Thursday Morning Concurrent Sessions

9:30 AM - 11:30 AM

9:30 AM - 11:00 AM

This session sponsored by
Gavin Schneider Ecoation	Scale Your Success: Grower experiences with implementing the Ecoation Forecasting Platform When working with new technology in horticulture, a successful rollout requires a commitment from both the technology supplier and the greenhouse team. Managing expectations, defining goals, keeping robots operating – there are many factors to manage to reach success. In this presentation, Gavin will discuss how Ecoation helps growers onboard, adopt, and generate value out of their platform from day one. Telling the real stories of their global customer base, he will highlight steps taken to get a farm robot ready, onboarding, and continual engagement.
Arezoo Emadi University of Windsor, ON	Electronic Nose Technology for Pest & Disease Management Innovations in portable electronic nose and micromachined sensors are revolutionizing the field of health and agriculture by extending the capabilities of diagnosing tools and monitoring devices beyond human senses and perceptions. The adoption of this proposed solution and developed novel electronic nose technology will facilitate the technology transfer of miniaturized, high-efficiency, high performance, and cost-effective smart sensor system, developed as a competitive production system for autonomous early detection of pests and diseases at the application level. In addition, this novel electronic nose can trace indicators of diseases in a fast and cost-effective manner and be adopted to protect the plant health and promote a sustainable practice in agriculture.
Maxime Dedecker 2Grow	Talk to me: What we can learn from communicating with plants Who never dreamed of being able to understand the plants wishes regarding irrigation needs and favourite climate settings? At 2Grow we developed sensors that are able to do just that. Enjoy a short introduction on what we can measure and how it helps us to increase efficiency of growing trough several use cases.

*Approximately 30-minute presentations

9:30 AM - 11:30 AM

Amanda Thomsen Kiss My Aster	A little Bit of Everything All of the Time: Customer Service in the Internet Age A Little Bit of Everything All of the Time: Customer Service in the Internet Age In this class we will discuss how to deal with the hardest, weirdest, most challenging customers (while continuing to delight the easy, pleasant ones) while keeping our cool and repping out brands using humor, a growth mindset and a lot of humor.
Katie Elzer-Peters The Garden of Words	To E-comm or Not to E-comm – What are the questions? Online shopping is a given in most of our daily lives. That means wholesale customers are starting to expect ecommerce options. Learn the questions to ask of yourself, your team, and your business before building or tweaking online shopping offerings so you meet your customers’ and your needs from the start.
Jeff Beattie Winona Gardens Winona, ON Terry Colasanti Colasanti Farms Ltd. Ruthven, ON Miguel Mori Hendriks Greenhouses Beamsville, ON	Panel: Experiences with E-commerce

9:30 AM - 11:00 AM

This session sponsored by

Stephen Duff
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs

The Business of Farming

Stephen Duff, chief economist, OMAFRA, will speak about farm income tax, your farm business registration number and other key aspects of your farm business.

Melanie Yelton
Plenty

Indoor Farming - Why, Where, When!

Indoor farming is necessary because the existing food supply chain is vulnerable, strained, and unsustainable and requires a new agronomic approach in which growers must reconsider traditional plant management assumptions. To ensure that indoor farming will ultimately be profitable, fulfilling the promise of efficient resource use, we must continuously evaluate the way we farm indoors. Indoor or vertical farming is here to stay. To what extent it will complement traditional farming remains to be seen. In the meantime, indoor growing presents a novel form of food production, and agriculture as we know it is entering a new age! Plenty has invested more than 400 million dollars in plant science and engineering research to create the ideal plant growth platform making it possible to grow anywhere in the world.

Emil Breza
AgricUltra Advancements Inc.

Air Flow and its impact on Vertical Farming 3.0

A deep dive into the importance of understanding airflow dynamics in CEA and its impact on common grow platforms and their ability to truly scale. Key areas of focus will include the necessity of removing spent air at the source, the consequences of restricted airflow within an indoor grow, and understanding the impact of poor air flow designs on VPD (Vapour Pressure Deficit) using CFD analysis. Wrapping up with a view to Indoor Ag 3.0 featuring multi-Dimensional distributed data acquisition networks, real-time biometric feedback, and the ability to unlock the efficiencies of automation with scale.

Approximately 30-minute presentations

9:30 AM - 11:30 AM

This session sponsored by berger logo

Roberto Lopez
Michigan State University

Management of Temperature & Light of Leafy Greens & Vegetable Transplants

Growing lettuce, herbs and vegetables in your greenhouse? Dr. Roberto Lopez of Michigan State University will share the secrets of success to improve seedling germination and growth, while reducing propagation time and unwanted stretch with temperature and light management.

Pierre-Marc de Champlain
Berger

Select the Right Propagation Mix to Help Secure Your ROI

Make informed choices related to growing media to optimize your production. What should be taken in consideration when selecting your mix? Discover how your potting line set up can help streamline your operations and reduce manual handling.

