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‘Sustainable lily cultivation requires a multidisciplinary approach’
What will lily cultivation look like in 2030? Wageningen University & Research BU Greenhouse Horticulture is investigating in the Greenhouse2030 whether sustainable, fossil-free, emission-free lily flower production is possible in the winter. Researcher Paul Ruigrok: “It is a great collaboration between different research disciplines and growers: cultivation, biology and technology.”
The Greenhouse2030 is located at the Bleiswijk research location of WUR and aims to limit the emission of CO2, water, nutrients and crop protection products and ultimately reduce them to 0. To this end, WUR is investigating, among other things, whether combination cultivation is possible, or: a different crop in the winter than in the summer. An example of this is the combination of melon (in the summer) and lily (in the winter). On September 23, 2023, lily bulbs of 5 varieties were planted, followed by a rooting phase in the cold store. On October 8, the lilies were placed in the greenhouse. The different varieties will be harvested from the end of November to mid December. The next cultivation round will follow in early January, until mid-March.
During these cultivations, WUR is investigating how lily cultivation can be done in an energy-efficient and efficient way. In the Greenhouse2030, four different screens are installed and the air is actively dehumidified. As a result, the windows are not opened for dehumidification purposes. The heat from the moist air is used to heat the greenhouse via a heat pump. "We are investigating how the lilies respond to these cultivation measures.
Brown leaf tips
The research is not just about energy. WUR is also investigating whether it is possible to grow without the use of chemical crop protection agents and the effect of lighting on the crop. The use of LED lighting can cause brown leaf tips. Ruigrok: “We do not know the exact cause. That is why we are taking various measurements during the experiment, including the nutrient content in the leaf, evaporation and leaf temperature. In this way, we hope to learn more about the causes.”
Growers are positive about the research, says Ruigrok. “We recently had a group of about 15 growers visiting us. They are already making considerable progress in making their cultivation more sustainable, but they understand that more is needed. They are therefore very interested in the research in the Greenhouse2030.”
The research is funded by the innovation programme Kas als Energiebron and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN).