Grower of the Year uses innovative technologies to become first Canadian commercial LED winter pepper producer.
Editorial 4
Industry News 6
Building on the pandemic gardening boom 14 How 2022 – The Year of the Garden – is playing out at garden centres across Canada, after two years of unprecedented demand for decorative and foodproducing plants.
Inside View 38
20 24 28
For peat’s sake Peat is an ideal growing medium, and Canada has led the way in responsible production.
BY PETER MITHAM
CAST 2022, Part 2: Perennial Highlights
Many of the breeders visited at CAST have perennials in their stable of plant offerings.
BY RODGER TSCHANZ
Supplemental lighting
Some practical considerations when choosing lighting for greenhouse floriculture production.
BY DAVID LLEWELLYN AND DR. YOUBIN ZHENG
Gene Ingratta of Allegro Acres is the 2022 Grower of the Year. See page 8.
Photo by Tyler Adolphe from Cosmic Media.
Growing your network
As the new interim editor for Greenhouse Canada, I am very grateful to see the return of live events that offer opportunities to enjoy a beautiful summer outside.
Like many people these days, I am officially Zoom-ed out!
While I have been utilizing the various online meetings technologies that helped us through the thick of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, I have sorely missed the opportunity to be out face to face again with my fellow Canadians.
My first week as editor of this publication involved attending Grower Day and meeting some of the brilliant and interesting people in the industry. It was a ton of fun to be back chatting with people about interesting technologies and just listening to them speak passionately about their professions.
I’ve been a professional storyteller in the world of business-to-business publications for more than a decade and I’ve covered a wide variety of industries along the way. One thing that never gets old is watching and listening to people speak about the jobs they love.
Although covering some tradeshows can be exhausting and require a great deal of work, I always have a fun time running around the show floors, making connections with new friends and colleagues, and learning about the people, companies and technologies driving an industry forward.
I am very excited to do this as the editor for Greenhouse Canada
Around the time this issue finds its way into your hands, I will be checking out the Sawaya Garden Trials Open House in Waterford, Ont. Hopefully I will speak with some of you in person there.
If you’ve got the time and budget to drive south of the border this summer, there are a ton of
opportunities to check out industry events, including:
• American Society for Horticultural Science (July 30 to Aug, 3Chicago, Ill.);
If you’re looking to do the opposite and head overseas (hopefully your passport is up to date), then you could also check out IGCA 2022 (Aug. 28 to Sept. 2) in Amsterdam, Netherlands; or check out Salon du Végétal (Sept. 13 to 15) in Angers, France.
While the warmer is certainly a great time to get outside and network, don’t forget there are also some amazing Canadian fall events coming up including the annual Canadian Greenhouse Conference coming to Niagara Falls on Oct. 5 and 6; and the CiB National Symposium Awards in Victoria, B.C. on Oct. 19 and 20.
There will certainly be more opportunities for networking outside of these shows, so keep an eye out for more event announcements on Greenhouse Canada’s website.
All advertising is subject to the publisher’s approval. Such approval does not imply any endorsement of the products or services advertised. Publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising that does not meet the standards of the publication.
Cox Enterprises invests in Mucci Farms
Cox Enterprises has announced a significant investment in Mucci Farms, a 60-year industry leader with a network of thousands of acres of indoor grown fruits and vegetables. This strategic partnership is the next phase in Cox building a multibillion-dollar controlled environment agriculture (CEA) business and establishing Cox as one of the leading providers of sustainable produce across North America.
This transaction builds on Cox’s more than $1 billion investment in sustainable technologies since 2007. Mucci Farms expands Cox’s controlled environment agriculture business through a greater variety of sustainably grown produce and enhanced geographic reach. Mucci Farms supplies fresh produce to major retailers across Canada and the U.S. The industry leader has greenhouses in both countries with a dedicated team of more than 2,000 employees.
OSCIA ANNOUNCES NEW INITIATIVE
Ontario Soil & Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA) has announced a new initiative named Soil For Life, to help improve soil health and sustainable soil management.
The new initiative provides a framework for practical discussions, help make sense of best management practices, and make a lasting impact on the health of soil.
