VitroLeaf by Battistini is one of the largest and most innovative facilities in Europe, focusing on research in the field of lighting for the best growth performance of plants propagated in vitro. Battistini Vivai has recently inaugurated VitroLeaf in Cesena, a new micropropagation laboratory that represents Europe's largest commercial facility of this kind, boasting a high degree of automation. The partner on the lighting front is C-Led.
Visit inside VitroLeaf by Battistini
"Choosing the right lighting and managing it correctly is of essential importance. In C-Led we have found a reliable partner who has followed our needs arising from years of research," began laboratory manager Massimiliano Meneghini.
The most innovative element is undoubtedly the VitroLeaf Tower: it is an in vitro culture room, not accessible to personnel and totally robotized, that measures 8 metres high and 67 metres long and can hold up to 3.5 million plantlets. It features 22 shelves illuminated by LED lights to guarantee the development of plants, which follow a photoperiod of 16 hours of light and 8 hours of darkness, simulating the alternation of day and night. In addition to light, temperature, humidity and air flow are also monitored, and the environment is constantly controlled from the point of view of health and viruses.
Left to right: Massimiliano Meneghini, Laura Laghi (Battistini Vivai) and Raffaello Montanari (C-Led)
"Contributing to a project such as VitroLeaf," says C-Led sales area manager Raffaello Montanari, "is a stimulating challenge because everything is set up according to customer needs. To give you an idea, we have supplied around 5 km of lights, but they differ depending on the area where the plants are growing."
C-Led lamps with a specific spectrum and intensity are installed inside the VitroLeaf Tower for the multiplication and elongation phase. The aim is to achieve a very high multiplication rate of the young plantlets so as to increase the number of clones, while maintaining a consistently high product quality and health of the propagated material. Strong and compact plants are a fundamental condition for the subsequent rooting phase. In this application area, the required intensity level expressed in PPFD, i.e. the Photosynthetic photon flux density expressed in µmol m-2 s-1, is relatively low compared to other areas in which we operate. All lighting parameters are regulated by a control panel from which temperature and ventilation can also be set.
"We have two small rooms used for research and development. Here, we adjust the light (and other parameters) according to the species, and lighting can also be diversified for each shelf, so as to verify the different plant responses." Thanks to the new facility, Battistini has tripled the efficiency of some of its production steps.
On the day of the inauguration, General Manager Giuliano Dradi said that "we have invested heavily in technology by designing, together with our suppliers, specific technologies based on our requirements. The machines do not replace the work of our staff but, on the contrary, they help them when it comes to mechanical and overhead operations, boosting work safety. Once we have achieved production stability, we count on increasing the number of workers by at least a dozen."
The goal is to reach 24 million plants produced in the next five years. The facility consists of an office area, a conference room, staff services, as well as production areas for preparing and growing the plants.
The facility is equipped with 262 photovoltaic panels on the roof, which produce most of the energy needed for production operations. What is more, energy-efficient, home automation-controlled systems have been installed for maximum performance, constantly monitoring consumption.
Montanari points out that "collaborating with companies like Battistini Vivai allows C-Led to raise the bar of competitiveness even higher by studying new frontiers in the use of light at the service of plant growth."
Battistini and C-Led are sponsors of the national conference on Micropropagation - VitroSOI2024, which will take place in Viterbo on October 14-17, 2024. "We invite all sector technicians and operators to take part in the event," say the representatives of C-Led and Battistini, "as it will be an important opportunity for in-depth analyses."
For more information
C-LED
Via Gambellara, 34
40026 - Imola (BO) - Italy
+39 0542 654980
[email protected]
www.c-led.it
For more information 
Battistini Vivai
Via Ravennate, 1500
47522 Cesena (FC) - Italy
+39 0547 380545
[email protected]
www.battistinivivai.com