Xiuming Hao

Research Scientist,
Agriculture &
Agri-Food Canada
Harrow, ON

 LED - 24-Hour Lighting in Greenhouse Vegetable Production

Artificial lighting is needed to supplement natural sunlight to allow successful production of greenhouse vegetables during the winter in Canada because of poor sunlight conditions. Yield and quality improvement by the supplemental light is mostly determined by the total amount of light supplemented during a day (daily light integral (DLI) – intensity x photoperiod).  Therefore, it would be more economical to use long photoperiod (up to 24-h) of low intensity lighting to supplement the desired DLI because it can reduce the capital cost for light fixtures, allow more efficient use of the heat released from the light fixtures (by spreading it over 24 h and contributing to heating during the night), and facilitate the application of blackout curtain to prevent light pollution. However, lighting longer than 17-h causes significant injury on greenhouse fruit vegetables.  In this presentation, Dr. Xiuming Hao will discuss newly discovered LED lighting strategies which allow for injury-free production of greenhouse tomatoes and cucumbers with 24-h (continuous) lighting. These strategies also have a great potential to reduce peak power demand and electricity costs, in addition to the benefits on reducing light fixture capital costs and light pollution and improving energy efficiency in year-round greenhouse vegetable production.

David Llewellyn

Research Associate, University of Guelph, ON

End of Day Lighting for Potted Crops

Our previous studies in growth chambers have indicated the potential for targeted spectrum treatments, when applied at low fluence rates outside of the assimilation photoperiod, to manipulate flowering responses of some crops.  A 2020 trial tested whether similar end-of-day (EOD) spectrum treatments could influence flowering in some greenhouse-grown potted floriculture crops from different photoperiod response groups.  Llewellyn presents the results of this 2020 trial and related trials from our lab and discusses potential commercial implications for the floriculture industry.

Roselynne Labbe

Research Scientist
Greenhouse Entomology,
Agriculture &
Agri-Food Canada
Harrow, ON

Like Moth to a Flame: How artificial lights affect arthropods in the greenhouse environment

Canada’s northerly latitude means that less than half the quantity of solar radiation reaching crops at the peak of summer, is delivered in the deep of winter. This massive difference has clear implications for greenhouse crop production, and along with the increasing number of vertical farms, is one of the main drivers of today’s use of artificial HPS and LED lights for protected crop production.  Despite this, little research to date has systematically examined how these new light environments can impact greenhouse crop protection – both the good bugs and the bad. We know light is important to arthropods, such as when moths are drawn to flames. But how important is it really to greenhouse pest management? In this session, we will discuss how light quality, quantity and duration can all affect individual insects as well as their populations and sometimes tip the balance towards achieving successful greenhouse pest management.  We will present findings from past and ongoing research that are now shaping the way we both select and apply biocontrol agents under artificial light environments and discuss where future research is needed to improve both year-round and vertical crop protection.

Dave Van Walleghem

Biosecurity Specialist,
Vetoquinol Canada Ltd.

Biosecurity - Helping Your Plants Thrive

Profit is the name of the game! This presentation gives you another investment tool with known paybacks. Proper cleaning and disinfecting reduce disease challenges from previous crops, allowing the new crop to save their resources for growth rather than challenging previous pathogens.

Justine Taylor

Science & Government Relations Manager,
Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers
Leamington, ON

Improving Growth & Nutrient Use with Beneficial Microorganisms in Substrate 

The addition of beneficial microorganisms to the growing substrate helps build a healthy microbial community in containerized plants.  This is similar to what probiotics do for the human digestive system.  This strategy of increasing the diversity of beneficial microorganisms improves the growing substrate environment and promotes beneficial plant-microbe interactions that create healthier, more resilient crops.  Data from trials at The Ohio State University will be presented to show the beneficial effects of both commercial products and novel bacterial isolates on growth promotion under low fertility stress.  

Vava Grbic

Associate Professor,
Western University, ON

Precision Agriculture - Development of Novel Tools for Crop Protection 

 One of the major impediments to global food security and sustainable crop production is the emergence of pesticide resistance which leads to an increase in pesticide applications and a reduction in crop yields. Among major agricultural pests, the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae (TSSM), is becoming particularly difficult to control. TSSM feeds on over 150 different agricultural crops worldwide and is notorious for its high potential to develop pesticide resistance. Our team is an international leader in TSSM genomics.

This knowledge is now mobilized for development of new approaches for the control of TSSM infestations by:

-Extending the useful life of existing pesticides.
-Developing new and different types of pesticides that are based on an RNAi gene silencing method.

Grbic will present strategies and current progress and will identify specific needs, support roles for IPM specialists and individual growers to help create sustainable, secure, environmentally friendly and economically competitive greenhouse production.