Solutions
Cucumber highwire cultivation under LED lighting
With 3 videos we follow the lighting tests of cucumbers in high-wire cultivation at the Botany trial station in Meterik, the Netherlands. The goal is to arrive at an optimized light recipe for high-wire cucumber cultivation in which the energy efficiency will be analyzed for the different varieties used in the study. One of these varieties is the Nunhems cucumber variety Hi Power.
The trial runs from October 2021 to March 2022. Processing and analysis of the results takes place from April to May 2022.
More information about the set-up of the trial can be found on the Botany webpage: Innovation ensures home-grown cucumbers all year round - Botany (botanygroup.nl)
‘Staying ahead of the game: this is what we know about LED and cucumbers’
Innovation in the high wire cultivation of cucumbers
Ideally, we’d be able to grow high-quality cucumbers all year round. And with current energy prices, energy efficiency is also very important. How do you ensure efficient and energy-saving cultivation, even in winter?
At Botany Group in Meterik, growers and researchers are joining forces to achieve ever better results with growing under LED lighting. In the first of three videos, experts from Botany, Signify and BASF tell us more about their trials with various light spectra and lighting strategies.
Find out what they’ve learned so far in this video >
The first insights from our trial
How did the crops survive the winter?
Our research into growing under LED lighting is still ongoing, but we would like to share some initial insights. How did the crops survive the dark period?
To answer that question, we looked into production results, light efficiency and root condition. Spoiler: around new year’s, there was a slight imbalance in the crops. Our sales specialist Rens Muusers talks about whether that balance has been restored. And our partner Grodan, expert in substrate cultivation, shares insights we have gained so far, for example on irrigation strategy.
Learn more in part two of our video series >
The trial is completed
What have we learned so far?
In the third episode of our trilogy, we share the latest insights about our trials of cucumber growing under LED lighting. What findings have we made? And what can we learn from this information? Remco from Wijnen Square Crops, Thea from Mertens, and Marcel from BASF will tell you all about it.
In this last episode, we also go into plant protection products: they keep diseases and pests in check and give information about the development of future cucumber varieties.
Watch our latest video here >
