Philips Lighting is embarking upon an intensive partnership with Dümmen Orange. For both companies this is a way of increasing their knowledge about the effects of LED lighting on new red rose varieties and other plants. Both companies signed the contract on Friday, 29 April, an initial step that will be followed by other projects. At the rose breeding company in Kudelstaart one bay has now been fitted with a combination of HPS lamps (80 µmol/m2/s) and Philips GreenPower LED toplighting (80 µmol/m2/s), totalling160 µmol/m2/s .
Lighting red cultivars
The installation of the LEDs is the first visible step in the red Avalanche+ project. The first commercial cultivars are expected to appear on the market in 2017/2018.
The first cultivar in this program is currently being lit with a hybrid lighting installation, along with other varieties.
“Red cultivars benefit from a high light level. The additional lighting that Philips LED lamps bring to our breeding site enables us to achieve the same light level as the most modern rose businesses,” says Dennis van Dijk, Rose Product Manager at Dümmen Orange™.
Certainty for sector
The rose is an important crop for ornamental plant cultivation in the Netherlands. “For us it’s really useful to be working with an international breeder. For instance we can test the effect of technological developments on several crops and varieties. We mainly consider the increase in quality and yield to be important,” says Udo van Slooten, Managing Director Philips Horticulture LED Solutions.
Sharp increase in popularity of LEDs for rose cultivation
Rose growers are showing plenty of interest in Philips GreenPower toplighting. Last year rose nursery Wimceco and flower nursery Scheers in Belgium invested in LEDs to supplement their HPS installation. LEDs improve crop quality and production and give the option of using lighting on dark days in the spring and summer. At the Delphy Improvement Centre in Bleiswijk research is being conducted into 100% LED lighting for roses.