Strawberry cultivation also productive with little use of gas

Added on 28 September 2022

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Strawberry cultivation also productive with little use of gas

With a number of adjustments, strawberries can be grown year-round with the lowest possible use of fossil fuels and chemical crop protection products. This is the conclusion of a study by the Business Unit Greenhouse Horticulture and Flower Bulbs of Wageningen University & Research. More than 3 years of research was carried out in the Demokas 2030 into the application of LED light, dehumidification and three screens, among other things. This made it possible to achieve high, almost year-round production.

In a strawberry cultivation with a harvest in the autumn and spring, normally more than 15 m3 of gas is used per year. This ensures a production of a maximum of 15 kilograms per m2. In the Demo greenhouse 2030, WUR investigated whether it is possible to grow strawberries almost fossil-free and without emissions, with good production. To this end, the greenhouse was set up differently than 'traditional' greenhouses.

The first step was proper insulation: this was done with three screens. To avoid high humidity, it was possible to dehumidify via hose pipes with a heat pump and a heat/cold block, whereby the sensible and latent heat from the moist air was recovered. Heat from the LED lamps could also be used in the greenhouse. If necessary, fossil-free generated heat was supplied via the pipe rail system. The use of hoistable gutters with a mutual distance of 80 cm improved the light utilization of the sunlight and lamp light.