Todd Cavins
Ball Horticultural Co.

James Gibson
Syngenta Flowers

The Cutting Edge: Receipt Through Establishment

Find out what you can do to improve cutting performance and assist proactively with shipping stress issues. Cavins and Gibson outline key factors to ensure rooting success and tips for when you receive a less-than-stellar batch.

Kai-Shu Ling
USDA-ARS Vegetable Laboratory
Charleston, SC

An Integrated Approach to Prevent Emerging Viral Disease Outbreak

In recent years, greenhouse vegetable growers are experiencing increased threats posted by several emerging viruses, including tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) and pepino mosaic virus (PepMV) in tomato and cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV) in cucumber. These seed-borne and mechanically transmitted viruses are difficult to control. In order to bring these emerging viruses under management, three main parties, including seed companies, nursery propagators and greenhouse growers, would need to work together to prevent virus spread and disease outbreaks. Learn how an integrated approach can make it possible to protect greenhouse vegetables from emerging viral disease devastation.

Approximately 30-minute presentations

9:30 AM - 11:30 AM

Sponsored by
Edwin Kroon Lion Lasers Estuardo Hernández Olesinski Wageningen University, NL	L.I.G.H.T. Lasers in Greenhouses & Horticulture against Thrips (and other pests) Wageningen University & Research and Lion Laser Systems have developed a laser as an alternative to pesticides. This laser is exceeding expectations in the laboratory and test-setup and is now ready to go on internship. Tested and validated to be lethal to thrips, but safe for employees, beneficial insects and crops.
Sean Somogyvari Vineland Research & Innovation Centre, ON	Early Detection of Bacterial Canker in Greenhouse Tomato Crops Early detection would allow growers to identify and treat bacterial canker outbreaks more effectively and reduce losses. Human scouts rely on their eyesight for visual inspection but yet our eyes only see the visible portion of light, whereas specialized cameras can potentially detect disease earlier using non-visible light such as infrared. At Vineland Research and Innovation Centre, we have studied the spectral light responses of healthy and diseased plants. This presentation will summarize our findings so far, which indicate that early detection of bacterial canker on greenhouse tomato crops is possible up to 10 days before it is visible to a human scout.
Zelda Pieterse Vineland Research & Innovation Centre, ON	Casting a Light on IPM Suncor Energy Inc. has developed photosensitizer formulations that cause high mortality rates in common greenhouse pests. These novel, photodynamic insecticides are non-toxic derivates of natural compounds that fit into an ecosystems-approach of growing food more sustainably. Photodynamic insecticides have proven to be as effective as registered synthetic chemical pesticides and can be applied with equipment currently used in greenhouses and in the field. Pieterese reports on trials conducted at Vineland Research & Innovation Centre.
James Dyck Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs	New AgriSuite Tools for Greenhouse Producers This session will provide a brief overview and walk-through of two new digital tools, created by OMAFRA and hosted on the AgriSuite platform, to support Ontario greenhouse producers. The Greenhouse Nutrient Feedwater (GNF) tool will help producers prepare a GNF Registration, GNF Document and Record, GNF Strategy, GNF Plan, Land Application Schedule and Record of Land Application, and GNF Transfer Report as part of the legal requirements under the provincial GNF program. The Greenhouse Gas Calculation tool will help producers identify the greenhouse gas emissions sources and amounts from fuel and energy use, and will identify potential modifications and practices producers can implement to reduce energy use and associated emissions.
Tanya Irani Metagenome Bio Life Science	Healthy Hydroponics: Routine surveillance for early pathogen detection In this presentation Tanya Irani will be showcasing the benefits of proactive mitigation, explaining the services offered by Healthy Hydroponics and doing a live demo of their grower’s portal.
Kenneth Tran Koidra Inc.	The Path to Autonomous Growing: What, Why, When & Where AI & data based growing has been on the rise. AI can assist and, in some cases, even outperform the top growers. However, most greenhouse operators still do not know whether they are ready to adopt AI, are uncertain how it can help their operation or how it works, leery of the cost and unsure whom to trust. In this talk, we will discuss the path to autonomous growing, and share our experience and lessons learned from our win at the 2022 international autonomous greenhouse challenge organized by Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands to sustainably grow vegetables via fully automated control with the use of AI. The Koidra-led team, Koala, beat 46 teams from 23 countries to become the only AI team in the world that outperformed the Dutch reference growers by 27.8% in net profit with the lowest operation cost and highest energy saving.

Approximately 10-minute presentations

Wednesday 10 AM & 2 PM, Thursday 10 AM

This workshop sponsored by

Jason Deveau
Application Technology Specialist,
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs

& Friends!

Air-assisted Sprayer Technology
Worth it, or does it blow?

This workshop will run Wed. AM, Wed. PM and Thurs. AM. There is no cost, but pre-registration is required as space is limited.

The aesthetic value of ornamental plants requires a near-zero tolerance for insect pests, which cause up to 10% of crop losses per season. Controlling them with insecticides is a difficult proposition. Ideally, each combination of canopy morphology, planting architecture, pest and chemistry would have a specific sprayer designed to optimize coverage and efficiency. This is economically unrealistic. Instead, many producers utilize technologies that rely on high water volumes and hydraulic pressures to “drench” targets indiscriminately, which raises humidity, dilutes the products and may not help improve coverage. Air-assisted spraying can be a viable alternative (and an improvement) over these approaches. We will demonstrate where/when this technology may be a good fit.

Thursday Afternoon Concurrent Sessions

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Rose Buitenhuis
Vineland Research & Innovation Centre, ON

Homegrown Heroes: Development of native predators for greenhouse IPM

With a few exceptions, we are still using the same biocontrol agents as 20 years ago. Meanwhile, European growers have had good success integrating new species of generalist predators into their IPM programs. Unfortunately, regulations in Canada and the US prevent the importation of non-native generalist species. This created opportunities to bring new North American biocontrol agents to market, to devise efficient ways of producing and using these natural enemies, and to develop robust integrated crop management strategies that support their use. Hear about new biocontrol agents developed at Vineland, grower experiences and a look at what is coming next.

Roselyne Labbe
Agriculture & AgriFood Canada, Harrow, ON

The Bug Hunters: Developing new & native biocontrol agents for IPM in Canadian greenhouses

In today’s global regulatory environment, the importation of non-native biocontrol agents into new areas is increasingly restricted, owing to concerns of non-target effects by introduced species. As such, finding new agents to target a diversity of greenhouse crop pests requires surveys of native species. Along with ongoing greenhouse trials aimed at establishing best practices for application, this work represents the foundation for commercial development of native biocontrol agents for application in Canadian greenhouse crops.

Lillian Auty
University of Guelph, ON

Friends & Foes of Cannabis sativa and the Potential for Companion Plants as a management Tool for Outdoor Cultivation

This project involves the first Canadian survey of economically relevant insect pests and natural enemies associated with outdoor Cannabis production at two different licensed operations in Ontario. Scouting observations at these operations were used to formulate a comprehensive list of economically important pests and natural enemies identified during the 2021 outdoor cannabis growing season. These results provide insight to the dynamic relationships between cannabis and insects, both pest and beneficial, in this specialized agroecosystem.

Approximately 30-minute presentations

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Alex Grygorczyk
Vineland Research & Innovation Centre, ON

Consumer & Sensory Research at Vineland: Where we’ve been, where we’re headed & the growing role of digital media

This presentation will discuss themes that have emerged across multiple studies such as that consumers with higher levels of plant expertise may differ in their plant preferences from less knowledgeable consumers, sometimes in surprising ways. The growing influence of social media and digital marketing will also be covered with insights on how to use online tools to keep a pulse on trending plants and online garden centre shopping.

Katie Elzer-Peters
The Garden of Words

Hiring and Managing Web Developers & Marketers to Get Results

How do you hire and manage tech contractors or employees without speaking tech? What these people do isn’t magic, even if it seems like it is. Learn processes to follow and questions to ask your providers to ensure they deliver what you need on time and on budget.

Amanda Thomsen
Kiss My Aster

Into the Unknown: The Current & Future of Garden Centres

Into The Unknown: The Current & Future of Garden Centers

Now that there’s no such thing as status quo and we are tapped out from all the pivoting, what’s next? Celebrate your flexibility and get inspired to continue to make the best out of difficult situations.

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

This session sponsored by
Brian Lynch Vineland Research & Innovation Centre, ON	Can Robots Harvest Greenhouse Bell Peppers?
Daniel Terlizzese University of Guelph	Characterizing the Light Environment within the Canopies of Eggplant & Mini Cucumber in Ontario Greenhouses
David Lubitz University of Guelph School of Engineering, ON	Measurement & Analysis of External Light Emissions from Ontario Greenhouses
Carly Demers University of Windsor/Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada	Assessing Native Predatory Insects as Novel Biological Control Agents
Jordan Dalicandro University of Guelph	The Effects of Mild Moisture Stress & Spectral Quality of Supplemental Lighting on the Shelf Life of Four Potted Ornamental Commodities
Laxmi Khadka Vineland Research & Innovation Centre, ON	Can We Hack Plant Metabolism to Defend Against Thrips?
Ashleigh Ahrens University of Guelph, ON	What are the Optimal Photoperiods for Inducing Flowering in Different Drug-Type Cannabis Cultivars?

