Tomato Production in Greenhouses - Fluence by OSRAM

25/11/2020 Researching the Future - Fluence By OSRAM
TOMATO PRODUCTION
IN GREENHOUSES
Vine crops, speci cally tomatoes, are one of the most heavily produced
and consumed crops in the world. As such, tomato cultivation also
represents one of the largest market segments for greenhouse growing.
Since greenhouses are one of the most resource, labor, energy and yield
e cient ways growers have found to cultivate crops, greenhouses also
represent a key area of research for the future of horticulture.
Since the 19th century, many factors of greenhouse cultivation have been

solved in The Netherlands, due in part to the leadership of Wageningen,
the #1 agricultural sciences university and research center in the world.
Which is why scientists at Fluence by OSRAM are collaborating with
Wageningen to explore the use of full-spectrum LEDs as supplemental
lighting in greenhouses. Legacy HID technologies have been used to
much commercial success for decades but have also equated into high
operational expenditure costs. The relatively recent introduction of
narrow-band LEDs into horticulture has introduced e ciencies into the
industry, and the effects of each band of spectrum are being researched
and leveraged commercially, but a solid base of foundational research
around the effects of a full compilation of spectra is still lacking in
scienti c literature.
The Experiment
Fundamental Research Into The Viability Of Full
Spectrum LED Lighting In Comparison To Legacy
Lighting Systems.
Results from a two-factor experiment, comparing the in uence of light

quality and temperature on two common tomato cultivars (Tomagino
and Merlice) analyzed at Wageningen, in collaboration with Fluence and
Vortus bv (a leading greenhouse consulting rm), has produced
promising results which prove the viability of full spectrum LEDs in
greenhouses (see gure 1). The experiment, which considered
temperature, light quality of PhysioSpec Greenhouse (table 1), HPS and

an experimental spectrum, has produced data which shows a difference
in yield.
Experiment Layout (Figure 1)

https://fluence.science/science-articles/wageningen/ 1/6
Experiment Layout (Figure 1)
Environmental Conditions (Table 1)
Species, cultivar: Merlice, Tomagino
Compartment Compartment #2
#1
Temperature Day: 20-21 C Day: 20-21 C

Night: 16 C Night: 16 C
Relative Humidity 57% ± 1.5% 57% ± 1.5%
[CO2] Setpoint 1000 ppm 1000 ppm
Rooting Substrate Rockwool Rockwool
Fertigation Strategy Standard Standard Tomato

Tomato Solution
Solution
pH 5.5-6 5.5-6 
EC 2.0-4.0 2.0-4.0
Species, cultivar: Merlice, Tomagino
Supplemental Canopy 200µmol m-2 s-1 200µmol m-2 s-1
Supplemental Canopy 200µmol m 2 s 1 200µmol m 2 s 1
Level PFD; 400-800nm
Light Spectra 1) 600 W HPS 1) PhysioSpec

2) PhysioSpec Greenhouse
Greenhouse 2) PhysioSpec
Greenhouse Far Red
Results
The preliminary data comparing tomato yield under PhysioSpec
Greenhouse to HPS shows Tomagino crops under PhysioSpec
Greenhouse yielded more fresh fruit. Increasing the temperature for
PhysioSpec Greenhouse treated plants by 1 degree Celsius made the
yield difference even more pronounced, increasing the difference from
an average 3% greater versus HPS, to an average of 11%, ( gure 2a).
The data for Merlice also showed promising results, yielding
comparable amounts of fresh fruit between treatments, further proving
full spectrum LEDs as viable replacement for HPS in greenhouse tomato
production.
Research chambers at Wageningen

University with Fluence
supplemental light (VYPR Series) on
the left and HPS on the right.
FIGURE 2a: Yield increase for

Tomagino

Yield Increase under
PhysioSpec Greenhouse
11%
25/11/2020
11% Researching the Future - Fluence By OSRAM
vs. HPS
Analysis
The research at Wageningen shows promise for the viability of LEDs in
terms of yield, with the added bene t of being more energy e cient than
legacy lighting solutions common to greenhouse production today. “The
initial results of this trial show growers can cultivate tomatoes as
effectively with PhysioSpec Greenhouse as you can under HPS, possibly
with a better yield, and with shorter stems,” said Dr. Ep Heuvelink,
associate professor, WUR.
Additionally, the director of Vortus, Barend Löbker, said ““Current

practices use HPS technology as the sole source for supplemental
lighting in greenhouses and the WUR trial proves this should not be the
case. Growers have been reluctant to transition to LEDs because they
are uncertain if LEDs can be as effective for cultivation and the WUR trial
eliminates any doubts around the capabilities of full spectrum LEDs.”
Further Research With

Wageningen
Fluence plans to continue to work with Wageningen to compare ongoing
research with this trial and conduct more research around full spectrum
and narrow band LEDs, as well as additional types of crops. Our senior
photobiologist, Haris Ouzounis, will oversee these studies with
Wageningen and has stated, “Upcoming studies from Fluence into the
in uences of light quality, distribution, and intensity, as well as
optimizations to the rest of the environment should demonstrate
improvements in productivity compared to legacy production practices.”

Research is of paramount importance at Fluence as it helps direct what
technologies will have the most impact on how cultivation solutions
should be deployed in the industry. Fluence is proud to have joined the
Wageningen Club of 100 to further research with the esteemed
Wageningen Club of 100 to further research with the esteemed
university, in addition to the other global initiatives we have in place with
other organizations such as the Foundation for Food and Agricultural
Research, University of Florida, University of Utah, and many other
private businesses and public organizations around the world.
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25/11/2020 Researching the Future - Fluence By OSRAM

Since the 19th century, many factors of greenhouse cultivation have been

Results from a two-factor experiment, comparing the in uence of light

Experiment Layout (Figure 1)

Environmental Conditions (Table 1)

Species, cultivar: Merlice, Tomagino

Temperature Day: 20-21 C Day: 20-21 C

Relative Humidity 57% ± 1.5% 57% ± 1.5%

[CO2] Setpoint 1000 ppm 1000 ppm

Rooting Substrate Rockwool Rockwool

Fertigation Strategy Standard Standard Tomato

Light Spectra 1) 600 W HPS 1) PhysioSpec

Research chambers at Wageningen

FIGURE 2a: Yield increase for

11% Researching the Future - Fluence By OSRAM

Additionally, the director of Vortus, Barend Löbker, said ““Current

Further Research With

RICE ROOT APHIDS LIGHTING EXPERIMENT AN

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