Apr 18, 2024

Canadian greenhouse lighting effort involves strawberries

Strawberries are a part of Canada’s Center for Horticultural Innovation’s search for the best possible supplemental lighting to integrate into the greenhouse industry.

The center plans to conduct strawberry trials in their experimental greenhouse, testing the trademarked Sollum Technologies’ dynamic smart LED solution against traditional LED lighting, according to a news release.

Based in Leamington, Ontario, the center is a dynamic institution committed to the study and development of horticultural practices, technologies and innovations. The facility serves as a hub for research, industry collaboration and knowledge dissemination. The facility’s staff of experienced and educated individuals strives to conduct research that will bridge the gaps within the industry, according to the release.

“Dynamic lighting appeals to us because of its flexibility and capability to grow an infinite variety of productions,” Matt Korpan, the center’s executive director of research and development, said in the release. “Sollum Technologies is offering a solution that is not only flexible but addresses many common lighting issues, thanks to dynamic features like spectral compensation and auto-dimming, so we are excited to test it in our R&D greenhouse and see how well it optimizes strawberry yield.”

The center is only one of many companies based in Leamington, Canada’s greenhouse capital, working with Sollum.

“We take great pride in being chosen for research and development projects by companies like the SEF’s Center for Horticultural Innovation, who meet the highest standards,” Sam Soltaninejad, Sollum’s chief horticultural specialist, said in the release. “Our solution is designed to work seamlessly with surrounding greenhouse technologies, and we are confident that once the Center for Horticultural Innovation has tested our fixtures and SUN as a Service® platform on a particularly difficult crop like strawberries, they will be eager to integrate our products.”

The center is a division of South Essex Fabricating (SEF), a greenhouse manufacturer based in Leamington.

Founded in 2015, the Montréal-based Sollum Technologies is a lighting provider that develops multi-zone light management for greenhouse growers. Its design, development and manufacturing activities are concentrated in Quebec.