Revolutionizing Cultivation with Flexible Spectrum

Revolutionizing Plant Growth with Flexible Spectrum Lighting

Bert Deruyck, horticultural innovation researcher at Inagro, is one of the users of the dynamic installation. He emphasizes the significant benefits of having the flexibility to tune the spectrum in terms of intensity and spectral composition. According to Deruyck, this capability is invaluable for exploring the potential of dynamic lighting.

“In the current horticulture research landscape, a lot of efforts are made to explore the potential of dynamic steering of the lights. On the one hand, it’s used to optimize the energy strategy, and on the other, it taps into the physiological needs of a plant,” he explains.

This flexibility is especially valuable for far-red research, as the physiological effects targeted by applying far-red are often growth stage specific. 

Deruyck also highlights the advantages of the integrated far-red and PAR in one module. Unlike classical systems that often use add-on far-red modules next to existing PAR modules, the integrated approach eliminates the need for extra wiring and hardware components. This streamlined setup prevents additional parts from being installed above the plants, which can obstruct natural sunlight, thereby maintaining optimal conditions for plant growth. 

 Advanced Light Strategies with helioCORE 

Bert Deruyck, points out the usefulness of the helioCORE system in managing lighting strategies. He points out that having detailed information on the distribution of solar and assimilated light at the plant level is crucial for performing high quality light use efficiency analyses with minimal investments. “In our rooftop greenhouse Agrotopia, we were able to uncover some diurnal and seasonal variations in sunlight distribution in our experimental greenhouses,” says Deruyck. “Having Heliospectras system and sensors allowed us to improve our experimental set-ups.” 

Deruyck further explains the advantages of the helioCORE software, which provides a detailed overview of the exact light sums the plants receive using Apogee PAR sensors from within the greenhouse. This method is always more accurate than relying solely on measurements from a rooftop meteorological station.

He elaborates, “Especially with the use of different greenhouse covers and different screen materials and screen usage, it is very informative to know how light sums are evolving. Ideally, these measurements are used in the setpoint triggers to run the irrigation scheme.” This precise data collection helps optimize the irrigation process and overall plant health.