This project just goes to show what can be achieved when you build on what you know and dare to try something new.
Better quality
and consistency
This project just goes to show what can be achieved when you build on what you know and dare to try something new.
solution was so profitable we decided to install it in our new greenhouse as well.”
- Erno Laukkarinen, Owner Nurmitarhat Oy
Nurmitarhat Oy supplies lettuce and 20 varieties of herbs, like basil, dill, coriander and thyme, to the main retail chains in Finland. Their biggest challenge was improving the quality of their lettuce and herbs during the grow on phase by preventing them from stretching too much. They also wanted to get more uniformly sized leaves on the plants, increase production and decrease energy usage.
Rather than throwing out HPS technology completely, Laukkarinen worked with Philips LED Horti Partner Schetelig to implement a novel combination of 80 µmol/m²/s HPS toplighting and 80 µmol/m²/s LED toplighting, for a total light level of 160 µmol/m²/s. Philips application engineers made a light plan to apply the most uniform level of micromoles possible to the herbs.
After using the hybrid lighting system (LED + HPS) for one year, Erno could see the quality and consistency of the crops throughout the year was much better. The company is producing higher yields of better quality crops in the same amount of space, while reducing the energy consumption for each crop at the same time.
LEDs have allowed Erno to shorten the growing cycle for basil by four days, so they can do more growth cycles in a year. In short: combining the best of LED and HPS provided great results.
Better quality and consistency
Higher yields
Shorter growing cycles
Lower energy consumption