Increased yield in radishes and pink beefsteak tomatoes with Sollum

Radishes production under dynamic LED lighting

In 2023, Sollum Technologies began working with one of the largest greenhouse radish producers in Canada as they transitioned from HPS to dynamic LED lighting. The objectives were clear:
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- Reduce the growth cycle of winter radish crops, which were taking 40-45 days to grow compared to just 21 days in the summer.
- Use spectral adjustments to maintain the right radish shape, namely far-red and blue light levels.

Shortening the crop style

In the first year, the greenhouse ran lighting trials with respect to the photoperiod and the light spectrum, and developed the ideal light recipes for round red, pink beefsteak tomatoes and tricolor radishes. By January, the radish cycle was 38 days under HPS and LED alike. By February, the dynamic LED zone took only 33 days between seeding and harvest, allowing the grower to add at least one production cycle during the winter months.

Growing pink beefsteak tomatoes under dynamic LED lighting

While supplemental lighting is essential for winter production of tomatoes, it is less common for summer crops. These crops are typically planted in December or January, with their increasing light requirements aligning with the increasing natural light levels in the spring. As such, summer tomato crops can produce a high yield without supplemental lighting. However, Sollum is working closely with tomato growers to further increase summer tomato yields by adding light during the early and late months of production.

Les Serres Bertrand is one of these greenhouses, producing pink beefsteak tomatoes both without lighting and with Sollum's dynamic LED lighting. First and foremost, the grower reported a 16.72% yield increase between the unlit and Sollum-lit sections over 25 weeks of harvesting, as shown in the graph below.

When comparing the unlit sections to sections under Sollum lighting, growers also reported:
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- A 10.29% increase in fruit size, from 204 g to 225 g per tomato.
- Accelerated fruit development by 4 days.
- Far-red light speed and efficiency in rebalancing the plants when the heads were too strong.

Quality improvements reported by other growers

In addition to yield improvements, growers of red beefsteak tomatoes in Ontario have also reported significant quality improvements, including size uniformity, even ripening and less cracking when using dynamic LED lighting in the first months of summer production.

“Adjusting the far-red levels had a very positive benefit on our tomato crop. We quickly saw the changes from an end-of-day treatment when the heads were too purple and strong. But when we added a few rows of cucumbers, we were also able to quickly adapt our tomato lighting recipes to cucumbers, keeping our productivity high in the whole greenhouse”.- Cynthia Imbeault, Production Director, Les Serres Bertrand

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Strategic and commercial future-proofing

Investing in Sollum's dynamic LED lighting technology for commercial greenhouse growers means more than upgrading systems. It translates into tangible improvements in profitability and market positioning. Enhanced product quality and sustainability appeal to a broader customer base, while operational efficiency ensures scalability and responsiveness to today’s market demands.

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Conclusion

Adopting Sollum's dynamic LED lighting technology marks a significant leap forward for commercial greenhouse growers specializing in radishes and pink beefsteak tomatoes. The results speak for themselves: higher output, better quality produce, reduced environmental impact and production costs. These benefits make Sollum and its agronomy support a must for any grower looking to thrive in the competitive market of high-quality vegetables.

Want to learn more about Sollum Technologies and its dynamic LED grow light solution? Contact Sollum Technologies' team.

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