LED plant lighting illuminates vertical farms Italian basil farmers increase production and shorten harvest cycle

The farm is located in Moncalieri, near Turin, Italy, and the basil planted in it exudes a delicious atmosphere to welcome visitors. In the hopeless green basil, a pink light caught the attention of the visitors. Basil growers collaborated with Ambra Elettronica to establish the first functional vertical cultivation farm in Italy using the Oslon SSL LED from OSRAM Opto Semiconductors as the main component of the plant lighting system AMBRALIGHT. This hydroponic method not only doubles the yield per square meter, but also doubles the harvest rate, while still ensuring the excellent quality of basil.

The company was established in 2011 with government funding. In this way, the company is able to apply innovation and cutting-edge concepts to the field of basil farming. The concept of soil-based basil cultivation has been vigorously developed with the specific goal of increasing crop yields during the winter season, while winter is not conducive to basil cultivation due to low temperatures and insufficient sunshine. For this purpose, the farmer plans to build a 300 m2 indoor hydroponic vertical farm. The plant lighting system is a key factor in ensuring that indoor plants are not affected by weather and seasons.

“I have been testing plant lighting LED fixtures for two years,” explains Vittorio Gariglio, architect and owner of Bio Extra Solum, who is responsible for the design and implementation of the vertical farm system. “First, I built and tested small prototypes to find spectra and energy. The most suitable luminaire design. The prototype also determines the correct combination of different parameters to achieve the best performance and quality while achieving lower energy consumption."

“It is not easy to find a partner that can help us plan and implement the lighting system for the specific needs of this application. In the end, we have established a close cooperation with plant lighting expert Ambra Elettronica. It has been proven that the company's AMBRALIGHT system can be very Good to meet our requirements. Choosing the right plant lighting is the cornerstone of the entire system, as lighting has a major impact on crop growth and quality as well as