Dümmen Partners with Philips for LED Roses Lighting

Chris Beytes

LED use in greenhouses is growing by leaps and bounds, but there’s still very much to be studied about their effects on various crops. Which is why Philips Lighting, one of the key LED manufacturers, is happy to be partnering with Dümmen Orange on a rose breeding project called the Red Avalanche+ Project. The work is being done in Kudelstaart, near Amsterdam, where one greenhouse bay of Dümmen’s newest red variety has been fitted with a combination of high-pressure sodium lamps and Philips GreenPower LED toplighting.

“Red cultivars benefit from a high light level. The additional lighting that Philips LED lamps bring to our breeding site enables us to achieve the same light level as the most modern rose businesses,” says Dennis van Dijk, Rose Product Manager at Dümmen Orange. Both companies hope to expand their knowledge of the effects of LED lighting on Dümmen’s newest red rose varieties, along with other crops.

“For us, it’s really useful to be working with an international breeder. For instance, we can test the effect of technological developments on several crops and varieties. We mainly consider the increase in quality and yield to be important,” says Udo van Slooten, Managing Director Philips Horticulture LED Solutions.

The first commercial cultivars are expected to appear on the market in 2017-2018. GT