Approximately 10-minute presentations

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

This session sponsored by
Katie Goldenhar Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs	Learnings from the Field: Strawberry disease management Recent work conducted in Ontario field strawberries on anthracnose fruit rot will be shared along with best practices for the new Neopestalotiopsis rot recently detected in Ontario.
Rose Seguin Sollum Technologies	From Transplanting to Harvest: Getting the most from your strawberry crop with dynamic lighting With greenhouse strawberry production on the rise, light strategies need to keep up to ensure the production of high-quality strawberries throughout the year. However, there is no one-size-fits-all strategy as the optimal lighting conditions depend on the variety, developmental stage and the grower’s production goals. Pairing industry research with real-life case studies, this presentation will focus on how growers can use dynamic LED lighting to get the most out of their strawberry crop.
Shawn Mallen A.M.A. Horticulture	Getting Off the Ground: Growing berries in substrates The introduction of substrate has had an enormous impact on Canada’s berry industry. By getting plants off the ground and into substrate, growers are extending their season and reducing overall labour inputs, while improving the quality and consistency of their product. But getting started with substrate can be intimidating. Tunnels or tabletop? Containers or grow bags? Which substrate is best for my plants? This Berry Substrate 101 presentation will share what systems to consider, what substrates are available and helpful tips to make sure you’re getting it right.
Edward Durner Rutgers University, NJ	Strawberry Flower Mapping Decisions regarding management practices in strawberry production should be based on the floral status of your plants. You can assess floral status by flower mapping plants during any stage of production. In this talk, Durner provides the science and methodology of flower mapping. Flower mapping is not difficult and you can easily learn the technique and interpret the results to make science-based decisions regarding production practices rather than relying on tradition, calendar date, or guesses.

Approximately 30-minute sessions

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

This session sponsored by
Martine Dorais University of Laval, QC	Nutrient Management During the Flowering Phase: Identifying the plant nutrient uptake under different N concentrations & evaluating the impact of P and K supply
Michael Brownbridge BioWorks Inc.	Dealing with Molds, Mildews & Other Nasties That Want to Eat Your Crop Pests and diseases are part and parcel of every crop production system, and cannabis is no exception. There are no rescue products approved for use on this crop, so successful management strategies must rely on a solid understanding of the different crop threats, conditions that promote their incidence and impact, and cultural and biological approaches that promote plant health and mitigate pest and disease threats. In this session, we will consider the primary biotic challenges in greenhouse/indoor cannabis production and some of the tools that can be used to reduce crop risks and keep pests and diseases in check.
Emil Breza AgricUltra Advancements Inc.	Getting More Out of Your Grow: Identifying & overcoming cannabis cultivation challenges This presentation will cover cultivation-room challenges: The Critical Importance of CFD Analysis on Room Design Distributed and Networked Data Acquisition Understanding Scale – problems get worse fast at scale Understanding the importance of VPD on HVAC loading and OpEx Energy Harvesting potential Unappreciated benefits and potential of Deep UVB
Brian Poel Fluence Bioengineering	Spectral Factors to Consider When Optimizing Lighting for Cannabis Production What does it take, from a lighting perspective, to create optimized conditions for cannabis flowering? Fluence research project manager Brian Poel will unpack Fluence’s cannabis lighting research and provide insights into choosing the right lighting spectrum to increase production at high light intensity levels. This session will also delve into other considerations, including yield, potency, spectrum efficacy and photobleaching, to help cultivators understand the lighting conditions that will maximize their production goals.

Approximately 30-minute presentations

Speaker Program - Thursday

2022 Program Highlights

The 2022 Canadian Greenhouse Conference will bring the experts to you!

Thursday, October 6th,

Slide decks from the 2022 speaker program are now available.

Thursday Morning Concurrent Sessions

9:30 AM - 11:30 AM

9:30 AM - 11:00 AM

9:30 AM - 11:30 AM

9:30 AM - 11:00 AM

9:30 AM - 11:30 AM

9:30 AM - 11:30 AM

Wednesday 10 AM & 2 PM, Thursday 10 AM

Thursday Afternoon Concurrent Sessions

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Archives

2022 Program Highlights

The 2022 Canadian Greenhouse Conference will bring the experts to you!

Thursday, October 6th,

Slide decks from the 2022 speaker program are now available.

Thursday Morning Concurrent Sessions

9:30 AM - 11:30 AM

New Tech IPM

9:30 AM - 11:00 AM

Garden Centre Retailing

9:30 AM - 11:30 AM

Vertical Farms

9:30 AM - 11:00 AM

Propagation

9:30 AM - 11:30 AM

Forward Thinking

9:30 AM - 11:30 AM

Sprayer Technology Workshop

Wednesday 10 AM & 2 PM, Thursday 10 AM

Thursday Afternoon Concurrent Sessions

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

New & Native Biocontrols

Garden Centre Retailing

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Research Updates

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Strawberry Production

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Cannabis Production

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Archives