Welcome to iGrow News, Your Source for the World of Indoor Vertical Farming
HortiPower Helps You Make Your HPS Lights Smarter
Several greenhouses are choosing hybrid lighting in which they combine LED lights and HPS lights. An issue with hybrid lighting however is that HPS lights are often not individually controllable, but rather by the whole row or group
A commonly used connector in horticulture is the Wieland rst20i3. Both HPS lights and LED grow lights are using this in the greenhouse and vertical farm.
Several greenhouses are choosing hybrid lighting in which they combine LED lights and HPS lights. An issue with hybrid lighting however is that HPS lights are often not individually controllable, but rather by the whole row or group.
With the HortiPower timer, growers are now able to turn the individual HPS lights on and off. The timer has a wifi-chip on board and supports max. 16 amp which means up to 6 grow lights of 600W with 230V.
The timer is controllable with MQTT protocol through the Amazon Web Services (AWS). Power measurement is possible as well.
The timer gives growers the ability to really choose which lights should turn on or off. Growers may use sensors and climate computers to make that decision for them and automation is possible through an API.
Watch a short intro here.
HortiPower | Right Light. Better Growth
HortiPower makes plant-centric lighting solutions for tissue culture, vertical farms and greenhouses.
For more information:
HortiPower
CANADA: Sustainable Agriculture With LED Lighting
GoodLeaf opened it’s fully commercialized, a state-of-the-art vertical farm in Guelph in 2018. This after many years of research at its pilot farm that opened in Truro, Nova Scotia in 2015
11-12-2020 | Philips Lighting
CANADA, Ontario, Guelph- GoodLeaf opened it’s fully commercialized, a state-of-the-art vertical farm in Guelph in 2018. This after many years of research at its pilot farm that opened in Truro, Nova Scotia in 2015.
We wanted a partner that could help us scale the business. ''
-Jeff McKinnon, Chief Financial Officer and Vice President | Photo Courtesy of Philips Lighting
The Challenge
For GoodLeaf it’s all about sustainability. The facility incorporated innovations to enable the use of sustainable farming practices to execute on expectional product quality. With lighting being a primary component, GoodLeaf had specific needs they expected from a lighting solution and provider. The envisioned lighting solution needed to provide scalability whilst being energy efficient. GoodLeaf was looking for a true partner.
The LED lighting solution
“We’ve been using the Philips products since Generation one back in 2013; we did a lot of testing against the T5 light bulb. The Production Module Gen 1 performed well, they held up over time compared to competitors, using them ever since”, says Jeff McKinnon, CFO and VP at GoodLeaf. Over time GoodLeaf worked with 12 different providers of LED lights but in Signify found the partner they were looking for to move forward and to scale their business.
For their 45000 SQF multilayer growing facility in Guelph, Goodleaf installed Philips GeenPower LED production modules. The light recipe was designed in collaboration with the Truleaf design team and engineers together with the plant specialists of Signify. The installed lighting system delivers optimal lighting uniformity.
Benefits
As a branded producer, GoodLeaf Farms produces and packs fresh, nutritious, and pesticide-free micro and baby greens year-round for Canadian consumers. They expect to grow and harvest approximately 1 million pounds of fresh produce per year at their automated growing facility in Guelph. Plant specialists of GoodLeaf and Signify meet monthly to discuss optimizing their crop growth recipe. As part of the partnership, GoodLeaf has greatly improved the predictability of its fresh produce. In addition, Signify and GoodLeaf worked together to obtain a sizable utility rebate from the company’s hydro provider in Ontario. McKinnon said, “The partnership with Signify has been very advantageous to GoodLeaf. We will work with them on a go-forward basis and very much look forward to that”.
GreenPower LED Production Module Static Grow Light
A static module for multilayer applications with the ideal light recipe for higher yield, better quality, higher propagation success rates, and year-round production. Suitable for multilayer, indoor cultivation of leafy greens, microgreens, and herbs.
Source: Philips Lighting
Header photo: Screenshot from GoodLeaf Farm video on youtube
WEBINAR: The Importance of Light Quality In CEA Systems
Spectrum has an important impact on plant growth, morphology, and development. Plants have evolved a sophisticated photoreceptor system capable of perceiving small changes on the light spectrum
Date: November 19, 2020
Time: 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. EDT
Presented by: Ricardo Hernandez (NCSU)
Click Here to Register
Spectrum has an important impact on plant growth, morphology, and development. Plants have evolved a sophisticated photoreceptor system capable of perceiving small changes on the light spectrum. Plants use spectral changes as information to adapt and increase survival and reproduction. Therefore, by understanding plant-light interactions, we are able to use light as a tool to change plant responses to meet human needs. This presentation will outline the importance of light quality and provide examples of the commercial applicability of spectral manipulation.
