Advanced search
Add to list

Assimilation lighting of butterhead lettuce: an economic evaluation

Author
Organization
Abstract
Application of the Nutrient Film Technique to the cultivation of butterhead lettuce offers an average growth period reduction of 15 %. The possibility to obtain a further reduction using supplementary lighting was studied in two experiments. Both an autumn crop and a winter crop were subjected to a set of 9 light intensities evenly distributed between 15 and 95-mu-mol/(m2.s). The control plot received only natural light. The average number of heads per auction box significantly depended on the light sum only for the winter crop. The combined results of the autumn and winter crops show a linear increase of fresh weight with increasing light sums; the respective harvesting criteria were 392 g/head (420.5 mol/m2) and 240 g/head (250.3 mol/m2). Based on the linear regression equation, the fictitious growth period required to reach the harvesting criterion in both crops was calculated for (a) various levels of supplementary light and (b) a day length of 16 h. Analoguous calculations were performed for a winter crop with a fictitious harvesting criterion of 300 g/head. Maximal growth period reductions were expressed as a % of an average 55-day NFT crop. For the fresh weights of 392 g (autumn), 240 g (winter) and 300 g (winter, fictitious), these were 22.1 %, 61.6 % and 64.6 % respectively. The calculated growth period reductions were valorized using average prices recorded by the Agricultural Economics Institute (L.E.I.). The cost of the lighting installation were established for a 4000 m2 plant. Electricity consumption was charged using the special advantageous rates applied by the public electricity supplier. A cost-benefit analysis indicates that the required investment and operational costs are economically justified only in case of high auction prices (at least 50 % higher than the 1989 L.E.I. average) and/or advantageous electricity rates.

Citation

Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:

MLA
Balemans, Luc, and C. Dugardin. “Assimilation Lighting of Butterhead Lettuce: An Economic Evaluation.” LANDBOUWTIJDSCHRIFT-REVUE DE L AGRICULTURE, vol. 44, no. 5, 1991, pp. 901–11.
APA
Balemans, L., & Dugardin, C. (1991). Assimilation lighting of butterhead lettuce: an economic evaluation. LANDBOUWTIJDSCHRIFT-REVUE DE L AGRICULTURE, 44(5), 901–911.
Chicago author-date
Balemans, Luc, and C Dugardin. 1991. “Assimilation Lighting of Butterhead Lettuce: An Economic Evaluation.” LANDBOUWTIJDSCHRIFT-REVUE DE L AGRICULTURE 44 (5): 901–11.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Balemans, Luc, and C Dugardin. 1991. “Assimilation Lighting of Butterhead Lettuce: An Economic Evaluation.” LANDBOUWTIJDSCHRIFT-REVUE DE L AGRICULTURE 44 (5): 901–911.
Vancouver
1.
Balemans L, Dugardin C. Assimilation lighting of butterhead lettuce: an economic evaluation. LANDBOUWTIJDSCHRIFT-REVUE DE L AGRICULTURE. 1991;44(5):901–11.
IEEE
[1]
L. Balemans and C. Dugardin, “Assimilation lighting of butterhead lettuce: an economic evaluation,” LANDBOUWTIJDSCHRIFT-REVUE DE L AGRICULTURE, vol. 44, no. 5, pp. 901–911, 1991.
@article{204134,
  abstract     = {{Application of the Nutrient Film Technique to the cultivation of butterhead lettuce offers an average growth period reduction of 15 %. The possibility to obtain a further reduction using supplementary lighting was studied in two experiments. Both an autumn crop and a winter crop were subjected to a set of 9 light intensities evenly distributed between 15 and 95-mu-mol/(m2.s). The control plot received only natural light. 
The average number of heads per auction box significantly depended on the light sum only for the winter crop. The combined results of the autumn and winter crops show a linear increase of fresh weight with increasing light sums; the respective harvesting criteria were 392 g/head (420.5 mol/m2) and 240 g/head (250.3 mol/m2). 
Based on the linear regression equation, the fictitious growth period required to reach the harvesting criterion in both crops was calculated for (a) various levels of supplementary light and (b) a day length of 16 h. Analoguous calculations were performed for a winter crop with a fictitious harvesting criterion of 300 g/head. Maximal growth period reductions were expressed as a % of an average 55-day NFT crop. For the fresh weights of 392 g (autumn), 240 g (winter) and 300 g (winter, fictitious), these were 22.1 %, 61.6 % and 64.6 % respectively. 
The calculated growth period reductions were valorized using average prices recorded by the Agricultural Economics Institute (L.E.I.). The cost of the lighting installation were established for a 4000 m2 plant. Electricity consumption was charged using the special advantageous rates applied by the public electricity supplier. A cost-benefit analysis indicates that the required investment and operational costs are economically justified only in case of high auction prices (at least 50 % higher than the 1989 L.E.I. average) and/or advantageous electricity rates.}},
  author       = {{Balemans, Luc and Dugardin, C}},
  issn         = {{0776-2143}},
  journal      = {{LANDBOUWTIJDSCHRIFT-REVUE DE L AGRICULTURE}},
  language     = {{dut}},
  number       = {{5}},
  pages        = {{901--911}},
  title        = {{Assimilation lighting of butterhead lettuce: an economic evaluation}},
  volume       = {{44}},
  year         = {{1991}},
}

Web of Science
Times cited: