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    Meet plant specialist
    Gauri Maharjan

     

     

    From the family farm in Nepal to high-tech plant factories in Japan, Plant Specialist Gauri Maharjan understands the tremendous impact that modern agricultural technology can have. As a Philips Horti Plant Specialist based in Japan, he supports the Japanese team in developing light recipes and setting up projects with growers. He is always looking for new technologies and knowledge that will make cultivation in a greenhouse or plant factory more profitable for growers. Gauri speaks Japanese fluently and aims to create profitable cultivation models for Japanese growers and make his kids proud of his efforts in developing the new kind of agriculture. 
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    Web-based plant diagnostics and crop-boosting light recipes

     

    Gauri’s love of technology has taken him far. During his PhD study in Biotic Environment Science at Iwate University in Japan, Gauri developed a web-based support system that used image processing to diagnose rice diseases. After completing this study, he worked at the Mirai Co. where he was involved in the development of many plant factories in Japan and dedicated a great deal of effort in establishing a modern plant factory in the heart of the Mongolian desert. It was there he learned what a powerful effect that light has in influencing the cultivation process. Gauri recently joined the Philips Horti team in Japan to further expand his knowledge about modern cultivation technologies.

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    Expanding knowledge


    Gauri works with the Japanese team and colleagues at Philips Horti in Eindhoven to develop light recipes for Japan and lighting plans for projects, and also provides specialist advice to support growers. He draws upon his research experience to build relationships and co-development projects with universities, research institutes and key influencers, and represents Philips Horti at conferences, fairs and other events.
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    Boosting results for growers


    In his short time at Philips Horti, Gauri has already been fascinated by some of the results achieved with LED light recipes and has set-up two projects for Japanese growers. “We are working on a trial for improving the red coloration for lettuce cultivation at one grower. For another food processing company, we are starting to explore possible light recipes to improve the growth of edible chrysanthemums and coriander,” says Gauri. He really enjoys working with the rest of the Philips Horti team and sharing knowledge across their network. “It’s great to be able to access these global specialists to meet our customers’ requirements.”
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    Pioneering city farming


    Gauri feels privileged to be working in Japan which is a real pioneer in city farming. He says, “There are more than 200 companies involved in the city farm business in Japan, to develop and promote the production system with artificial light. The lighting equipment and electricity costs are a challenge here. LED represents nearly 30% of the initial investment cost and the electricity it uses accounts for nearly 30% of the running costs. So, you can imagine how important the lighting solution is.”
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    Getting more out of light


    We know there is going to be a food crisis in the future due to population growth and environmental problems. We should be prepared to provide efficient solutions to supplement crop cultivation and lighting is a critical factor here. Philips Horti is always working to optimize the light energy needed to grow the crops. So the innovations of Philips Horti are important for the entire horticulture community.”

     

    Gauri Maharjan

    Plant Specialist

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