The best cucumbers all year round
Botanica wants to supply cucumbers for the domestic market all year round. Its first step was a huge expansion of its greenhouse complex. And by choosing a complete grow light solution from Hortilux, Botanica can guarantee that its cucumbers will meet the highest quality standards throughout the year.
Maintaining quality
During the winter the temperature in Volgograd can drop to -25o Celsius, but it can easily reach 30o Celsius in the summer months. The amount of daylight also varies considerably in the course of the year. Greenhouses with grow lights are essential if you want to satisfy the soaring demand for fresh, locally produced vegetables. “The personal approach together with the specialist knowledge and solutions offered by Hortilux convinced us,” says Yurij Sudarev, a major shareholder in Botanica. “In 2016 we started constructing 5 ha of new greenhouses. In 2017 we will add another 10 ha of new and lit greenhouses and 2 ha of nursery greenhouses.” Botanica developed out of LLC Ovoschevod, one of the biggest vegetable producers in the Russian Federation at the end of the 1980s. The Radezh group took over the company in 2004. Since 2014, they have sold their produce under the Botanica name. This leading vegetable producer, with its own logistics centre and power generation facilities, supplies shops in the Volgograd region and other parts of Russia.
Better control of production
Yuri explains why Botanica opted for Hortilux 1000 Watt HSE NXT II fixtures. “These fixtures give a high light level of at least 290 mmol. The light penetrates into the crop extremely well thanks to the deep-radiating reflector. This means that the plants grow better, which helps us increase our yield per m2.” Orchan Koelijev, Account Manager Russia for Hortilux, adds: “Every system is unique because it is based on the customer’s requirements. The solution we implemented for Botanica allows the lamps to be switched to 4 positions. This differential gives better control of production and more efficient management of energy consumption. After all, a cucumber crop needs much less lighting in the summer than in the cold and dark winter months.”
Seamless fit
Hortilux supplied the complete grow light system, from engineering to hardware and installation, working with local contractors. “All the components fit together seamlessly. The quality of the drawings, the collaboration with local installers and the smooth installation process give me confidence in a long service life and optimum results,” says Yurij Sudarev. “Thanks to their local presence on the Russian market, Hortilux can also provide us with the service that we demand of our suppliers. This will enable us to deliver the quality that Botanica customers expect.”