Tasty Tom: a practical
Tasty Tom: a practical example The past twenty years the Dutch growers’ association production is slightly higher, because the crops produce for a Frutanova has acquired a circle of loyal customers with bit longer than standard crops. But in summer the crops Enza Zaden’s variety Campari, which is sold under the produce slightly less, because they are then fairly old and less brand ‘Tasty Tom’ in Europe. The association comprises active.” five companies, which together grow this tasty variety in a total acreage of 65 ha. Three of those companies, one of Kouwenhoven doesn’t find the cultivation method any more which is Triomaas of the Kouwenhoven family, use complicated than the standard method. When the plants are artificial lights. delivered in August they already have a well-developed first vine. “That load already ensures good generative development “We have greenhouses with an area of 12.5 ha and seventy and we plant them straight into the holes in the stone wool percent of that is equipped with sodium lamps hanging above slabs,” says the grower. “We use extra high slabs, because the plants,” says grower Roland Kouwenhoven. “Around 2000 they support generative growth well.” the first tomato growers in the Netherlands started to use grow After 1 January, when the days start to lengthen again, lights, with an intensity of 10,000 Lux, or 130 μmol. Nowadays Kouwenhoven continues to promote his crops’ growth. The that’s usually 170 to 200 μmol.” Triomaas started lighting system can then be used as an extra means of control. experimenting with grow lights in 2004, to explore the “But you do have to beware of your greenhouse becoming too possibility of harvesting crops earlier. The installed capacity hot if your energy screen is closed,” he concludes. proved too low for real winter production, but the company’s aims soon became more ambitious. Customer loyalty Kouwenhoven: “Artificial lights offer us two major advantages: customer loyalty in winter and the possibility of optimising our energy balance. Without artificial lighting it would be impossible for us to produce all the year round in the Netherlands. Artificial lights give us that possibility, and prevent our customers resorting to other suppliers.” The grower continues: “We also all have combined heat and power stations which, as their name implies, generate both heat and electricity. We are now self-supporting on both fronts. When the system is producing enough light for half of our greenhouse area we store the generated heat that is not immediately needed in a buffer tank. And if the system has to operate in the daytime to meet our heat needs we can optionally supply power to the general electric power supply. This enables us to make the most of the natural gas that we use as our source of energy.” Cultivation method Tomatoes that are grown with lighting are of very good quality. “In our market segment it’s important to be able to offer consumers the same taste experience all the year round,” says Grower Roland Kouwenhoven to Marc Mens (left): “Without Kouwenhoven. “And we have no difficulty doing that. But the artificial lighting it would be impossible for us to produce all the tomatoes we grow with lighting do have to fetch good prices year round in the Netherlands. Grow lights give us that possibility, because they cost quite a bit more to produce. The overall and preclude the risk of our customers resorting to other suppliers.” The Partnership news and views from Enza Zaden Markets: Africa Products: Lettuce Science: Seed Technology CSR: Energy neutral buildings next edition The next edition of the Partnership will appear in September 2015. Colophon The Partnership is published by Enza Zaden. Editing, concept & layout Enza Zaden, Communications department. Pictures Pieter Prins Fotografie, The Netherlands; Jan van Staalduinen, The Netherlands; Shutterstock, Inc. USA; Enza Zaden. Tips for the editors team? thepartnership@enzazaden.nl Enza Zaden P.O. Box 7 1600 AA Enkhuizen The Netherlands T +31 228 350 100 E info@enzazaden.nl W www.enzazaden.com © January 2015 | Enza Zaden | Enkhuizen | The Netherlands All rights reserved. While every care was taken in the preparation of this magazine, no responsibility can be accepted for any inaccuracies. Enza Zaden has attempted to trace all copyrights of illustrations used. If proper acknowledgments have not been made, however, we ask copyright holders to contact Enza Zaden. 34 | The Partnership The Partnership | 35