Dr. Ricardo Hernandez is an assistant professor at North Carolina State University focused on Controlled Environment Agriculture research and teaching (https://ceh.cals.ncsu.edu/). He has worked in the field of spectral optimization for over 10 years. In addition to his academic appointment, Ricardo is also a co-founder of two start-ups focused on the use of controlled environment technology and strategies to produce young plants.
Special thanks to our Industry partners
Join today
If you have any questions or would like to know more about GLASE, please contact its executive director Erico Mattos at em796@cornell.edu
Unleashing The Potential of Indoor Sole-Source LEDs on Tomato Production
Enlightening collaboration between Heliospectra and the University of Tokyo
Enlightening Collaboration Between Heliospectra And The University of Tokyo
Heliospectra announced a collaboration with the Institute for Sustainable Agro-ecosystem Services (ISAS), the University of Tokyo. In an effort to redefine and unleash the potential of indoor tomato production, this will be a joint research project with the University’s Institute for Sustainable Agro-ecosystem Services (ISAS), in collaboration with Associate Professor Wataru Yamori at the Agricultural Biology and Biogeochemistry Group, and Heliospectra Japan.
With the average age of Japanese farmers reaching 67 years old and younger generations migrating to cities, traditional farming is facing a crisis. This is forcing the country to investigate new ways to produce food. Plant factories are scaling to meet consumer food demand, mainly in vegetable cultivation in both solar and artificial light environments, and the industry is growing. Japan already has approximately 200 lettuce factories using artificial light, and that number is expected to double by 2025. However, to-date, plant factories have been unsuccessful in cultivating light-hungry vine crops such as tomatoes in indoor artificial light. Heliospectra and the University of Tokyo want to challenge this.
Working together, they are looking to build a business model for Japan’s plant factories and PFAL (Plant Factory with Artificial Lighting) organizations for indoor tomato cultivation. In the University lab, the Professor and his students will be using Heliospectra’s MITRA linear, the horticulture market’s first truly modular LED light. Designed by growers for growers, MITRA is a solution for high-light crops, with high-intensity light output and electrical efficacy of up to 2.8 µmol/J.
“We are very excited to be a part of this research together with Dr. Yamori and the ISAS at the University of Tokyo. Over the years, Heliospectra has conducted research on light’s effect on tomatoes in indoor facilities with great results,” comments Yasuhiro Suzuki, General Manager of Heliospectra Japan. “We now look forward to further expanding our knowledge and developing more effective indoor cultivation of tomatoes for commercial use. We look forward to collaborating with the university and sharing with the world our knowledge of growing tomatoes indoors.”
For more information:
Heliospectra
info@heliospectra.com
www.heliospectra.com
Publication date: Thu 29 Oct 2020
GE Current Donates Horticulture Lighting Fixtures To The Ohio State University
“We are excited to be deepening our relationship with OSU,” said Melissa Wesorick, Chief Product and Strategy Officer at Current. “This is a great opportunity to strengthen our ties with this historic institution and the Ohio community, as well as inspire and empower the next generation of growers.”
GE Current, a Daintree company has gifted 272 horticultural lighting fixtures to The Ohio State University to benefit the university’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
The Arize Element L1000 LED fixtures will illuminate a state-of-the-art greenhouse being built within the new Controlled Environment Food Production Research Complex. The greenhouse was made possible with funding from Nationwide Insurance, as well as support from other Ohio-based companies.
“We are excited to be deepening our relationship with OSU,” said Melissa Wesorick, Chief Product and Strategy Officer at Current. “This is a great opportunity to strengthen our ties with this historic institution and the Ohio community, as well as inspire and empower the next generation of growers.”
With construction slated to begin in 2021, the production greenhouse will provide hands-on training opportunities for students to learn how to grow various crops in a greenhouse setting. The multiple tailored light spectrums offered by the Arize Element L1000 opens the door for unique research and scientific exploration into crop production and plant growth, as well as expand upon the understanding of how LEDs can further that growth. The facility will also serve as the location for future grower conferences and workshops.
“Lighting is a key technology of controlled environment agriculture,” said Chieri Kubota, professor in Ohio State’s Department of Horticulture and Crop Science and lead researcher at the new greenhouse facility. “We are excited about potential research outcomes that will advance the science and technology of growing in these environments. We greatly appreciate Current’s generous and important gift to help make this happen.”
