In one of World Horti Center's greenhouses, four students from the Horti Technics & Management course are busy growing young strawberry plants. The LED lighting is turning the greenhouse 'pink', the plants are getting fruit and there are bumblebees are flying around.
A collaboration between MBO Westland, Vertify, and RED Horticulture is investigating the effect of LED lighting on strawberry cultivation. RED Horticulture has equipped the test site at World Horti Center - where they are also based - with the latest lighting technology.
RED Horticulture was founded in 2018 by two young entrepreneurs with a passion for photobiology and high-tech innovation, says Cindy Jouvenaar of RED Horticulture. "In Nantes, we have our own photobiological and agronomic research center (PARC), a laboratory where photobiological tests are carried out on all kinds of crops. From potted plants to cucumbers and cannabis."
"Through the four-channel LED lighting solution used in this project, it becomes possible to provide crop-specific, targeted, and smart lighting. These lighting fixtures, more than 60% of which are European-made, are controlled via a smart mobile application that allows growers to very easily manage light, lighting programs, and associated recipes. This helps growers work more sustainably and efficiently," Cindy explains.
"By using the right lighting recipes, we not only offer growers savings on their energy bills, we especially offer them much more flexibility in their production cycles. Proper lighting management makes it possible for growers to deliver at a time that is convenient for them. In other words: with the right use of LED lighting, you can control your delivery timing. To help with this, we also offer the help of Paul Jochems, Red Horticulture's agronomist and specialist in Photobiology. He works with customers, but also with the training here, to develop the right tailor-made light recipe."
The four Horti Technics & Management students, Hanson, Julian, Stan, and Noah, are researching resilient growing in strawberry cultivation. This is the first time strawberries have been grown in the greenhouse, which in previous years was full of tomatoes. The strawberries are of the 'Sonata' variety and were planted in September. The students say, "Before we planted the plants, we added Trianen and Fungo to some, and a foliar spray at the end for extra resilience. This gives the plants a boost. Here, we test the difference between using and not using these additives. The strawberries are grown on gutters and supplied with water via drippers. It is 12 hours of light in the greenhouse and 12 hours of darkness. Every week we make a report on the crop." All four boys have side jobs in the greenhouse, where they can be found a lot outside school. Eventually, they all want to start their own gardening business.
Sjoerd Nieboer, lecturer on the Horti Technics & Management course, adds: "We have been growing circular tomatoes for three years, and now we are discovering soft fruit. We use full LED lighting in this high-tech greenhouse, which is fully customizable. We can modulate the spectrum and try out different settings. Last year we experimented with tomatoes, and now we need to find a way how to apply that to strawberries. Next week, we will attend a photobiology & LED workshop offered by RED Horticulture and taught by Paul Jochems himself. That way, we will take the students along, so they can also see how light can be applied to cultivation."
Strawberry cultivation in the greenhouse will continue until December/January, with the first harvest expected in a fortnight.
For more information:
RED Horticulture 
Word Horti Center
Europa 1
2672 ZX Naaldwijk
Tel: +31 6 51520157
[email protected]
www.horticulture.red
MBO Westland 
Horti Technics & Management
Europa 1
2672 ZX Naaldwijk
Tel: 0174-513321
https://www.mbo-westland.nl