Higher production of tomatoes
Good, tasty tomatoes from January right through to the end of December – that’s ECO-Culture’s primary aim. And it’s an aim that the Russian vegetable grower can now achieve thanks to its new greenhouses fitted with grow light. “Hortilux’s high light intensity enables us to realise greater yields per m2,” explains Alexander Rudakov, an ECO-Culture shareholder.
Great demand for round tomatoes
ECO-Culture is one of the largest vegetable producers in Russia. In Stavropol region, in the south of the country, the agroindustrial holding grows round tomatoes for sale at chains of hyper- and supermarkets all over Russia. The past few years have seen a tremendous growth in demand for products that are produced in Russia. ECO-Culture makes substantial investments in new technologies and logistics so as to be able to meet that demand. One of those new technologies is the use of grow light. “We haven’t yet gained any experience with grow light,” says Alexander Rudakov. “If you intend to install grow light in an area of 20 hectares you want to minimise your risks where possible. So you go for a partner with proven experience. Hortilux, which is also represented on the local Russian market, is without doubt that partner for us.”
High light intensity
In 2016 ECO-Culture installed grow light in its 20-ha new-build greenhouse for the cultivation of tomatoes. Alexander Rudakov explains why he opted for the HSE NXT II grow light system. “We chose this system in consultation with Hortilux. Thanks to its reflector design and the 1000 Watt lamps, the HSE NXT II ensures good light yields and the light penetrates deep into the crop, enabling us to realise a high light intensity with a relatively small number of fixtures. This increases our crops’ yields per m2 and the result is that we are able to supply tomatoes all the year round.»
More greenhouses with lighting
Rudakov is satisfied with his grow light system, whose installation was completed in September 2016. “Thanks to Hortilux’s specialists professional advisory and the convenient plug-and-play connections the installation process proceeded very quickly.” The coming years, ECO-Culture intends to invest in more new-build greenhouses with lighting for the year-round cultivation of tomatoes and other greenhouse vegetables. “Besides increasing our yields of tomatoes, the grow light system also has a beneficial effect on the tomatoes’ quality and taste – two aspects that our customers greatly appreciate.”