GE Current, a Daintree company has added a new category to its Arize range of horticultural LED solutions, with the launch of the Arize Integral intra-canopy lighting (ICL) fixture. Offering best-in-class lighting output of up to 346 µmol/s and efficiency of 3.5 µmol/J, the Integral is designed to help growers maximize yields of high-wire crops such as tomatoes, cucumber, and peppers through the more strategic deployment of light, deep within the plant canopy.
Designed for use in combination with Current’s Arize Element L1000 top light, the Integral disperses a tailored light spectrum across a wide, 120-degree angle from both sides of the fixture, to provide the mature leaves lower in the canopy with higher photosynthetic capacity. This allows the plant to make more effective use of the available light energy to drive plant growth and fruit development, without increasing overall energy usage and associated operational costs.
New Arize Integral intra-canopy lighting (ICL) fixture
A recent study conducted with Wageningen University & Research and using Integral, has revealed a 14% increase in tomato yields, with no impact on quality or taste, when the supplemental light energy was delivered through a 66:34 ratio of top lighting to ICL vs 100% top lighting. Dr. Leo Marcelis, Professor of Horticulture & Product Physiology at Wageningen University & Research commented, “We were expecting higher yields from the 34% ICL treatment but we were shocked by the scale of the increase in output.”
The Arize Integral ICL helped boost tomato yields by 14% in a recent Wageningen University & Research study, using a 66:34 ratio of top light to ICL
Bruno D’Amico, Global Product Manager for Horticulture Lighting at Current said, ”By including an intra-canopy lighting solution within our toolkit, we’re able to offer growers even more flexibility when designing a lighting strategy that will maximize the productivity of every harvest. WUR’s research has clearly shown the value of considering ICL within a greenhouse environment and we’re currently working with a number of growers to demonstrate the impact of the Arize Integral as part of their supplemental lighting plans.”
For added peace of mind, the Integral’s lifespan exceeds 54,000 hours at L90 and is covered by Current’s market-leading, five year warranty.
Colin Woodford