. Cecilia Stanghellini, Dr. Ep Heuvelink, Dr. Anja Dieleman, and Prof. Ernst Woltering.
This excellent and intensive course is meant for professionals in lighting, greenhouse production and vertical farms as well as MSc and PhD students, post-docs and junior scientists from all over the world.
For more detailed information on the course content, please visit the corresponding web page: Course Lighting 2019
Samsung Electronics Expands Horticulture LED Lineups To Advance Greenhouse And Vertical Farming
Samsung Newsroom 11.20.18
New horticulture LEDs are designed to promote healthier plant growth and enhance farming conditions for indoor growers
SEOUL, Korea – Nov. 21, 2018 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a world leader in advanced digital component solutions, today announced new horticulture LED lineups, including full-spectrum packages and modules as well as color (monochromatic) LEDs. Optimized for lighting in greenhouses and vertical farming*, the new LEDs provide a broader spectrum of light for healthier plant growth, enhanced farming environments and reduced lighting system costs.
Full-spectrum light encompasses a continuous range of wavelengths from blue and green to red, creating a light blend suitable for horticultural uses. Compared to narrow spectrum lighting, Samsung’s full-spectrum-based LEDs encourage healthier and more balanced plant growth by stimulating photosynthesis, enhancing plant immunity and increasing nutritional value. Additionally, the LEDs can help to improve the overall farming environment by enabling growers to observe plant conditions more easily and spot diseases, like damping-off, at an earlier stage under bright white lighting. As high-efficiency and cost-effective alternatives to higher-priced red LEDs, full-spectrum LEDs can help lower the costs of a grower’s entire lighting system.
“Samsung’s full-spectrum-based horticulture LEDs present a new way of using LED lighting to improve plant cultivation at reduced system costs,” said Un Soo Kim, senior vice president of LED Business Team at Samsung Electronics. “We plan to further expand our horticulture offerings by integrating the latest in smart LED lighting technology, including Samsung’s leading sensor and connectivity solutions.”
In addition to its full-spectrum white LEDs, Samsung has added blue, red and far-red LEDs to its horticulture family to offer an extensive variety of wavelength combinations and meet the different design needs of horticulture lighting manufacturers.
Built on Samsung’s market-proven LED technologies, the new full spectrum and color LED lineups feature a high degree of reliability, making them well-suited to withstand high temperatures and humidity levels as well as agricultural chemicals used in greenhouses and vertical farming.
Samsung’s horticulture LED packages are now in mass production for lighting manufacturers and growers worldwide. The modules will become available in the first quarter of 2019.
* Vertical farming is the practice of growing crops in vertically stacked layers and usually takes place in controlled, indoor environments.
** PPF (photosynthetic photon flux) indicates the total amount of photons in the photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) range – a spectral range between 400 and 700nm – that can enhance plant photosynthesis and is measured in micromoles per second (μmol/s).
*** PE (photon efficacy) indicates the light efficacy level for photosynthesis in plants and is measured in micromoles per joule (μmol/J).
Growing Crops that Demand a Lot of Light?
The new Philips GreenPower LED Toplighting High Output is just what you need.
September 18, 2018
GIE Media Horticulture Group
If you’re growing crops that thrive under high light levels, then it’s time to consider the new Philips GreenPower LED Toplighting High Output. This new LED module offers photosynthetic photon efficacy 2.8 – 3.0 μmol/J-1
The new Philips Toplighting High Output offers unique growth advantages for any crops that need high-intensity lighting either as a direct replacement for traditional lighting systems or as an energy-efficient supplement.
• Improve color, shape and taste with crop-specific light spectrum
• Minimal heat radiation giving you greater control over grow climate
• Accelerates the growth cycle to enable more efficient use of grow space
• Maximize revenue opportunities with year-round growing
• Energy efficient reducing your energy and operational costs
• Lower maintenance costs compared to HPS
• Three spectral options
• UL/CSA approved
Propagating Floriculture Crops Under Sole-Source Lighting
This production method allows growers to strictly control the growing climate to best meet the needs of a given plant throughout the day.
September 18, 2018
Leontiene van Genuchten
In the last 10 years, many companies have sprung up to grow herbs and greens in climate-controlled vertical farm or city farm facilities which are daylight-free. As a plant specialist for floriculture with Signify(formerly known as Philips Lighting), I’ve watched these developments with great interest. But I have wondered if a vertical farm can also benefit cultivation of young plants from floriculture crops.
Cultivating floriculture crops without daylight
Growing plants under daylight is the standard practice in conventional greenhouses. But as the popularity of vertical farms has increased, we as plant specialists have been asking ourselves if it is possible to grow floriculture crops without the influence of daylight. Why would growers want to do this? In a greenhouse, the sun affects both the amount of light that the plant receives as well as the temperature and humidity of the growing environment. A controlled environment removes the influence of daylight on the plant’s growth. This would allow growers to strictly control the growing climate to best meet the needs of each plant throughout the day.
Cultivating in a controlled environment also allows growers to optimize other factors, like plant quality and growth speed, and reduce water usage. Since fewer diseases and bacteria come into the controlled environment, vertical farming can also help stop the use of insecticides and fungicides.
Set-up of floriculture trial
These benefits prompted us to conduct a floriculture trial in our climate-controlled test facility at BrightBox in Venlo, The Netherlands. Most of the requests we receive are from growers of young plants, so we ran a trial on the propagation phase of flowers. We chose a wide range of annual and perennial plants, including begonias, petunias, calibrachoas, dianthus, gerberas, celosias, alternatheras and impatiens.
For this trial, we translated the cultivation conditions of a greenhouse to a climate-controlled environment and added the experience of our colleague City Farm plant specialists. Light levels were chosen based on the reference greenhouse environment with daylight, as well as scientific literature and the experience of growers. The light spectra used in the test were aligned with a number of growers to meet their quality standards for the different varieties of flowers. Growth speed is one requirement from growers, but good plant quality is the first priority. In this case, a plant is considered good if it has a compact shape, enough leaves and branches and a good root system. In addition, a good plant should be able to quickly establish roots and bloom as it moves to its next growth phases.
By drawing upon our experiences and the scientific literature we were able to extract enough insights to develop light recipes that would produce these plant characteristics. For example, many plants react to a higher amount of blue light by becoming more compact. The length of the internodes becomes shorter. Some plants benefit from far red light by germinating faster and developing stronger roots, while other react by bolting and drooping.
Read the results of our trial on the Philips horticulture blog
Leontiene van Genuchten is plant specialist at Signify (formerly known as Philips Lighting).