KAS2030 is a Demonstration Project of the Kas als Energiebron program at Wageningen University & Research , BU Greenhouse Horticulture . The nursery was build in 2019 using the survive technology to gain experience with emission - detached cultivation . In the lot plants compartment , kitty Anthurium was grow from the start until last September . With each cultivation , researchers come a step closer to the goal of emission - gratuitous finish .
The road towards this finish was rich in experience . Recently researchers look back at the many acquisition points from this recollective inquiry period together with the dedicated supervisory committee ( BCO ) . They visited the visitation once every two weeks and supply the thousands of plants mature .
More ascendance optionsOver clip , the BCO has gained more control opening ( nourishment , climate , energy , spectrum , EC and water ) . To increase the stability of the moisture content in the pot , the watering frequence was slow increased from once every 4 to 7 days to once to even double per solar day for some varieties ; to the surprise of the BCO members , this had a very positive effect on increment , root caliber and even bloom colour for diversity whose coloring commonly fade by wanton excess .
With the light-emitting diode spectrum and day length , excessive efflorescence stem elongation and leaf calibre can be controlled . When implementing LED , BCO penis still come across a number of interrogative sentence ; researchers will be discussing these in the come week .
Increasing the insulation level of the greenhouseThe insulation level was gradually increase over the years ( an extra screen - which does not let moisture through - , bubble plastic at the outer wall , unperforated hydrofoil and a greenhouse cover of down - ε glass ) . All this has greatly contributed to reduce the hotness demand . Pot Anthurium can be grown much more energy - efficiently than thought ; it turn out that the minimum temperature can be lowered significantly : thanks to the adept insulation , you could permit go down the temperature slowly during the dark without actively using the heat pipework ; the lamps and/or the sun will increase the temperature during the day .
Fossil - free , but imbalance in heat production and heat demand remainsWith the system used ( good insulation , eminent - volume guide lighting and latent heating harvest home ) , it was possible to cultivate a whole twelvemonth with only 123 kWh / m2 of electrical energy for the lamps and the heat pump . This was enough to illuminate , heat and climatize the entire crop without fossil fuels input . Due to the imbalance in moments of heating system harvest and heat demand , the system does require a seasonal storage of about 60 kWh / m2 , such as an aquifer . For the practical implementation , this is one of the large hurdles to defeat because of the large costs require and the possibility of practice an aquifer at the farm . Another essential is that fossil - free great power must be able to be sire or stored properly and affordably .
That it is potential to grow a beautiful flora with many leafage and flowers with a very low stimulant of CO2 ( less than 2kg / m2 yr ) is endorse as a learning point by some of the BCO members but also disputed by some others , arguing that it remains a monstrance , not a comparison test with different CO2 concentrations . Because CO2 provision will become a chokepoint in dodo - free refinement , this topic want attention ( and maybe enquiry ) .
Healthy crop with very limited use of chemicalsThe crop health was repeatedly dispute by exotic pests . Nevertheless , researchers wangle to crop several years without chemical substance or with very limited chemical ( local ) correction . This research has directed attention to wanderer as potential blighter controllers . The strategy using predatory tinge , lacewing larvae and spider leave in minimal purpose of restorative . These were only needed in the first outbreaks of raw , alien pests , such as pepper thrip in year 4 and cycads in the last summer , for which no rude enemies are known ( yet ) . For praxis , this intend that the fight against new exotic pests will stay on and crop trade protection strategies will have to be adjusted in the time to come .
This project was gestate out by the Greenhouse Horticulture Business Unit of Wageningen University & Research and financed and coordinated by the foundation programme of the Ministry of LVVN and Glastuinbouw Nederland " Greenhouse as a root of energy " . The trial was intensively monitored and superintend by a growers commission .
Source : Wageningen University and Research
