Increased Summer Rose Production, Stronger Stems with Advanced Diffusion Coatings

A leading Dutch Rose breeder Marjoland has reported significant benefits when applying ReduFuse and Redufuse IR to the entire roof surface of it's greenhouse

Marjoland is the largest rose nursery in the Netherlands with approximately 20ha in production. “We are convinced about the advantages of diffuse light,” says operations director Johan van den Nouweland. “In the summer there is so much light available that the top parts of the plant can’t utilise it all. There are clear advantages to making the lower leaves more productive.”

The grower reports greater number of roses in the summer without any loss in length and additional improvements in autumn flower production.

In the 2014 season the grower used the InfraRed blocking coating ReduFuse IR to reduce the amount of heat effect in the greenhouse and overcome some overhead watering issues with the coating systems. This produced negatives and positives, leading the grower to purport that combined use of the two and partial only blocking of Infrared light is the most desirable way forward. The intention is to work with the coating manufacturer to fine tune the coating to optimise positive impacts on rose production and stem length and strength.

For more information visit the hortdaily article here 

An evaluation by Plant and Food Research New Zealand looking at comparative efficacy and parameters of a wide range of diffusion mediums and coatings has been undertaken with the following key points noted in the executive summary:

-Claddings that diffuse light can increase yields of greenhouse crops

-Many factors influence the choice of cladding, other than cost. These include lifespan, strength and UV resistance.

-Use of plastic should be in conjunction with anti-fogging films and ventilation, as build-up of moisture will reduce the total amount of light transmitted.

-Light transmission of plastic films will decrease over time and will need to be replaced.

-Percentage of yield increase based on radiation transmittance of the different claddings is provided in the full report so growers can calculate the break even costs for their systems.

To read the full report click here 

Acknowledging the following sources of information:

Hortdaily.com

Plant and Food Research Hawkes Bay