BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 6
By Sadraddin Aghjayev - Trend:
Philips LED solutions allow to increase productivity and save resources, as well as grow crops completely without natural light, Eric Benedetti, Vice President and Director General of Signify in Russia and the CIS, told Trend.
“Thus, it is possible to increase the yield of tomatoes by 30 percent without the use of growth stimulants and pesticides, while reducing water consumption in production by 80 percent,” the vice president said. “Industrial greenhouses are widely used for growing large volumes of vegetables and fruits all year round, so high-quality lighting is very important for them.”
“Investments in LED lighting allow businesses to get more profit by increasing the quantity and quality of the crop throughout the year-even in the autumn-winter period, when the cost of products is the highest,” Benedetti added.
“In addition, LED technologies simplify the prediction of plant growth rates in order to adapt production to market demand during the season,” vice president said. “At the same time, energy consumption is reduced by an average of 40 percent– which means that electricity costs and CO2 emissions are reduced.”
“We also produce lighting for vertical farms, in which LED modules are the main light source,” Benedetti said. “Such solutions allow to grow crops without access to natural light, for example, in cellars.”
“Residents of cities will be able to buy vegetables, herbs and berries produced directly in the city,” vice president added. “At the same time, there is no need to transport products from other regions, which leads to an additional reduction in CO2 emissions.”
“LED lighting is actively used in the Russian "RIAT" — the company has established the cultivation of tomatoes and cucumbers in an enclosed space without access to natural light,” Benedetti said. “The productivity with 100 percent artificial lighting has reached the level of greenhouse complexes, where it is used only as an additional to natural light.”
“New technologies in agriculture attract young, ambitious specialists, which is very important,” vice president said. “Unfortunately, professions related to agriculture are regarded by many as not prestigious.”
“Therefore, the industry is experiencing an acute shortage of personnel,” Benedetti added. “Now the agro-industrial sector is actively developing, new technologies have appeared on the market that not only simplify the work process, but also make it more interesting. Technology attracts young talents, and also allows you to create additional jobs.”
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