OSCIS is part of a group leading Soil
For Life. The group includes: Beef Farmers of Ontario; Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario; Conservation Ontario; Co-op Regionale (Thornloe/ New Liskeard); Farm and Food Care Ontario; Grain Farmers of Ontario; Grand River Conservation Authority; Ontario Federation of Agriculture; Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association; Ontario Soil & Crop Improvement
Greenhouse cucumbers ship plastic-free
With the help of Apeel Sciences, Westmoreland Topline Farms began shipping greenhouse grown cucumbers without plastic coverings to retailers in the U.S. and Canada starting in June 2022. Apeel and Westmoreland joined forces in 2021, and are launching commercial volumes of cucumbers free from single-use plastics for the first time in 35 years. Using materials that exist in peels, seeds, and pulp of all fruit and vegetables, Apeel creates a protective seal that keeps moisture in and oxygen out. This delays rot and maintains the cucumber’s colour and firmness –eliminating the need for single-use plastics. Working closely with Bandall Canada, Westmoreland developed a 100-per-cent recyclable paper replacement for the triple-wrapped cucumber value pack. This will negate the need for a second plastic over-wrap and allow the retailer to preserve their value pack items.
Association; Ontario Soil Network; Representatives from Ontario Certified Crop Advisors (CCAON); and Soils at Guelph Initiative.
Soil For Life focuses on five major principles to break down and simplify the complex concept of soil health and sustainability. These same principles appear in New Horizons – Ontario’s Soil Health and Conservation Strategy that was released in
2019 and will provide a framework for the conversation. They are:
• Build soil organic matter
• Diversify crops
• Minimize soil disturbance
• Keep living roots throughout the year
• Keep the soil covered
For more information, visit: ontariosoilhealth.ca.
BY THE NUMBERS
Greenhouse, sod and nursery industries, 2021 (Source: Statistics Canada)
Greenhouse vegetable and fruit sales $2 billion
Up 9.3 % from previous year
Greenhouse flower and plant sales and resales up 7.3% ($1.8 billion)
Nursery sales and resales up 4.2% in 2021 ($747.5 million)
Winterproofing peppers
Grower of the Year uses innovative technologies to become first Canadian commercial LED winter pepper producer.
BY ANDREW SNOOK
Gene Ingratta has been immersed in the world of greenhouses since he was a small child. Learning the trade from his parents as a young boy (who learned the trade from his grandparents), this third-generation grower remembers how different the industry was growing up in the 1980s.
“There were about 400 acres of greenhouses in southern Ontario. The farms were a fraction of the size they are today,” Gene recalls.
Growing up, he says three acres was a decentsized farm, and it would cost about $150,000 an acre to build.
“They were eight-feet-tall. The vents and heating were manually operated by pulling on a chain, and
ABOVE
the plants grew right in the soil with straw coverings to help retain moisture. They were irrigated by a little sled connected to a garden hose that was pulled from one end of the row to the other.”
Gene recalls spending a good part of his youth harvesting tomatoes by hand in wooden crates and making cardboard boxes by hand to pack the product in manually.
“We produced half as much as we do today and got paid twice as much. Today, southern Ontario boasts around 3,500 acres of greenhouses and is continuously expanding. Thirty acres is now the new starting acreage for most agro parks, with several facilities having well over 100 acres,” he says.
Gene Ingratta converted Allegro Acres to growing solely bell peppers yearround. It is the first Canadian greenhouse operation to grow bell peppers commercially in the winter using LED technology.
ABOVE
Currently, it costs about $1.8 million an acre to build a state-of-the-art facility with 24-foot-tall glass ranges with vents, heating and hydroponic irrigation systems that are now fully automated and controlled by climate computers right from growers’ smartphones.
The harvesting is still done by hand, but automation is knocking on that door, Gene notes.
“Packing facilities now encompass a couple acres of space and are filled with cutting-edge technology, robotics and automation to help keep us efficient, sustainable and competitive. Today,
production has doubled and tripled what it used to be, but market pricing is much more competitive,” he says.
BRANCHING OUT
In 1998, while finishing up his agricultural studies at the University of Guelph, Gene started having discussions with his parents, Nick and Margaret, about building a new farm in Ruthven, Ont.
