China: LEDs for Laudriz’s modern greenhouse

Philips Lighting has supplied LED lighting systems for large-scale plant production at a modern greenhouse built by Laudriz Investment in Sanhe City, Hebei Province in China, and it has inked a MoU with Laudriz and Dutch-based Delphy to build a research and training centre at the greenhouse to explore the applications of LED lighting for plant growth.

Advanced LED lighting technology to optimize fruit and vegetable growth
The modern, two-hectare greenhouse has been built by Laudriz and will be expanded over the coming years. This facility is consistent with the Chinese government’s push to develop greenhouse horticulture. By installing the advanced LED lighting system, the challenges of a shortage of sunlight and haze in the winter can be overcome, while better light conditions in the greenhouse can improve the yield and quality of fruit and vegetables.

The greenhouse consists of four planting zones, all equipped with Philips horticulture LED lighting systems. More than 3,000 GreenPower LED toplighting modules and interlighting modules have been installed across the planting zones. The first growing season concluded at the end of July 2017 and involved two separate planting zones; one growing cherry tomatoes (using LED interlighting modules) and one with larger tomatoes (using LED toplighting modules and interlighting modules).

“This is an entirely new effort,” said Yang Kun, crop manager of the greenhouse. “Based on our observations in the first growing season, we found that during days of scarce sunlight and heavy smog in north China in the winter, LED lights can help maintain appropriate light levels in the greenhouse. The LED lights also had a positive effect on sugar accumulation.”

The next planting season starts in October 2017 and lasts until the end of July 2018. This time, all four planting zones will be used with different light recipes and crop combinations. The first zone will use LED toplighting modules to grow coloured sweet peppers; the second zone will adopt a combined lighting system with high pressure sodium (HPS) lamps and LED interlighting modules to grow cherry tomatoes; the third will use LED interlighting modules to grow cherry tomatoes, while the fourth zone will use 100% LED toplighting modules and LED interlighting modules to grow cherry tomatoes. The energy consumption in the latter zone is expected to be lower than in the second zone.

“As a commercial planting base close to Beijing, we hope to introduce state-of-the-art planting facilities to boost total productivity in the greenhouse,” said Yang Kun. “Inadequate sunlight and haze are two big obstacles that compromise agricultural production in winter, whereas sufficient light levels can ensure steady crop growth in winter. We expect improved results in the next growing season.”

LED lighting research and training centre
Philips Lighting, Laudriz and Delphy will join forces to establish a demo research and training centre in the greenhouse. The centre has a mandate to expand the application of LED lighting solutions in more greenhouses and introduce new lighting systems and planting methods to Chinese plant growers, with the aim of producing high-quality vegetables and securing predictable, high productivity.

For more information:
Philips Lighting
www.philips.com