Kubota’s work encompasses plant physiology and horticulture engineering to enhance the understanding and efficiency of controlled environment agriculture production systems such as greenhouses, warehouses (vertical farms) and growth chambers.
For more information:
www.gecurrent.com
cfaes.osu.edu
Publication date: Thu 8 Oct 2020
"There’s No Such Thing As One Perfect Spectrum For A Crop”
Just over two years ago the US company Fluence, specialised in horticulture lighting solutions, was acquired by the German Osram group and their ambitions have been clear
Fluence expands top light series
“There's no such thing as one perfect spectrum for a crop. It’s just too complicated: the ideal spectrum is a combination of different factors and is also cultivar dependent, but much more comes into play: the natural light at the cultivation site, the target light level, electricity costs and the produce sales price for example”, says Timo Bongartz with Fluence. That’s why the light supplying company is happy to expand their VYPR Top Light series with several new PhysioSpec spectra. With additional reflectors and mounting hardware, they want to offer greenhouse growers a broad toolbox to select their perfect light solution from.
Diversifying the business
Just over two years ago the US company Fluence, specialized in horticulture lighting solutions, was acquired by the German Osram group and their ambitions have been clear. “Fluence has been an important player in the indoor market ever since we were founded in 2012. With the acquisition, further growth came within reach and the strategy has been to diversify the business. The greenhouse growers are a key part of that”, says Timo Bongartz, general manager for Europe, Middle East, and Africa. “We’ve always seen that our LED products can be of help for growers of high wire crops, yet there are specific challenges that they deal with. Offering them our solutions and adjusting our portfolio, has been top of our mind.”
With the expanded PhysioSpec Spectra the moment is there. In addition to the two existing spectra, the VYPR top light series now also can be equipped with additional PhysioSpec BROAD spectra as well as several red and blue DUAL spectra. Over the past years, extensive research was put into place to select these spectra. “Together with our research partners worldwide in the Netherlands for tomato, in Belgium for cucumber, in the US and Netherlands for cannabis, In Canada for bell pepper and in Germany for leafy greens and herbs”, Timo says. “Of course also the growers trialed the different spectra in their greenhouses. The combination of normal and applied science is what we selected the spectra on.”
So what’s behind this choice? When talking about LEDs, it’s often about efficacy. “With our red and blue spectrum we can reach 3.8 µmol/joule and a PPF per fixture that goes up to 2330 µmol/s. That’s something we’re proud of since it’s one of the highest in the industry and these numbers are often important to growers. Yet there’s more to it: other than the light efficiency, also the plant efficiency plays an important role in the functioning of the light within the growing company as a whole”, Timo explains. He adds how Fluence does not want to step away from their broad-spectrum strategy that has helped many growers so far. “But we’re broadening our solution sets for growers at any location worldwide and for all different kinds of crops with the launch of these new PhysioSpec spectra.“
With expanded PhysioSpec™ spectra, the VYPR top light series offers higher efficacies (up to 3.8 µmol/J) and higher photosynthetic photon flux (up to 2330 µmol/s) per fixture over comparable lighting technologies. (Photo courtesy of Fluence by OSRAM)
Broad-spectrum lighting
“Finding the right lighting strategy includes more than finding the right spectrum or finding the right amount of lighting in terms of PPFD levels”, he continues. “A broad-spectrum light could be the best spectrum when looking at the plants’ efficiency and overall yield but does not have the best energy efficiency. It is a case by case analysis to select the right spectrum together with the grower.”
In order to realize the best company results, a grower would have to think of the best ROI. “And for example calculate their energy prices through. Red light is the most efficient to produce, whereas producing a broad spectrum is less energy efficient. The additional yield and the price you make for that yield would have to justify the additional energy costs”, Timo shows.
He adds how for example Italian growers also would need different lights than growers in Sweden since they would use a higher amount of supplemental light. “In the end finding the right spectrum is defined by different factors. If a cucumber grower in the Netherlands can change from traditional ambarella to high-wire cultivation and to winter production by adding supplemental lighting and that would improve revenue and profitability it is also important to consider the working conditions of the employees in regard to the color of light. That’s why we always speak with growers and find the lighting solution that suits their business, not a spectrum that suits only the crop. It’s not a one size fits all.”
The new VYPR spectra - the DUAL spectra developed with a focus on energy efficiency and the BROAD spectra within the full PAR region of 400 to 700 nm - will give the team a broader toolbox to select from. “Especially in the LED industry, there is so much yet to learn. We learn how plants are performing on different spectra and see the influence on plant architecture, the time flowering to harvest, and fruit quality for example. That’s all valuable information for a grower and something he will base his business model on. Therefore we accompany all growers with our team of horticulture specialists to adjust and constantly optimize the cultivation under LED considering all growing factors.”
