"I even come across cases where 40% too much light is given"

Measuring the photosynthetic efficiency of a plant can increase production by 5-10%. However, determining photosynthesis without damaging the plant is a challenge. PhenoVation took on that challenge and created the CropObserver. Vincent Jalink talked about it earlier this year and now explains that in…

Energy update: growers revert to oil, dumping (too) early

There were no huge spikes in European gas prices last week, but, nonetheless, winter gas prices were still rising in the weekend, so the energy crisis is certainly not over yet. Reason enough for German growers to revert to oil, our journalists discovered, and elsewhere, perfectly good crops are being…

UK Energy Crisis 2021 - Higher prices all round?

Energy prices are continuing to rise, and this trend has barely reversed throughout the whole of 2021. Whilst it is impossible to say how long the crisis will last, it is…

Electricity for the people, heat for the plants

A Canadian greenhouse, eNature Greenhouses, has installed two cogeneration plants with a total capacity of 5.4 MW (2 engines of 2.7 MW each). eNature is a cucumber grower in Carlisle, Ontario that saw an opportunity to participate in a CHP Standing Offer Program (CHPSOP). Under this program, anytime the…

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Effects of fertilizer source and rate on Zinnia production in a high tunnel

Sustainable nutrient management in high tunnel production is critical for optimizing crop yield and quality and improving soil health. In this study, this research team investigated the influence of different pre-plant composts (composted broiler litter, vemicompost, and cotton gin compost) in…

Newly released LED light enables efficient growth at an industrial scale

GE Current, a Daintree company, today introduced the next generation of the Arize Element L1000, a top light for commercial greenhouses and indoor farms. The next-generation features three models with expanded spectral options, a high photon flux of up to 2,350 μmol/s, high efficacy levels of up to 3.6…

Saving more energy with a fourth screen?

In a relatively short amount of time, the amount of screens used in the greenhouses of cultivation companies has been scaled up. At one point, it might have been the norm to see one screen in a greenhouse. Now you might see three hanging over each other.   Johan van Erven, product specialist Screening at Ridder: "We…

"Profitable, clean, and efficient farming starts with renewable energy sources"

Energy is essential to agriculture, from fuel needed to operate machinery to the electricity necessary to heat or cool livestock and greenhouses. Most of this energy is…

Dutch growers use more lighting due to bad weather, CO2 emissions rise

Dutch agriculture and horticulture emitted 1.8 megatons of CO2 in the second quarter of 2021. According to figures from the CBS, that is more than in 2020 and 2019. The statistics office itself gives an explanation: colder and less sunny weather made extra lighting in greenhouses necessary. Greenhouse…

"We provide LED-solutions to help customers consume fewer resources"

Valoya, the research-driven manufacturer of horticultural LED lighting solutions announces the appointment of Mr. Tuukka Parviainen as its new Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Parviainen will take on the CEO role starting from October 1st, 2021. “Tuukka is an experienced leader with a strong track record of…

NL: "Many requests for support in the field of lighting"

The Dutch consultancy and engineering firm Orance moved from Monster to Wateringen in late August. Its growing team provides assistance to producers in the search for the most optimal supplemental lighting installation with the most suitable fixtures for their greenhouses. With the move, the company has…

"You don't need white light for crop inspection"

There are several myths surrounding the specific light spectra used for growing crops and, more specifically, the use of white, green, or broad-spectrum light. This article is the third in a series of interviews with Signify’s Esther de Beer, manager of the team of plant specialists at Philips…

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Effect of biostimulant application on development of pansy seedlings

Pansy (Viola tricolor var. hortensis DC.) is a biennial large-flowered hybrid plant cultivated as a popular ornamental plant in urban green areas. The plants prefer sun and well-drained soil, but also tolerate low temperatures. The optimal time for transplanting pansy seedlings in outdoor beds is in…

Plants help solar panels perform better

Australian researchers from the University of Technology at Sydney have found that solar panels on a green roof were on average 3.63% more efficient and produced an average…

NL: Trials done on the effects of LED lights for chrysanthemum cultivation

In the past decade, the interest in LED lighting in greenhouse horticulture has increased considerably, due to the lower electricity consumption and reduced heat load compared to HPS lighting. Another advantage LEDs offer is the option to create a crop specific “tailor-made" light spectrum. Far-red…

