With red and blue LED lights placed between the tomato plants in our greenhouse, the yield of tomatoes increases. First and foremost because the tomatoes become larger. Half of the tomato section has intermediate lighting in addition to traditional lighting from the ceiling and harvested tomatoes on both sides are weighed separately. The LED light has a color spectrum that is tailored to the tomato.
The yield difference between half of the greenhouse without intermediate lighting and the half that has intermediate lighting is:
| 2018 | 13 % increased yield |
| 2019 | 26 % increased yield (challenge with disease this year) |
| 2020 | 23 % increased yield |
| 2021 | 23 % increased yield |
| 2022 | 20 % increased yield |
The experiment started in 2018
We were curious about whether LED lights placed below the plant mass could improve yields and reduce energy consumption. To find out, we teamed up with Vangberg gardeners, Nibio and the Norwegian Agricultural Advisory Service and launched an experiment in which half of the tomato greenhouse was illuminated with LED lights. Now, the tomato yield from the two parts of the greenhouse is being compared and energy consumption is being measured to see if the intermediate lighting has any effect.
The LED lights are funded by Mære Agricultural School and Trøndelag County Council. The experiment was supported by Distriktsforsk.
