CEO of Alea Global Group Mohammad Al Duaij, and Siraj H., Senior Trade Adviser British Embassy Kuwait, have visited the RIPE/CHAP Natural Light Growing Centre to learn more about the technology deployed there.
The greenhouse, not actually made up of glass but made of plastic (ETFE), is where 2,000 plants are grown under controlled conditions.
The Natural Light Growing (NLG) Centre is located at the University of Warwick Life Sciences, Wellesbourne, to scientifically prove the impact of full spectrum natural light on crops within a protective environment.
For the first time, RIPE enables the cost effective replacement of glass with Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), a material that allows full UV penetration. ETFE has become increasingly popular with architects and has already been widely adopted as the optimal replacement for glass in iconic buildings such as the Water Cube, built to house the aquatic arena for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The NLG Centre’s research will focus on UV’s impact on:
- plant health
- nutrition
- flavour
- shelf life
- growth and development
- disease resistance
- pollination
- biological control
- photosynthetic efficiency
Click here to find out more about the RIPE/CHAP Natural Light Growing Centre.