Karsten Eggert

The future of CHP in a net-zero world

Robert Ashley, Power Generation Specialist at Mott MacDonald, ascertains that CHP has a future in a net-zero world. In June 2019, the UK Government introduced legislation that required all greenhouse gas emissions to be reduced to net-zero by 2050. As the first major economy to do so, this was a…

Photo credit: WilkinsonEyre Architects

"Laying PEX pipe in the ground is much cheaper than for example building a greenhouse"

On the southern periphery of Elliðaárdalur in Reykjavík, an area has been allocated as a so-called urban farm, with the goal of connecting people and nature together in a totally new manner. The project is called ALDIN Biodome, and one of its subprojects has been to research how Iceland’s natural…

How to stop unnecessary venting in the glasshouse

Common sense tells us that eliminating unnecessary venting will save energy. However, putting this theory into practice is not as straightforward as it sounds, especially when humidity control is a key requirement. This article outline a simple way that you can minimize ventilation whilst maintaining the…

Cartonboard proves its life cycle credentials

A new life cycle analysis report has highlighted the environmental credentials of cartonboard packaging when compared against fossil-based alternatives. Published in June…

What is the cost of humidity control in your glasshouse?

When energy is cheap you don’t often worry about the cost of using heat for humidity control. This is because the advantages of a good yielding and disease free crop far outweigh the cost of controlling humidity. However, when the cost of energy increases, you are left asking "Can I afford to control…

Greenhouse heated thanks to bacteria that purify sewage water

Modern energy technologies are used in a newly built greenhouse for Abbey View Produce. On site, sewage water is cleaned by bacteria, a process in which the water is heated by up to 20 degrees Celsius. Heat, with which the greenhouse is also heated. The Financial Times went over to take a look. The…

Study on a ground-source heat pump system for greenhouse heating–cooling

One of the important heating criteria of a greenhouse in the northern hemisphere countries is heat availability, particularly in the winter season. Among other heat storage types, seasonal soil-based energy storage performance is auspicious. However, the performance is affected by the length and depth of…

Japan wants fossil-free greenhouses by 2050

Japan has recently set new sustainability targets. For greenhouse horticulture, this means that greenhouses must be fossil-free by 2050. In addition, Japan plans to grow organically at a quarter of the total production area by 2050 and reduce chemical crop protection by 50%.One of the high-tech…

NL: Permission to drill 4th geothermal heat doublet accompanied by concerns about the future

ECW Energy has received permission to drill a fourth geothermal doublet in the Dutch town Middenmeer. This is apparent from a draft environmental permit from the Ministry of…

"We are taking a step forward in terms of lighting"

Two chrysanthemum growers building new construction this year, choose the new Philips GreenPower LED Toplighting Force (TLF) from Signify. These LED lights fit seamlessly into hybrid systems with 1,040-watt HPS lights and offer high output and efficiency. Linflowers from Nieuwaal (7.5 ha) opts for high…

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Understanding temperature in growing systems

In order to improve temperature control inside of a growing system, we must understand how temperature works inside of a system with plants and the variables involved in determining temperature for our crops. There are different variables that affect the temperature in plants. Some of the most important…

"There is more to a retrofit than simply changing some lights"

Fluence announced the first of two comprehensive retrofit guides specifically designed to assist cultivators and growers in determining what they need for a complete, seamless retrofitting process. The first guide, Greenhouse LED Retrofit Guide, outlines tips and tricks for greenhouse operators and…

UK: 5 MW thermal input systems - let’s get down to permits

The 1 January 2024 deadline for existing 5 MWth combustion plants to be permitted in the UK by may seem far away, but, in reality, permits are taking at least 12 months with current Environment Agency (EA) queues. Once the influx of applications starts in 2023, this lead time risks being even longer.…

"LED luminaire offers region’s indoor growers greater flexibility and choice"

GE Current, a Daintree company, has today announced the arrival in Europe of the Arize Lynk2, its next-generation, low-power/high-performance LED luminaire for controlled environment agriculture (CEA) applications such as vertical farms. Offering a 50% longer lifetime of 54,000 hours to L90, up to 15%…

Special Energy

This month, we will pay more attention to Energy. This subject will also be highlighted in HortiDaily and our Dutch newsletters, Bloemen- en plantennieuws and Groentennieuws. Articles related to the use of energy in the greenhouse industry will be published in a Special box, named Special Energy.Energy Energy is one of the most…