“First thing we needed was a name and back then we couldn’t Google information, so I bought an ItalianEnglish dictionary and started leafing through it,” Gene recalls. “I didn’t have
to look long until I saw ‘allegro’ in the first few pages, which in English means ‘Happy, cheerful,’ and so, Allegro Acres was born.”
Fresh out of university, Gene was eager to put his education to work and continue his parents’ legacy.
“After months of preparation, planning, and paperwork, construction finally began on our first phase of six acres in the spring of 1999, and in early 2000, we planted our first crop of tomatoes. Without the support and guidance of my parents, Allegro wouldn’t exist, and I wouldn’t be where I am today,” Gene says.
Gene Ingratta, a third-generation grower, poses with his son, Maverick, and his father, Nick Ingratta, among some of the many pepper plants growing at Allegro Acres.
PHOTOS BY TYLER ADOLPHE FROM COSMIC MEDIA.
RIGHT
After finishing up his agricultural studies at the University of Guelph, Gene Ingratta was eager to put his education to work and continue his parents’ legacy by building a new farm in Ruthven, Ont.
LED LEADER
Up until 2018, Allegro Acres focused on growing tomatoes and peppers, but after installing high-level pepper packing automation, and with the threat of the tomato brown rugose fruit virus looming, Gene and his team decided to convert the entire farm to growing solely bell peppers.
In the summer of 2019, a newsletter from the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers (OGVG) was sent out with an opportunity to install LED’s from a new Canadian company. Allegro Acres, eager to try new things, embraced the opportunity and took on the daunting task of installing dynamic LED lighting in one of their phases. This has allowed Allegro to become the first Canadian greenhouse operation to grow bell peppers commercially in the winter using LED technology.
“Using artificial light is an entirely different way of growing crops. You must educate yourself on what micromoles and DLI means and what your target levels need to be at every stage of the crop so you’re not over-lighting,” he says. “You need to learn how to manage your environment while being a good neighbour, and not letting any light escape from your greenhouse at night. You need to become an expert in electricity peaks and usage while understanding the associated costs, so you know when to keep the lights on or off.”
With all of that in mind and with very little information available on growing peppers under lights, this was the reason Gene and his team decided to install LED fixtures from Sollum Technologies out of Montreal.
“It was important to us to support a Canadian company and we wanted to have the most flexibility possible in lighting spectrums and intensities, as we didn’t know what types of challenges we would be facing growing peppers through the winter,” Gene says. “With the help and support of OMAFRA, OGVG, AAFC, AAC, SDTC, Save on Energy and the IESO, we were able to install
these fixtures in one of our phases and develop a base line for growing peppers under lights. Now, with a couple years of experience under our belts, and with the capabilities of these fixtures, we’re changing our spectrums based on time of year and different varietal needs, while the intensity dynamically changes based on solar radiation and electricity pricing.”
EFFICIENCY IS KEY
One of the key factors in Gene’s success over the years is his willingness to implement the latest technologies to
optimize sustainability, operational efficiencies, and pest management. He says that being efficient is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity.
“After the pepper weevil pandemic in 2016, we installed insect netting from Holland Gaas B.V. on all our vents and openings to prevent and limit weevil and other major pests and diseases from entering our premises. We also started working with Ecoation to monitor and mitigate pest and disease pressure and to be much more proactive with our IPM strategies. Both of these technologies have
helped keep our production up and our input costs low,” he says. “This past year, we installed new energy screens and light abatement screens from Svensson, which has helped reduce energy usage by 40 per cent, keep a more homogenous climate and prevent any artificial light from escaping the greenhouse at night.”
Just recently, Allegro Acres also installed a high-pressure fogging system from MJ Tech Inc.
“With our weather patterns getting warmer and drier, this system has really enabled us to keep our growing conditions at an optimal level no matter what Mother Nature throws at us,” Gene says. “It has given us the opportunity to keep the greenhouse temperature and humidity at very comfortable levels, keeping our crops and employees very happy and efficient. In my opinion, this system is now as important as an irrigation system.”
COVID CONSTRAINTS
Skilled labour shortages have been felt in almost every sector across Canada since the start of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, and the greenhouse industry is no exception.
“It’s always hard to find good people that want to put in the time and effort it takes to succeed in any business, the greenhouse industry being no different,” Gene says. “It was hard before the pandemic, but COVID brought on all types of new headaches and challenges. Our industry is very reliant on the temporary foreign worker program, and without these hardworking men and women, our industry wouldn’t exist.”
Once COVID-19 hit and travel restrictions became the norm, greenhouse operators had to become experts in international travel rules and regulations, hotel bookings, quarantining, vaccination polices, local municipal laws, provincial and federal laws, all of which seemed to change every day making things extremely challenging, Gene notes.
“Many times, a lot of us were ready to throw in the towel, but the show must go on, as we want and need to continue providing Canadians with fresh local produce year-round,” he says. “Like always, the entire industry rose to the challenge, overcame it and we’re all better growers and operators because of it. I owe a special thanks to our HR manager Amy Cochrane-Knotek, our labour
LEFT
Gene believes in giving back to the local community. Every year, Allegro Acres donates peppers to those in need and sponsors local youth sports teams and municipal events.
manager Jacky Garcia, and especially our farm manager, Eusebio Fortuna, who never faltered in the face of adversity and really helped to keep things afloat during those very difficult times.”
Another set of challenges created by the pandemic are the massive supply chain issues being felt around the globe.
“The supply chain issues have caused extreme delays and incredible increases to all our input costs, with every single one rising from five to 100 per cent more than it was just a year ago. This year, greenhouse farmers will see an extra $15,000 to $30,000 per acre in operating costs due to this unbearable inflation. We must be more efficient, sustainable, and productive as ever, and pray for some help and relief from the marketplace and our governments,” Gene says.
GIVING BACK
Gene believes in giving back to the local community that has supported him over the years. Every year, Allegro donates to those in need, whether it be donating peppers to shelters, retirement homes, schools, hospitals and health clinics, to sponsoring local youth sports teams and municipal events.
“Our community has done a lot for us, so it’s important to us to try to give back whenever possible,” Gene says.
Gene also contributes to Canada’s greenhouse industry on a larger scale. He works with the University of Windsor on experiments, data collection, energy and water conservation, and much more. He has also participated in virtual meetings with professors and students to teach and advise.
When asked what advice he would offer to a young person that is considering a career in the greenhouse industry, Gene’s answer is “balance.”
“The key to success at any job is finding the right life-towork balance, but plants don’t take days off and there’s no such thing as statutory holidays in farming,” he says. “The greenhouse industry is moving, changing, and growing faster than ever. If you like being at the forefront of evolution and watching technology make a real difference in how we all grow, produce, package, market and distribute fresh local food to the rest of the world, then this could be the perfect career path for you.”
Gene adds that if you’re looking to start up your own greenhouse company, you better be prepared.
“Make sure you’re very well financed, prepared, organized and educated. Never stop learning or asking questions, and always be proactive instead of reactive,” he says.
As for winning Greenhouse Canada’s Grower of the Year award, Gene says the distinction should go to more people than just himself.
“While I’m extremely humbled and grateful for this recognition, this really is a Team Allegro award, including my parents, my family, Amy and Maverick, our outstanding employees and all the suppliers we work with,” he says. “Given what every grower, owner and employee in the industry continually endures, especially over the past two years, everyone deserves an award acknowledging their amazing achievements.”
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BUILDING ON THE pandemic gardening boom
How 2022 – The Year of the Garden – is playing out at garden centres across Canada, after two years of unprecedented demand for decorative and food-producing plants.
BY TREENA HEIN
The 2020 season was a crazy one at garden centres in Canada and beyond. Due to spending so much time at home during the pandemic, people were keen to beautify their outdoor spaces but also wanted to try their hands at growing some fruit, veggies and herbs. The unprecedented demand for shrubs, trees, perennials, annuals and vegetable seedlings continued into 2021 – but how does the current level of demand in 2022 compare to the past two seasons?
In two words: very strong.
Brian Minter, a landscaping writer and broadcaster in B.C., reports that in that province, in spite of a record cold, wet spring, most of the
industry is humming along, albeit not at the pace of 2021.
“There’s still a strong presence of Millennials who are eager to learn and grow, especially about herbs and perennials,” he reports.
“Participation of young males is growing, and they are great to work with. Boomers are still present but they’re spending less.”
Ben Cullen, who (along with his father Mark Cullen) is a well-known gardening industry author, notes that 2022 may be bolstered because it’s the official ”Year of the Garden” as declared by the Canadian Garden Council and recognized in the House of Commons this past March.
“Red is the official colour, which
I am planting in celebration,” he says. “In keeping with the theme, we like Vineland’s Canadian Shield rose which is a deep red, repeat-blooming and lowmaintenance landscape rose that is hardy virtually everywhere in Canada.”
NATURE’S BEST
Although inclusion of native plants in Canadian flowerbeds has been a strong trend for years, Cullen says demand is now gaining steam. “Hardcore native plant gardeners are becoming more selective about plant varieties and origins, demanding local seed-sourced plant material wherever possible,” he notes.
At Sheridan Nurseries in Georgetown, Ont., native species, pollinator-friendly and low-maintenance plants are all trending.
“We had a number of guests looking for trilliums in the early spring and that demand for Ontario native varieties has continued into early summer with guests looking for Soloman’s Seal, Perennial Geranium and Native
Grasses,” reports Sheridan’s director of marketing Victoria Mulvale.
Jon Peter, curator at Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington, Ont., agrees that native species and nativars (cultivars of native species) are gaining in popularity. He says that Baptisia, Asclepias, Eutrochium, Pycnanthemum
The House of Commons unanimously adopted a motion to officially make 2022 Year of the Garden.
and Monarda are all great for pollinators and drought-tolerant as well. Peter adds that “sedges (Carex sp.) are also getting hot and being produced in greater quantities. There are many variegated forms of Eurasian sedges that have been popular in the past, but I see the trend of using sedges in the landscape
moving more towards the plethora of sedges native to North America. These adaptable species also provide significant ecosystem benefits.”
He adds that the Perennial Plant Association’s “2022 Perennial Plant of the Year” is native to many parts of North America: Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium). He describes it as “a tough and dependable clumping grass that plays well with other perennials” and also serves as a larval host for a variety of butterflies and moths such as crossline skipper, Dakota skipper and Ottoe skipper. Cullen agrees that this plant’s clumps integrate well in flowering perennial beds, providing blue foliage in summer and copper-red into the fall.
OVERALL COLOUR TRENDS
Neons are really hot right now, says Felicia Vandervelde, regional account manager for Canada and product development manager at PanAmerican Seed.
“Anything vibrant and tropical that would catch your eye, like magentas, hot
pinks, shimmery purples,” she says. “We call this ‘drive-by colour.’ Several of our new introductions have this effect, like our Solarscape Interspecific Impatiens in Magenta Bliss, or the Jolt Dianthus in Purple. They are versatile and durable plants that can handle all kinds of light exposures.”
Peter notes that hot yellow, orange and reds are being combined with softer pastels in blues, pinks and purples. And for multiple colours on one plant, gardeners are interested in new cultivars of perennials of the genus Amsonia which have white, silver and light blue flowers or yellow-gold-orange hues with stem colours in purple/ black. Examples include Amsonia tabernaemontana ‘Storm Cloud’ and Amsonia ‘Butterscotch.’
At Sheridan Nurseries, however, white is the most popular colour in annuals this year. “It pairs so nicely with green for a clean, fresh landscape,” says Mulvale. “Lots of demand specifically for white geraniums, Mandeville and New Guinea impatiens. White is followed by purple, blue and pale pink. Green in general is also trendy with an increased demand for foliage annuals.”
Minter has also noted that foliage in annuals is very important among 2022’s garden centre shoppers. “There’s been a huge upswing,” he says, “particularly in coleus, focal points and spillers.”
PERENNIALS AND SHRUBS
Gardeners continue to love perennials more than ever, with the continuing new introductions of new colours and patterns, longer-lasting blooms and greater hardiness.
“In terms of multi-function plants that smell and look great,” says Mulvale, “lavender has been gaining in popularity over the past few years. As fast as we can bring it in from our farms it is selling right off the racks before it hits the benches. Guests seem to associate lavender with better living.”
