Top performer
Basil, often called the king of herbs, is one of the classic crops that performs very well in a vertical farm. It can be grown year-round in a vertical farm where much higher yields can be achieved compared to a standard greenhouse application. Basil can be grown hydroponically on coco coir, rockwool or mats.
A global favorite
Originally from India, basil is frequently used in Asian as well as Mediterranean cuisine. Fresh cut basil is highly valued by consumers across the globe and can be grown year-round in a vertical farm or city farm. We have tested several different varieties ranging from Thai and lemon basil to African Blue basil and a range of common Genovese cultivars. They all have very different flavors and characteristics and the breadth in taste and smell is staggering!
The ideal growth recipe for basil
We recently ran a series of experiments to establish a good growth recipe for basil. Philips Horticulture LED Solutions is a lighting supplier and investigating the effects of light on crop growth is one essential aspect of our research. To find a light recipe that achieves a certain set of desired crop characteristics as efficiently as possible, we often start by testing the performance of a crop under different light regimes (spectrum, intensity, day light hours). In this experiment, we broadened our research to also look at other aspects that influence plant growth and we call the combination of these factors a “growth recipe”.
Faster growth or longer shelf life
One of the most influential growth parameters for basil is temperature. Therefore, we grew a series of basil varieties under different temperatures, ranging from 22°C to 30°C. With every increase in temperature, we saw higher productivities (grams per mole). At the same time, however, the shelf life of the end product went down. This means a good growth recipe for basil will need to balance growth speed and shelf life and will greatly depend on how the end product will be sold. For instance, basil for pesto can be grown very quickly because its shelf life is not as important, whereas basil plants grown for fresh cut stems will need to be grown at somewhat more conservative temperature regimes.
Getting the best of both worlds
In the future we will look at how we can combine faster growth and long shelf life. One approach might be applying a pre-harvest treatment to achieve both faster growth and long shelf life. Our experiments never focus on growth alone.
Why avoid white light in basil cultivation
After extensive testing with light recipes using the Philips LED production module dynamic we came to conclusion is better to avoid white light in LED installations.
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Philips GWCS research growth parameters relevant to a crop: light is obviously essential, but factors such as climate and variety choice are equally important
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