‘HPS fixtures are the perfect match for our requirements’

The history of Dekorativno Tsvetochnye Kultury (DTK) goes back almost 50 years. Initially, the Izhevsk-based business – Izhevsk is the capital of the autonomous republic Udmurtia – was focused on landscaping in urban areas and on the cultivation of pot plants and cut flowers. “To begin with we concentrated on the production of tulips, alstroemerias, gerberas, fruit crops and seedlings. We’re now focused entirely on roses; we’ve made major strides in this field, particularly in recent years,” says Alexander Melnikov, Managing Director of DTK.

Focus on highest segment

 The business has undergone considerable growth over the years. Last year another three-hectare extension was realised, bringing the total rose acreage to 6.5 hectares. “We grow 46 different cultivars on this area, which we can harvest all year round. We try to match our range to the consumer’s requirements as closely as possible. Alongside having a wide range, delivering top quality is our highest priority. We deliver across the whole of Russia, and we focus on the upper end of the market. That’s why we use high-tech greenhouses for our cultivation, and why it’s important to us to keep up with the latest developments in greenhouse design. This is one of the reasons why we’ve been among Russia’s leading rose nurseries for many years now.”

High light intensity

Grow light is inextricably linked to DTK’s ambition to be a market leader. The rose company has been using grow light for more than 25 years, and in 2020 was the first Russian company to invest in a grow light system with a light intensity of 260 μmol/s/m2. “This is an extremely high light intensity for rose cultivation, even by Dutch standards. This type of light intensity enables us to produce the level of quality we want to provide. Incidentally, not all our greenhouses are fitted with a light intensity of 260 μmol/s/m2; in some locations, 198 μmol/s/m2 is sufficient. Not all cultivars require a light intensity of 260 μmol/s/m2; in fact, too much light can sometimes even have a negative impact on growth.”

Collaboration with Hortilux

DTK has been working with Hortilux’s grow light systems since 2019. “We’d often heard about Hortilux after all, they’re world leaders in grow light systems. When we started looking into expanding our grow light system, taking a close look at Hortilux’s fixtures was an obvious choice.

Hortilux’s HPS NXT2 fixtures were the perfect match for our requirements: they have good light distribution, are easy to maintain, and they’re extremely reliable. By now the NXT2 1000W fixtures have been installed over a three-hectare area. At present, making full use of this installation’s capacity is one of our main focuses.”

On top of the advantages of the NXT2 1000W fixtures, Melnikov is delighted with the collaboration with Hortilux. “We initially feared that repairs and obtaining replacement parts were going to be difficult, because Hortilux is a long way from our production site. But that’s turned out not to be the case at all. Hortilux is very customer-oriented, and keeps a constant eye on what’s needed to keep everything running optimally.”

Hortilux’s growth

Hortilux is enthusiastic about the collaboration too. “We’re realising more and more projects in the ornamental plant sector and in the CIS countries; we’re already active in Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Russia and Ukraine,” says Vera Bouklakova, Area Sales Manager CIS at Hortilux. “And now, for the third year in a row, roses in Udmurtia are growing under our fixtures. Naturally this is something we’re proud of. And on top of that, it’s wonderful to be able to collaborate with a professional business like DTK.”