Sheridan customers are also requesting shade-tolerant perennials this year, specifically vines, but also want roses and Hydrangeas. The company now offers a new Hydrangea called Game Changer, a vigorous grower that stands up well to tough
Euonymus Emerald Gaiety.
Hydrangea GameChanger Picotee.
Canada Shield Rose.
PHOTO: VINELAND RESEARCH AND INNOVATION CENTRE.
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weather and has big, bold blooms from spring to fall.
Peter is also seeing Hostas regaining popularity.
“This may be due to the new forms being introduced from giants to miniatures and also more recent hybridization efforts have introduced Hosta with hints of red/purple in the stems and into the leaves, adding a whole new colour palette for shade gardens. Here at Royal Botanical Gardens, we’ve recently added red forms like Hosta ‘Cherry Berry’ and ‘Raspberry Sundae’ to our collection,” he explains.
Minter also reports that Hosta sales are strong in B.C. In fact, the strongest he’s ever seen. He and his colleagues are also seeing a love affair between customers and old-fashioned plants like foxgloves.
However, he adds that, “ever since late last summer, there has been a significant drop in all tropical sales. Prices of rare and unusual tropicals are dropping dramatically.”
But tropical plants remain very popular at Sheridan’s locations, especially Bird of paradise, fuscia
standards, hibiscus standards and bromeliads.
On the shrubs front, Peter notes that as many people are gardening in small spaces, there is demand for dwarf and fastigiate forms.
“An amazing array of dwarf conifers are available which can be easily grown in containers on a patio or balcony,” he says, “and will provide interest year round.”
Cedars, especially hedging cedars, are also popular. “Euonymus, specifically the Emerald Gaiety euonymus,” says Mulvale, “is a fastgrowing and dense evergreen with leaves that are green with white edges and can take on a pink tinge from November to April, which speaks to the trend of interesting foliage. Tall, narrow columnar beech and oak trees are also popular for smaller yards. Also anything with a bit of leaf colour is being requested more. Lime or black Elderberry and variegated Weigela are examples here.”
VEGETABLE VIBE
Cullen notes that after many new gardeners have tried food gardening over
Munstead Lavender.
the last two years of the pandemic, it’s now becoming more sophisticated with gardeners getting into seed saving, raised beds, and organic practices.
Mulvale agrees that the grow-yourown food movement remains strong, but this year is dominated by fruit, especially berry bushes, grapes, rhubarb – and ‘fruit salad trees’ which have a variety of four fruits on one tree.
Peter sees many gardeners incorporating plants like parsley, dwarf tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, herbs, and others into their ornamental container plantings or mixed within perennial garden beds. “Some are even devoting all of their space in containers to producing fresh veggies or experimenting with growing these crops vertically in their spaces,” he says.
Indeed, to help those people who need to grow food in small spaces or even indoors, PanAmerican Seed recently released a full line of compact vegetables called Kitchen Minis that can be grown and finished in a 4 to 8-inch pot. “This means the consumer can buy them already finished and harvest off the plants for four to six weeks,” says Vandervelde. “Key varieties are Tomato Siam, Tomato Red Velvet, Sweet Pepper Fresh Bites, Hot Pepper Burrito and Hot Pepper Taquito.” She adds that “trending now are unique vegetables
like striped sweet peppers (Candy Cane Chocolate Cherry and Candy Cane Red), unique-looking hot peppers (Mad Hatter) and last but not least, the new Tomato Sun Dipper that has an oblong shape perfect for dipping in ranch and crudité sauces.”
On the herb front, PanAmerican Seed recently released a new Genovese Basil called Everleaf Emerald Towers, which is a columnar basil that flowers 10 to 12 weeks later than typical basil.
“This means gardeners can have a three-season basil rather than having to replace it after it blooms and goes bitter,” says Vandervelde. “We also just released Everleaf Thai Towers, which also blooms later than standard Thai basil and is great in so many Asian dishes. Both of these basils can serve double duty as they perform great in mixed containers along with sun-loving annual flowers. They add the upright component to patio pots or even garden beds.”
