- English
In ornamental greenhouse cultivation, maintaining a stable and optimal climate is essential to ensuring flower quality, plant health, and overall production consistency. Gerberas (Gerbera jamesonii) are particularly sensitive to microclimate changes in humidity, air movement, temperature distribution across the canopy and fungal diseases, which makes the transition from HPS to Full LED quite challenging.
To explore a solution, Food Autonomy’s innovative LEDFan toplight was tested in a pilot project conducted in collaboration with a leading Dutch grower and technology partner Ledgnd B.V. The study aimed to assess whether full LED lighting, enhanced with LEDFan technology, could positively impact the greenhouse climate.
“A promising innovation is the new LEDFan fixture made by Food Autonomy. The LEDFan ensures vertical ventilation by ventilating the generated convection heat by the LED fixtures towards the crop.” – says Thijmen Calis, Plant physiologyst, Ledgnd B.V.
LEDFan delivered a significant advantage by effectively transferring heat to the crop canopy. This shows that active airflow can compensate for the lack of radiant warmth, ensuring a favorable crop environment even under full LED lighting.
The grower would recommend LEDFan, especially in cultivations with no extra dehumidifiers, since the LEDFan could possibly replace ventilation units which could be another interesting research area. Growers no longer need to compromise between energy efficiency and cultivation success—they can have both.
