Sweet peppers: A review of the current scientific knowledge & commercial experience of using supplementary lighting for AYR production

• Economics aside, the technology and knowledge is available to successfully grow sweet peppers with supplementary lighting in the UK without the need for any further R&D work;
• The availability of a significant price premium for early season produce is a fundamental requirement for growing sweet peppers with supplementary lighting;
• Energy represents the biggest single increase in variable cost that must be recouped if adopting this approach;
• The quality of light produced by high pressure sodium lamps is adequate for supplementary lighting sweet peppers;
• Most growers light from between 04:00 and 06:00 to 16:30 in mid February. Lighting earlier causes dark heads. While yields are likely to increase with lighting for longer, care is needed with regards to plant balance;
• Increases in pest and disease incidence are possible and effective methods of control will be required
• Reliable, detailed data on yield patterns and energy use is required to help sweet pepper growers assess more accurately the economics of supplementary lighting.

AIMS:

• To ensure that UK sweet pepper growers remain well informed about developments in AYR production
• To identify any gaps in current knowledge allowing a longer-term R&D strategy for AYR sweet pepper production to be developed.

 OBJECTIVES:

• To determine to current level of experience with AYR sweet pepper production on commercial nurseries in the Netherlands.
• To identify the limits/constraints encountered, especially those relating to crop management and plant physiology.
• To identify the current gaps in knowledge about the response of sweet peppers to artificial light to enable AYR production.
• To develop a R&D strategy for AYR sweet pepper production.