Hybrid lighting and composition of plant sap
26 January 2021
Eurofins Agro is collaborating in a cucumber trial being conducted by research firm Botany in Meterik, the Netherlands. It involves a trial to test efficient lighting for high-wire cucumber cultivation. During the first week of growing, Eurofins Agro has been carrying out analyzes of the plant sap and dry matter.
The study will compare growth and production of five cucumber varieties under LED and hybrid (LED + SON-T) lighting. Botany will monitor the crop development (growth in height, number of leaves, cucumber production).
Eurofins Agro will analyze the plant sap and dry matter in two of the five varieties and under a range of lighting conditions during the critical growth phase of the cucumber crop, the dark days in December. Slab and drip water will also be analyzed to gain an accurate picture of the crop’s nutrient uptake.
Identify deficiencies in time
The idea behind the plant sap measurements is that possible nutrient deficiencies in the crop can be identified before problems become serious. The combination of plant development measurements, plant sap analysis, dry matter analysis, and slab and drain water analysis will provide insight into the nutrient uptake during the dark days in December.
In the trial, the plant sap in the young leaves of two varieties is measured on a weekly basis. This allows Eurofins Agro to study whether there are differences in nutrient uptake between these two varieties and whether the target values for plant sap for cucumbers should be dependent on the variety.
With the collected data, Eurofins Agro can validate the current target values for young cucumber leaves and adjust them if necessary. The target values for the dry matter analyzes can also be validated using the data collected. In early January, Eurofins Agro will conduct the final measurements, and analysis of the data can begin.