Valoya Research

Valoya Research and Development

Valoya’s Research and Development focuses on two major topics: Plant Light Response Research and LED Technology Research. The goal of all Valoya Research is to deliver the maximum value to our customers by lowering costs associated to production processes and enabling more revenue. This can be achieved through better light quality, while saving energy compared to traditional lights, translating into increased productivity, improved quality and/or faster production cycles.

Most research defining plant responses to light have been done by measuring plant responses under narrow bandwidth light sources. However, these results are not completely same as plant responses under full spectrum light source, since there is critical information to the plants in the waveband combinations. Complexity and lack of suitable lighting technology has limited research in this field. Important aspect here is that there is no single optimal light for plants: defining plant responses under certain light spectrum need to be applied to the environment where it will be used, since the optimal result will be defined by the grower.

The way to provide added value to our customers is to:

Offer and develop constantly developed superior spectra, which enable increased productivity or quality improvements at the same or lower light intensities than traditional or competing horticultural LED lights.
Increase the light output per fixture, per watt and per monetary unit spent on light.
Develop special purpose light spectra and fixtures that enable customers to use lighting fixtures in applications where light traditionally has only been a necessity, not a critical component. Examples of this are using Valoya LEDs to shorten vernalization or to keep plants compact.

The way we do research is to continuously test new plants and growing processes with our current and developmental light spectra. This work is carried out as in-house research and in collaboration with universities and research institutes and also with our customers.

IN NUMBERS (up until January 2019)

TRIALS CONDUCTED

PLANT SPECIES / VARIETIES RESEARCHED

COUNTRIES VALOYA CONDUCTED RESEARCHES

Research environments: growth chambers and rooms (CE) and greenhouses

Results of our plant light response research are collected to our LightDNA™ Plant Database and utilized in designing new light spectra, completing growing protocols using our lights and developing new applications for artificial light. LED Technology Research focuses on new LED chips and inorganic materials and new applications thereof, power units and electrical systems, all to make our LED fixtures and complete light installations long-lasting and easy and efficient to use. This work has yielded fixtures to be used in varying proximity to plants, ranging from 15 cm to 4 m, aligned vertically or horizontally as interlights, to be used in small growth chambers, walk-in rooms or greenhouses. The Plant Light Response Research and the LED Technology Research are tightly integrated and feedback provided by our customers ensures that the results from our R&D work concretely and immediately benefits our customers.

Case study: Valoya’s trial on Arabidopsis Thaliana

Overview

Being sessile, plants are constantly competing with other plants for light, living space, water, and nutrients. Competition for light causes morphological and developmental changes in plants. Plants have the ability to sense small changes in the spectrum, intensity and direction of light. Photoreceptors sense these light signals making possible the acquisition of information ‘used’ to adjust plant development. Three major groups of photoreceptors have been identified; red and far-red sensing phytochromes; UV-A and blue light sensing cryptochromes

By knowing the photobiological background of different species, we can design light spectra suitable for multiple species. By modifying a spectrum we can for example maintain the vegetative stage of the plants longer and delay flowering in many species.