How will we grow food in the future?
Fresh food in outer space
Learn more about PHYTOFY RL, our tunable horticultural lighting system used by the NASAOSRAM horticulture lighting takes on the challenges of the 21st century
The world’s population is growing. The available farmland is diminishing. The urbanization is increasing, and with it the transportation distances and expenditures. The ability to provide enough food will become a challenge in the next 30 years. Traditional agriculture will not be able to provide the people in future cities with enough healthy nourishment. We are in need for new and better systems to meet the food supply demand.
Urban farming and indoor vertical farming are good examples of such solutions. We will grow tomatoes, melons, lettuce and the like in the midst of big cities. These plants will need to be fed primarily with water and light. Compared to conventional agricultural solutions, indoor farming achieves significant increases in energy efficiency and can, thus, help vegetable and fruit cultivation in the metropolises of the world to become viable.
OSRAM's main areas of horticulture lighting
We work with researchers and growers at the forefront of the controlled-environment agricultural revolution to provide products and systems that optimize crop development.
Key to find the best light recipes are self-learning software algorithms that create and optimize digital plant models in order to cultivate tailor-made salads, herbs, vegetables and fruits.
Horticultural lighting components, products, and systems that we offer already today
Commercial horticulture by Fluence Bioengineering, Inc.
By acquiring Fluence Bioengineering, Inc. in 2018 we took an important step in our quest to become the leading provider of intelligent plant growth solutions. “Fluence is opening the floodgates to a huge future market,” said Stefan Kampmann, CTO of OSRAM Licht AG. “Its extensive knowledge of the horticulture market and possible applications, combined with OSRAM’s expertise in lighting technologies, sensors and connectivity, will position us as a leading horticultural solutions provider.”
LED-based solutions from Fluence help growers meet their yield and sustainability goals by increasing harvests up to 25 percent, reducing energy costs by as much as 50 percent and, through the targeted use of light, improving the quality and nutritional content of plants.
More about Fluence - one of the world’s leading suppliers of smart grow lighting [link to Fluence's website]
LED components for horticulture lighting
OSRAM Opto Semiconductors offers a broad Horticulture LED portfolio for 450 nm (deep blue), 660 nm (hyper red) and 730 nm (far red). Our OSLON® family includes the important wavelengths in three radiation angles 80°, 120° and 150° to support provide the perfect lighting for all types of plants and flowers, allowing to adapt the light exactly to the needs of various crops.
More information, features, advantages, links, videos and brochures about LED components for horticulture lighting Horticultural lighting tool to calculate different greenhouse scenarios
Main applications: Horticultural light and sensing solutions
People want fresh and nutritious vegetables, beautiful floral arrangements, and fragrant herbs all year round, possibly even at the touch of a button with the latest trends in e-commerce. Fortunately, the art and science of growing plants is evolving with new digital and smart technologies for vertical farms, hydroponic greenhouses, and small gardening systems, enabling the optimization of crop development and farms to sprout in big cities and even in people’s homes.
Ongoing light research, sensor technology, and cloud computing allow horticulture professionals to meet the increasing demands of today’s consumers, and provide everything from LED grow lights to complete solutions.
More information on OSRAM's horticulture lighting applications More about PHYTOFY RL, our horticultural lighting system used by the NASA