Systeemsprong chrysant: naar eenenergiezuinige en emissiearme teelt: Deelrapport II. Resultaten van de tweede, derde en vierde teelt

The chrysanthemum sector faces major challenges in the coming years. Innovations such as soil-free cultivation, automated planting and harvesting, and fossil-free, low-emission production demand a fundamental shift from traditional soil-based systems. One promising solution is cultivation in substrate-filled containers. As part of the project “System leap chrysanthemum”, four cultivation cycles were carried out, with this report presenting the results of cycles 2–4. The trials focused on dynamic lighting strategies, substrate selection, and substrate reuse. All cycles confirmed that container-based cultivation is feasible, achieving yields as in practice of 5.5 to 6.5 kg fresh weight m-2. Dimming lights during peak energy price periods resulted in similar results compared to constant lighting. Performance across substrate types was not entirely consistent, but overall, peat-free substrates performed comparably to peat-based mixes. It is proved that substrate can be reused but requires further optimization. The crops were grown without chemical crop protection and with reduced use of growth regulators compared to traditional soil cultivation. In conclusion, container-based substrate cultivation is technically viable and supports the transition toward sustainable chrysanthemum production. However, further optimization is essential to make this system transition widely applicable.