This autumn, the brothers Theo and Arjan van der Kaaij are going to use LED interlighting on some of their Red Vine medium-sized cluster tomatoes. Stolze BV will install a total of 8.330 LEDs in one of Van der Kaaij’s greenhouses in Berlikum, Friesland. The aim is to use the LEDs to achieve continuous year-round high-quality production.

Convincing result
Through the ZON growers association, the Van der Kaaij brothers came into contact with other tomato projects that have been successfully lit with LEDs. Convinced by the good practical results achieved by their colleagues, they opted for a hybrid lighting system consisting of Philips GreenPower LED interlighting in combination with Agrolux HPS toplighting. Philips Horti LED Partner Stolze BV starts on the installation work in September. The first tomato plants will be planted in mid-October and Van der Kaaij is expecting the first harvest in December.

Other projects
Besides Van der Kaaij, this season Vivaio Peters BV from Someren, and tomato grower Biesbrouck Greet BVBA from Ardooie, Belgium, will also be starting new projects with LEDs. Last year, Kwekerij Wim Peters installed LEDs on his company in a hybrid system, which performed above expectations. Therefore, next year he is going to double this 20km of LED lighting.