Winter-light crop of cucumber in 2SaveEnergy Greenhouse

This project aims to optimise a vegetable crop on the basis of the available, scarce winter light. The objective is to plant a crop that with a minimum quantity of leaf can intercept and use the maximum amount of light. A minimum quantity of leaf means the most efficient use of the available assimilates for the fruits and the smallest possible loss of assimilates to crop formation and loss of energy from (unnecessary) crop evaporation. The objective is both energy savings and increased yield.

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The model crop chosen is a high-wire cucumber cultivation, with the test greenhouse being the highly insulated 2SaveEnergyGreenhouse. This greenhouse was constructed last season, and in 2015 a test crop of tomatoes was grown. The 2SaveEnergyGreenhouse is a greenhouse with diffuse glass and a permanently present, high-light transmitting film layer that’s the same width as the glass. The greenhouse is fitted with a dehumidification system using outside air drawn in through hoses under the gutter.

The crop control involves variation in row width, plant intervals and plucking young leaves (at the top) and thinning of fruit. The optimum state is determined verbally in advance. During 2 crop periods in the year the light interception, the cultivation (crop, yield and quality) and the energy consumption are intensively monitored.

Projectnummer 20022
Start date 01-10-2015
End date 31-03-2017
Concluded No
Budget €266,74
Implemented by Wageningen UR Glastuinbouw

This project is entirely sponsored by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, from the Proof of Principle funds for the Kas als Energiebron programme.

Source: Kas als Energiebron