Philips Lighting, a company owned by Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), the global market leader in lighting, is embarking upon an intensive partnership with Dümmen Orange™, an international breeder and producer of young plants. For both companies this is a way of increasing their knowledge about the effects of LED lighting on new red rose varieties and other plants. The contract was signed by both companies on Friday, 29 April. This initial step will be followed by other projects. At the rose breeding company in Kudelstaart one bay has now been fitted with a combination of HPS lamps (80 µmol/m2/s) and Philips GreenPower LED toplighting (80 µmol/m2/s), making a total of 160 µmol/m2/s.

Philips Lighting partners up with international rose breeder Dümmen Orange for research in the effects LEDs have on roses and other plants. (All photos courtesy of Philips Lighting)

The installation of the LEDs is the first visible step in the red Avalanche+ project. The primary focus in this breeding program is on the search for a new, special red rose. The first commercial cultivars are expected to appear on the market in 2017/2018.

The first cultivar in this program is currently being lit with a hybrid lighting installation, along with other varieties.

“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™.The rose is an important crop for ornamental plant cultivation in the Netherlands. The partnership between the two companies is an excellent step towards giving rose cultivation a new boost. “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. Dümmen Orange™ values cultivation-related progress for both high-tech rose businesses in Europe and covered cultivation in other climate zones. “So we’re proud that we’re working with a partner like Philips. It means that we can give growers greater confidence and offer them certainty for the future,” says van Dijk.

Rose growers are showing plenty of interest in Philips GreenPower toplighting. Last year rose nursery Wimceco and flower nursery Scheers in Belgium invested in LEDs to supplement their HPS installation. LEDs improve crop quality and production and give the option of using lighting on dark days in the spring and summer. The Dutch rose nursery Porta Nova specifically anticipates an improvement in quality in its trial. At the Delphy Improvement Centre in Bleiswijk research is being conducted into 100% LED lighting for roses.