"Fluence’s extended PhysioSpec™ spectra enable growers to optimize lighting strategies for any crop in any growth stage or geographic location", the team explains. (Photo courtesy of Fluence by OSRAM)
Reflectors, mounting solutions, and power supply
it’s not the only addition to the Fluence toolbox. Together with the new spectra also new reflectors and mounting solutions are launched and the VYPR series is updated with a patented thermal management technology as well as a more efficient and smaller power supply.
“The reflectors can be used under the LED light fixtures and will give growers the possibility to distribute the light from a 120 to a 150-degree beam angle, which offers new possibilities in lighting designs and more ways to distribute the light uniformly. Since HPS often has a beam angle of 150 degrees, we needed these reflectors also to realize nice overall and spectral uniformity for growers that want to opt for a HPS-LED hybrid installation.”
With the additional mounting options the installation of the lights is more flexible ”Growers can put the lights under the trellis, perpendicular or next to it.” He explains how it is important to integrate your lighting solution already in the planning phase of the greenhouse, yet how this is often not possible - especially when working in an existing facility. “Working in a low greenhouse means the distance to the crop is limited and if you can gain an additional 20 centimeters just because of how you mount the LED lights that can already mean a huge difference in uniformity. It does not matter if it's the spectrum, beam angle, or mounting brackets, it is all about finding the best fit for the individual needs of the grower.”
For more information:
Fluence Bioengineering
4129 Commercial Center Drive
Suite 450
Austin, TX 78744
512-212-4544
info@fluencebioengineering.com
www.fluence.science
Publication date: 2 Jun 2020
Author: Arlette Sijmonsma
© HortiDaily.com
VIDEO: SANANBIO Announces the Availability of its Unmanned Vertical Farming System UPLIFT to Global Growers
“Pour your seeds in the seeder and do nothing but expect fresh veggies to be harvested in a matter of days,” said Zhan Zhuo, co-founder, and CEO of SANANBIO. UPLIFT has been under tests in the last two years and proves to be commercially feasible and ready to be established as turnkey projects for worldwide growers
XIAMEN, CHINA, July 16, 2020--SANANBIO, one of the world’s largest indoor farming technology providers announces the availability of its unmanned vertical farming system, a.k.a. UPLIFT, to growers globally.
“Pour your seeds in the seeder and do nothing but expect fresh veggies to be harvested in a matter of days,” said Zhan Zhuo, co-founder, and CEO of SANANBIO. UPLIFT has been under tests in the last two years and proves to be commercially feasible and ready to be established as turnkey projects for worldwide growers. “It can produce 6-8 tons of fresh leafy greens every day on a farm of only 5,000 sqm. By stacking up layers higher than a traditional vertical farm, we can best utilize the space to increase the yields. With the same farm size, UPLIFT’s productivity is 6 times of a 6-layered vertical farm.
The increased yield means a lowered cost, which in turn makes our produce affordable to more people. We’ve also upgraded our water circulation system so that 60% of the water can be absorbed by plants and the remaining 40% recycled. This fact is especially meaningful for the regions of the world that struggle with water shortages and harsh agricultural conditions.” said Zhan.
UPLIFT uses PlantKeeper, a proprietary indoor farming management system, to control and monitor environmental factors so farm operators can be updated with real-time growing conditions throughout the farm. By using simple and proven robotics and conveyor systems, UPLIFT automates seeding, transplanting, harvesting, plant transporting, and system cleaning, reducing labor intensity to its lowest.
“We’re phasing out manpower to make our produces available for more people. So we can say that UPLIFT is unmanned for humanity,” said Zhan.
About SANANBIO
SANANBIO is a joint-venture by Sanan Optoelectronics, one of the world’s largest LED manufacturers, and the Institute of Botany of Chinese Academy of Sciences, China’s leading institute in plant science. Comprised of LED experts and plant scientists, SANANBIO is able to provide simple indoor farming solutions for global growers. The RADIX, a patented vertical hydroponic system, has been widely endorsed by growers in more than twenty countries.
“We’re phasing out manpower to make our produces available for more people. So we can say that UPLIFT is unmanned for humanity,” said Zhan.
To learn more about UPLIFT, please contact SANANBIO at global@sananbio.com or visit its LinkedIn page https://www.linkedin.com/company/fujiansanansinosciencephotobiotechcoltd.