Uman Greenhouse Complex has become one of the first Ukrainian horticulture businesses to use a hybrid grow light installation.
The LED and HPS fixtures were supplied by Hortilux Schréder, which also drew up a customised lighting plan for the company.
According to Uman Greenhouse Complex, initial results have shown that cucumber plants react positively to a combination of LED and HPS growth light.
Located in the Uman area approximately 200km south of Kiev, Uman Greenhouse Complex boasts more than 30ha of cucumber and tomato production.
In order to maintain consistent production and quality during the winter months, a 13ha greenhouse complex was furnished with grow lighting, mostly HPS.
According to the company, at the end of 2020, Hortilux installed a hybrid grow light installation at its 1ha greenhouse complex in Talne, including a combination of LED and HPS fixtures.
'We decided to invest in this area because we wanted to find out what effect a hybrid grow light system would have on a cucumber crop,' said director Nikolay Gordiy. 'If that turns out to be positive, it is likely that LED lighting can help to reduce energy costs. LED fixtures also produce less heat; this is an advantage during periods of warm weather. Furthermore, LED lighting is becoming increasingly popular. At Uman Greenhouse Complex, we find it important to move with market trends in order to maintain our position as market leader. We are looking for the most efficient and productive way to produce our vegetables.'
The hybrid grow light system was installed in November and the cucumber plants placed in the greenhouse in December.
'It is still too early to give detailed results, but we can see that the cucumber crop reacts just as well to the hybrid installation as it does to full-strength (100 per cent) HPS light,” said Gordiy. “That is an important development.'
Should the results prove positive, the aim at Uman Greenhouse Complex is to gradually replace HPS lighting with hybrid lighting, or even switch completely to LED lighting.
'It looks like LED lighting is the way forward,” he said. “And the payback period for this type of fixture is becoming shorter, meaning that this type of lighting is becoming more affordable.'
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