Low energy full-LED tomato trial

Welcome to the Low-Energy Tomato Growing research program! This novel three-year trial program, initiated in collaboration with Philips and the trusted marcom partners Ridder, BASF, Wireless Value, Normec Groen Agro Control, and Maurice Kassenbouw aims to transform year-round tomato production under full LED lights. Our objective is to optimise greenhouse conditions such that heat input is reduced by 40% while maintaining high yields and quality.

"Last year's trial has demonstrated that controlling and optimising all aspects of the cultivation enables a lower heat input. Using active dehumidification stimulated sufficient plant transpiration to support a strong crop and realise a high production. Extra generative growth at the start of the crop was encouraged by actively manipulating nitrate and chloride levels in the feed recipe. During the cultivation, the greenhouse climate was so stable that in the 30 weeks of the cultivation the average drain volume was a mere 8%", states Andrew Lee, knowledge manager at Grodan.

Learn more about the current trial and the last year's findings below!

Taking the learnings from 2023 and 2024, the trial aims to demonstrate to growers how energy efficient strategies can lead to additional improvements in plant and fruit performance.

This year's trial focuses on:

The use of spectral dimming - to improve electrical efficiency of the LED installation. The strategy this year will be to target specific Daily Light Integral (DLI) whilst switching off the least efficient LED colours.

The use of advanced climate screens - to offer greater thermal insulation of the greenhouse with a higher potential for heat-recovery through the dehumidification system.

Gaining insights into the vertical plant temperature - to help create better crop balance and steerability in the development speed of both the young fruits in the head of the plant, all the way to the maturing fruits in the lower part of the canopy.

Managing water and nutrient uptake - to target the lowest possible electrical conductivity (EC) while maintaining the highest production and fruit quality and simultaneously steer crop-balance with the right nutrient composition.

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Sustainable Growing

Grodan and Philips Horticulture LED Solutions demonstrate additional heat input reduction while growing very flavorful quality tomatoes

Grodan and Philips Horticulture LED Solutions are further exploring opportunities for growers to reduce energy costs through an efficient approach to LED lighting and effective root zone management, combined with climate control and active dehumidification. Having full control of all aspects of the cultivation strategy offers unique opportunities for producing a high-quality, year-round tomato crop with reduced energy input and lower costs.

Low energy tomato growing

Breaking the myths with research data

Below, you can watch our video series, "Breaking the Myth." We share the latest developments in low-energy tomato growing, challenging common misconceptions and showcasing the innovative techniques that have led to our successful results.

Follow us as we explore key aspects such as low energy usage, dynamic lighting, precise irrigation, effective control methods, tailored nutrient recipes, comprehensive data analysis, efficient de-humidification, and high-quality tomatoes.

Watch and discover more!

Debunking the myth - Low energy tomato growing - Grodan

Breaking the myth: Drain is the goal

In this episode, we debunk the myth that a specific drain volume is the goal for steering crop development. Discover how Grodan's innovative irrigation solutions allow precise control of water and nutrient supply, leading to optimised crop development.

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Episode 2: No extra savings possible with LED lights

Marcel Raats, Plant Specialist at Philips Horticulture LED Solutions, debunks myths about costs in LED tomato growing. Explore how advanced lighting strategies can significantly reduce costs while imp

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Episode 3: Dehumidification is costly

Ronald Thijssen from Ammerlaan Construction debunks myths about energy use in LED-grown tomatoes. Discover how smart dehumidification cuts energy costs and improves climate control and steerability

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Episode 4 - Quality Tomatoes with Low Energy Input

Cees Ammerlaan, Specialist Product Development High Tech Tomato at BASF Nunhems, debunks myths about the quality of tomatoes grown with low energy heat input. Discover how the Vitalion variety excels.

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Episode 5 – Crop development speed on low energy growing

Tiemo Bodemann, Sales Manager at Ridder, debunks myths about low-energy tomato growing. Discover how the right screens help maintain plant temperature and optimise development with less energy.

