November 01, 2013 _Sector Confidential1

Vertical farming: a revolution in food production enabled by LED lighting

Dr. Céline NicolePhilips Lighting Research

Vertical Farming Conference - Venlo - 28 June 2017

2 March 2, 2015 Philips Horticulture LED Solutions / City Farming

Growing Population

Availability of Water

Food safety

Food accessibility

Urbanization

Extremely efficient farming, high yield

>90% reduction in water use

No Pesticides, No Pollution

Grown Locally

Efficient use of space

Global Challenges Vertical Farming Solutions

Confidential

CO2

• Fresh air• Air flow

Plant condition is more than lighting

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Nutrients Irrigation• Water• Manual/

Automatic

Climate• Temperature

(changes)

Lighting• For optimal

photosynthesis

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GrowWise Research center

Eindhoven

Content

Recap plant – light interaction

Coloration

Health

Taste

Shelf life

Plant – light interaction

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6 CO2 + 6 H2O + C6H12O6 + 6 O2

Energy : Photosynthesis, transpiration,

respiration

Information : Plant development, flowering,

shape, coloration…

Content

Recap plant – light interaction

Coloration

Health

Taste

Shelf life

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Quality versus Yield

Philips Lighting Research7

Red Salanova Red OakLollo rosso

Lettuce from Rijk Zwaan b.v.

Coloration

Anthocyanin

Research hypothesis:

Temperature stress

Light stress : Blue – UV

Light signaling : Far-red

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Color analysis

ColorationResults

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Dynamic light recipe strategy is best for high yield and good coloration of lettuce

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Content

Recap plant – light interaction

Coloration

Health

Taste

Shelf life

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Nitrate• Leafy vegetables such as lettuces and spinach

are high in Nitrate.• Health concern. • EU regulation + Retail requirements

Research hypothesis:

– Nitrate accumulation = low light level

– Optimized photosynthesis light spectrum

– Minimize nitrate in irrigation

– Pre-harvest light recipe to accelerate nitrate

reductase

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Nitrate control in SpinachEffect of day light integral and spectrum

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EU reg.

Nitrate control in Arugula (rocket)

Effect of day light integral and spectrumEU reg: 6000 mg/kg

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B

A

C

D

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

Medium W Low Medium High

Nitrate

Vitamin C Arugula (rocket)Effect of day light integral and light quality

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USDA standard

C

D

B

A

0

200

400

600

800

1000

Medium W Low Medium High

Vitamin C (mg/kg)

Vitamin C tomatoesWhen grown in the greenhouse, tomato fruit typically have low levels of vitamin C. Light is the major regulatory of plants vitamin C content. Increases of more than 30 % is observed after illuminating the detached fruits with LED lighting.

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N Ntagkas etal, Acta horticulturae 1134(1134):351-356 · May 2016

Content

Recap plant – light interaction

Coloration

Health

Taste

Shelf life

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TasteBasic sugars, acids and volatiles

Research hypothesis:

Light influences the production of secondary

metabolites/volatiles

UVB accelerate volatiles biosynthesis

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Volatiles• Taste is a matter of cultivar but also light

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0.00

0.20

0.40

0.60

0.80

1.00

1.20

Emily Marian Rosie Edwina Eowyn

VO

Cs

con

cen

tra

tio

n (

pp

m g

-1)

Cultivar

White light

LED recipe

Taste of Arugula (rocket)

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Significant taste perception differences were observed with Arugula grown under different light qualities.

Sweetness

BitternessFlavour

L1

L2

L3

L4

Content

Recap plant – light interaction

Coloration

Health

Taste

Shelf life

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Lettuce shelf life

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Shelf life test are being done at the moment and are showing some differences depending on climate, pre-harvest conditions, climate and light condition at harvest and post-harvest handling.Light level before harvest is very important for shelf life and overall visual quality.

High Medium Low

Conclusions

Vertical farming enables control of all the

growth parameters

Yield, Quality and Nutrient are controlled

this is a revolution in food production

Eating fresh, locally grown, healthy

vegetables, pesticides free, all year long

will transform the food chain and impact

human health

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November 01, 2013 _Sector Confidential24

Thank You

Philips Lighting Horticulture Stefan van der VoortThijs van den BerghAndris StuksRoel JanssenEllis Janssen-van BoxtelBlake LangeDanielle Smits-van TuijlPascal van MegenGus van der Feltz Prof. Leo Marcelis

Prof. Ernst WolteringProf. Wim van IeperenDr. J. VerdonkDr. F. Troost

WUR/Maastricht/HAS Jarno MoorenAna TerraDorthe LarsenIris van der SterrenJoris HuskensFilippos CharalambousNikos Ntagkas

BreedersRijk ZwaanEnza Zaden