Stevia Supplier Almendra Unveils Open-Field Lighting Tech to Boost Crop Yields Stevia extract producer Almendra is branching out beyond sweeteners with a new agricultural technology that it claims can significantly increase crop yields—from soybeans to rice—by exposing plants to specific wavelengths of light during nighttime hours. The innovation, known as “night interruption” or “night break” lighting, has long been used in greenhouse cultivation. However, Almendra says it is the first company to adapt this technique for large-scale open-field farming. “We’ve developed a system that brings this proven concept out of the greenhouse and into the field,” said Inder Singh, cofounder and CEO, during an interview at the recent World Agri-Tech Summit in San Francisco. Night interruption lighting involves the use of brief pulses of red or far-red LED light during nighttime hours to influence the flowering cycles of photoperiod-sensitive crops. Depending on the crop and the light treatment, this can either delay or trigger flowering—resulting in better yield, improved timing, and enhanced adaptability to different growing regions. Headquartered in Singapore with manufacturing operations in Thailand, Almendra holds patents in both the U.S. and Australia for mobile irrigation systems equipped with LED arrays. These rigs can be moved across fields to apply light treatments precisely where and when they’re needed. The technology doesn’t just affect flowering—it also influences vegetative growth, including leaf development, which directly impacts final yields. “By managing night length, we can steer the plant’s growth cycle in ways that benefit productivity,” said Singh.

Stevia extract producer Almendra is branching out beyond sweeteners with a new agricultural technology that it claims can significantly increase crop yields—from soybeans to rice—by exposing plants to specific wavelengths of light during nighttime hours.

The innovation, known as “night interruption” or “night break” lighting, has long been used in greenhouse cultivation. However, Almendra says it is the first company to adapt this technique for large-scale open-field farming. “We’ve developed a system that brings this proven concept out of the greenhouse and into the field,” said Inder Singh, cofounder and CEO, during an interview at the recent World Agri-Tech Summit in San Francisco.

Night interruption lighting involves the use of brief pulses of red or far-red LED light during nighttime hours to influence the flowering cycles of photoperiod-sensitive crops. Depending on the crop and the light treatment, this can either delay or trigger flowering—resulting in better yield, improved timing, and enhanced adaptability to different growing regions.

Headquartered in Singapore with manufacturing operations in Thailand, Almendra holds patents in both the U.S. and Australia for mobile irrigation systems equipped with LED arrays. These rigs can be moved across fields to apply light treatments precisely where and when they’re needed.

The technology doesn’t just affect flowering—it also influences vegetative growth, including leaf development, which directly impacts final yields. “By managing night length, we can steer the plant’s growth cycle in ways that benefit productivity,” said Singh.