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MOVING FORWARD with preventative strategies
Peat is an ideal growing medium, and Canada has led the way in responsible production.
BY PETER MITHAM
Peatlands cover approximately 13 per cent of Canada, the result of millennia of sphagnum moss accumulating layer by layer in the country’s wetlands. A rich source of organic matter for horticulture in Canada and abroad, peat has natural water-holding characteristics and a porosity that allow it to regulate water levels in the boreal forest and make it an ideal soil amendment and substrate in horticultural systems.
Canada harvests approximately 12.3 million cubic metres (435 million cubic feet) of peat annually, with 70 per cent used by commercial growers. It’s the most common substrate for producing starter plants of field crops including broccoli, cabbage and lettuce as well as ornamental plants. Peat is also the standard substrate for medicinal cannabis growers and the seedlings used for reforestation.
Global demand is also strong. Canada exported $727.6 million worth of horticultural peat last year, making it the world’s largest supplier. Shipments to the U.S. accounted for 96 per cent of export value and approximately 85 per cent of the volume; Japan, Mexico, Australia and South Korea completed the top five markets.
But the country’s peatlands also represent a potent carbon sink, with some estimates suggesting 30 to 70 kg of carbon in every cubic metre (up to 4.4 pounds per cubic foot). When it comes to carbon sequestration, peatlands are widely acknowledged as richer than the equivalent area of old-growth forest. Disturbing peatlands also releases nitrous oxide, a more potent contributor to climate change than carbon dioxide. This has led some to say the environmental impacts associated with the use of peat outweigh the benefits, especially in the face of escalating global temperatures.
“Canada has a lot of peat and peatlands. We’re not in danger of running out of peat, but that doesn’t make its use sustainable,” says Mike Bomford, a professor in sustainable agriculture and food systems at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Richmond, B.C., and a fellow with the Post Carbon Institute in Corvallis, Ore. “At a time when we are scrambling to develop technology to pull carbon from the atmosphere and store it permanently underground, we need to appreciate that peat bogs have been doing exactly
Canada harvests approximately 12.3 million cubic metres of peat annually, with 70 per cent used by commercial growers.
that, naturally, for millions of years. They can continue this process if left wet and undisturbed. When we drain and mine peatlands we reverse the process.”
LOW PROFILE, GROWING CONCERN
Yet peat has a low profile for most consumers, who seldom see the media in which their food and plants are grown unless they’re visiting nurseries and garden centres. It’s also a minor concern for growers in terms of reducing carbon emissions –heating and transportation are much larger targets.
PHOTO:
But this doesn’t mean the use of peat isn’t a concern, largely as a result of new protocols in Europe where very few peatlands remain undisturbed. Peat was mined for fuel long before it became common in horticulture, and the draining of peatlands has opened vast tracts of land for agriculture and urban development. This in turn has opened the door to decomposition, making the EU the second-largest source of carbon emissions from drained peatlands in the world after Indonesia.
“They don’t have any pristine peatlands left, so there’s a movement there to move away from harvesting peat to ensure that peatlands are maintained and they’re able to restore their peatlands,” says Asha Hingorani, president of the Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association, which represents Canada’s peat industry.
The situation in Canada is quite different, she says. While every province has peatlands, the majority have not been mined. Disturbances have been primarily the result of urbanization and industrial development, which together have claimed hundreds of thousands of acres. Peat extraction for horticulture accounts for just 34,000 hectares, primarily in Quebec, followed by Manitoba and New Brunswick.
But taking note of emerging concerns in Europe, the industry in Canada began thinking in the early 1990s about ways to better manage its operations.
“The industry saw what was happening in the EU and said, ‘We really need to do something about this,’” Hingorani says.
GLOBAL LEADERSHIP
Traditionally, peat extraction involves draining the peatland, allowing the peat to be mined – today, it’s typically vacuumed rather than cut – and packaged. Commercial producers tend to focus on tracts of at least 50 hectares and a peat thickness of 2 metres or more, and even then tend to leave at least a half-metre of peat remaining following harvest.
