Latest LED technology used in year-round strawberry cultivation

Can new technology in LED lighting enable a stable, high-quality annual round production of strawberries in Western Europe? That is the question that the parties Fragaria Innova and Signify Horticulture are going to address in the coming period. In an extensive two-year research program, they are joining forces to develop a new cultivation concept for the cultivation of lit strawberries.

Quality over quantity

Cooperation is central to the recently signed agreement between the two parties. Strawberry growers have long wanted to extend the production season under glass and hope that new LED technology can play a role in this. Not to create volume, but to be able to offer tasty, healthy and attractive strawberries in the period between 1 November and 1 April. That means a flat, year-round production with a lot of flavour improvement and as few crop changes as possible.

Fragaria Innova

In the past year, ambitious and progressive strawberry growers united in the partnership Fragaria Innova. Within the objective of realizing a future-proof and economically sustainable business model for the growers, two focus points were formulated: growing under light and plant health. In this regard, co-creation and innovation with strategic partners are of great importance to Fragaria Innova. "Those who cannot share, certainly cannot multiply," is the opinion of Marcel Dings, co-shareholder of Fragaria Innova.

Signify

The ideal partner for Fragaria Innova was found in Signify Horticulture. Signify, previously known as Philips Lighting, produces lighting for the high-tech horticulture sector, among others. Business leader Udo van Slooten explains how Signify is constantly researching year-round light recipes for different crops. "We prefer to do that as close to practice as possible. In conversation with the members of Fragaria Innova, it soon became clear that our research questions were similar. That's when the decision was made to join forces."

Innoveins

The collaboration between Signify and Fragaria Innova came about within Innoveins, an innovation platform at the intersection of plant and technology at the Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo. In addition to Fragaria Innova, five other clusters are active here in the field of both social (new forms of collaboration) and technological (new product solutions) innovation.

Source: AGF