MONTRÉAL, QUÉBEC, CANADA - Sollum Technologies recently sparked up a new partnership with Red Sun Farms Ontario. The grower is undertaking an innovative project to evaluate the potential benefits of far-red and dynamic lighting, conducting comprehensive tests comparing Sollum's smart LED grow light fixtures and SUN as a Service® platform. This initiative aims to scientifically measure improvements in crop yield, quality, and growth efficiency.
"Many studies have been and are currently being conducted on the benefits of manipulating the red to far-red ratio for crop yield, harvest time, fruit production, and many other growth indicators," says Agronomist Rose Séguin for Sollum Technologies. "These research studies are often finding that the positive impacts of adding far-red are timing dependent―i.e., it should be added at a higher ratio during specific times of the day or specific growth stages in order to produce the desired result."
Recent studies have demonstrated the significant role of far-red light in certain growth stages, particularly in enhancing desirable traits like stem elongation, a press release stated. This aspect is crucial for vining crops such as cucumbers, where longer stem internodes can markedly improve airflow and overall plant health. Red Sun Farms Ontario aims not only to optimize cucumber growth but also to spearhead a new era in precision-driven greenhouse cultivation.
Red Sun Farms Ontario is a state-of-the-art, 1.2 million-square-foot greenhouse. Cultivation includes 21.5 acres of several different tomato varieties grown conventionally and six acres of mini cucumbers grown under LED lights. Red Sun Farms Ontario is initiating cutting-edge mini cucumber growth trials. This research will compare the effectiveness of LED fixed-spectrum lighting against the innovative capabilities of Sollum's dynamic lighting technology.
"We are excited to partner with Sollum on this trial as we are on the cusp of expanding our facility and looking for the best LED lighting solution available to grow efficiently and sustainably. Our research and development projects are an essential part of our success as a greenhouse producer," says General Manager Sarah Lombardi of Red Suns Farms Ontario.
More info on the partnership can be found here.
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