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Episode 6 – Water uptake always means weight increase

Kees van Vliet from Wireless Value debunks myths about low-energy tomato growing. Discover how pre-night irrigation, smart sensors, and data modeling boost yields and save energy.

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Episode 7 – Lower water uptake negatively impacts fruit quality

Ruud Kaarsemaker debunks low-energy tomato growing myths in our “Breaking the Myth” series. Discover how water uptake affects fruit quality and how smart nutrition boosts size, brix, and leaf area.

Learn more about the first trial

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Press Release

01 Oct 2024

Another growing season for Grodan and Signify to pioneer additional energy efficiency improvements and enhance plant performance in tomato

Horst, Limburg, the Netherlands Grodan, the global leader in supplying innovative, sustainable stone wool growing media solutions for the professional horticulture industry, has teamed up again with Signify, the world leader in lighting, to conduct a second research trial at Botany in the Netherlands to optimise year-round tomato cultivation.

Low-heat full-LED tomato trial achieves 50% reduction in heat

To help growers find a solution for cultivating a full-LED winter lit crop with a low heat input without impacting on yield or quality, Philips Horticulture LED Solutions and Grodan ran a joint trial at Botany Research Center, the Netherlands. The trial, which used active air dehumidification, has demonstrated that controlling and optimising all the aspects in a greenhouse enables a lower heat input to be realised while enabling sufficient transpiration to support strong and healthy crop production. In fact, the final results were even better than expected: the heat input was reduced by more than 50%.

Key results thanks to a holistic approach to growing with full LEDs and active air dehumidification:

Over 50% less heat input compared to commercial practice
Increased production efficiency in g/kWh and EUR/kg
A very stable climate, facilitating predictive water uptake and additional possibilities to steer the veg/gen balance in the crop
Monitoring the uptake of individual nutrient elements opens up new steering possibilities in optimising nutrient recipes

Download the whitepaper and learn more!

Download whitepaper

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By Emmanouela Alexopoulou

Sustainable Growing

Enabling growers to reduce up to 40% heat input and maintain year-round production & quality

Grodan and Signify collaborate on a 3-year trial to optimize year-round tomato cultivation for 40% lower heat input amid rising energy costs and sustainability efforts. Partnering with BASF, Ridder, Normec, and Wireless value, they organize knowledge transfer activities.

Vlog series on low energy tomato growing under full-LED lights

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Watch the vlogs on low energy tomato growing under full-LED lights.

Grodan is collaborating with Signify and other partners (BASF Vegetable Seeds, Ridder, Normec Groen Agro-Control and Wireless value) to define how an LED-winter crop can produce high yields of high-quality fruits. Watch the videos to learn more.

Watch the other episodes

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Philips - Lighting

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Ridder – Climate compute

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Wireless value - Data collection

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BASF – Variety selection

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Normec Groen Agro Control – Nutrients

Learn more

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Press Release

19 Oct 2023

Grodan and Signify collaborate to conduct low-energy tomato cultivation research with an expected savings on heat-input up to 40%

The trial started September 2023 at Botany and will explore principles of low energy growing under fully dimmable Philips LED lights. Focus will be on plant transpiration and nutrient uptake in a 260 m2 department fitted with active air de-humidification. This year's strategy is built on the knowledge gained from last year's successful tomato trial by Signify. By modelling the expected crop development and performance, both Grodan and Signify expect to reduce up to 40% on heat input by dimming the lights based on crop needs, energy prices, and outside light conditions.

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Sustainable

Grodan - Sustainability

Growing fresh and healthy food means the world to us. The global population keeps getting bigger, while natural resources shrink. Simply put: we need to grow more using less.

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Designed to Grow

Designed to Grow

Grodan's soilless growing system evolves continuously, promising high yields of consistent, high-quality crops for a growing population.

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Introduction to stone wool

Introduction to stone wool

Stone wool and plant cultivation align seamlessly, transforming a bountiful resource for human benefit— a magical and exciting synergy.

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About

Grodan 6-phase model

The Grodan 6-phase model offers a blueprint for optimal crop results during both each cultivation phase and the entire cultivation period.

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