Syngenta Flowers

Location:

De Lier, Nederland

Crop:

Young plants Mandevilla en Pelargonium

Surface:

7.000 m²

Type of installation:

Full LED growlight

Realized:

2021

After 4 years of intensive research, the moment has finally arrived: Syngenta Flowers switches to Full LED for the production of Mandevilla and Pelargonium. Stolze integrated the complete growing light system, with no fewer than 700 LED modules. The switch has had an immediate effect: in addition to significant energy savings, the optimal light recipe results in a better, stronger, and greener end product.

More than 1 billion young plants leave the Syngenta Flowers greenhouse in Noordlierweg in De Lier every year. These pot plants, bedding plants, and perennials develop into fully grown products at growers throughout Europe. The company is constantly improving its sustainability to make sure its customers receive products that are both good and eco-friendly. John van Uffelen is Young Plant Production Leader at Noordlierweg. Together with his colleague Piet van Marrewijk, Young Plant Production Technology Scientist, he has promoted sustainability by switching to cultivation with LED lighting.

4 years of LED research

In 2017, Piet van Marrewijk started practical research into using LED lighting for the production of young plants. During the first 2 years, he focused on finding the optimal light spectrum for the cultivation of their wide range of crops. In 2 adjacent research compartments, he compared the results of the cuttings and seed crops under different LED light spectra with the baseline results obtained under SON-T. Piet explains: "Mid-blue turned out to be the ideal spectrum for a strong plant that develops quickly." In the last 2 years, the focus has been on optimising the light recipe for specific cuttings and seeds.

From research to renovation

The results are promising. Piet and John decide to put the plan into practice. A cultivation area of no less than 7,000 m² is undergoing the metamorphosis from SON-T to LED. In December 2021, Stolze started installing a new growing light system: 700 linear Signify LED modules, 8 switch panels, and many metres of SLS-M cable. John has been closely involved in the installation of the new LED system: "The transition went very smoothly thanks to the strict schedule for each cultivation section. Stolze's team finished well within time!"

Doubled light output

The project was officially delivered last week. Both John and Piet are enthusiastic about the new growing light system. John: "We've almost doubled the light output, something that was previously unimaginable because we had reached our energy limit. We can also control cultivation better now; we don't have to make so many corrections to grow uniform, strong crops." Piet adds: "The plants develop faster and form more roots. They also need fewer growth regulators, and they're more compact and strong, so better suited for transport." Syngenta Flowers intends to further expand cultivation under Full LED lighting in the coming years.