But beginning in the early 1990s, research at Université Laval under Line Rochefort began exploring how to mitigate the effects of peat extraction and remediate disturbed peatlands. The team developed the moss layer transfer technique, which involves the reintroduction of moss and other site-appropriate plant species to ensure biodiversity. A near-natural carbon balance can be achieved within 10 to 15 years of restoration efforts, while peatlands’ role in regulating the water table can be restored within 15 to 20 years.
Restoration is now mandated under the peat extraction licences harvesters receive following an extensive, seven-year approval process. It’s also part of the VeriFlora certification system for peat producers. In 2016, producers initiated the National Peatland Restoration Initiative and are on track for restoration of the country’s mined peatlands by 2031.
“When you’re done with the land you have to restore it, whereas in Europe that’s not the case,” Hingorani says. “We know that we can bring those peatlands back to essentially the level they were before in about 15 years.”
The moss layer transfer technique is now being adopted in Europe, where peatlands have typically been mined more aggressively than in Canada, where the typical practice is to leave a half-metre coverage.
“Europe is now looking to us, because we’re the stewards of the science,” Hingorani says.
PROACTIVE POLICIES
Researcher Maria Strack, a professor and Canada Research Chair in the Department of Geography and Environmental Management at the University of Waterloo, has worked with the peat industry on remediation projects in the past and agrees. While peatlands account for just 0.2% of greenhouse gas emissions in Canada, the industry’s proactive role has helped it stay ahead of concerns. “The industry itself in Canada has been very proactive in developing restoration practices and applying those restoration practices as well,” she says.
But action shouldn’t lead to complacence, she adds.
“[Peat extraction] does emit greenhouse gases. It does disturb peatlands. Does it disturb a lot of peatlands in Canada? No. Does it emit a lot of greenhouse gases in Canada? No,” she says. “I don’t think that’s necessarily a reason not to do anything about peat extraction or not to think about alternatives.”
BVB Substrates, a Dutch company that produces substrates for soilless growing systems in partnership with the Finnish company Kekkilä, is among them. BVB product manager Bart Verheijen notes that air penetration, water-holding capacity and the ability to maintain a stable pH are all important criteria in substrates, and peat is consequently the single-largest component of many of the company’s substrates.
But consumers won’t support growers who use materials that damage the environment, Verheijen says. BVB Substrates has
therefore committed itself to sustainably sourced peat and peatland restoration.
“We want to manage our peatlands in the most responsible way possible. First of all we don’t go to the unspoiled peatlands. We are going to peatlands that have already been used,” he said. “We actually want to bring these peatlands back to a better state than when we found them and, through a renaturalization of these peatlands, we want to trigger the absorption of carbon dioxide again.”
But it’s also working with peat alternatives, including coco coir (also known as coco peat, because it’s derived from coconut husks) and perlite, a permeable volcanic rock. Wood is another alternative.
Coco coir allows good air circulation
patterns, governments and industry are more cautious when it comes to expanding operations.
“There is a concern, or an awareness, that the opening of a new site in Canada is going to disturb what is a relatively pristine site right now,” Strack says.
Europe has prohibited extraction from undisturbed sites in favour of disturbed peatlands. This makes use of an existing resource rather than initiating new damage. Combined with peatland
restoration and systems of paludiculture (crop production on wet soils, especially peatlands), the approach aims to work in harmony with peatlands and restore their natural function in the interest of restoring balance to the ecosystem.
Peatland restoration in turn allows peat reserves to rebuild, accumulating at a rate of 1 mm a year.
“We can return the function, but the process of peat accumulation is a longterm process,” Strack says.
SUNPATIEN S
impacts of the growing medium they choose to use.”
It’s this awareness that will challenge the industry. Knowing that peat harvesting contributes even slightly to more variable and extreme weather
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CAST 2022, Part 2: Perennial Highlights
Many of the breeders visited have perennials in their stable of plant offerings
BY RODGER TSCHANZ
Many of the breeders visited at CAST have perennials in their stable of plant offerings. All the perennials I’m going to talk about in this article are first-year flowering and can perform doubleduty as long-flowering container plants that can be planted in the landscape. Winter hardiness will vary with cultivar and if present, the Hardiness Zones listed will be from the USDA scale, since that is the information that is readily available.
Achillea millefolium
New to the Skysail series from Dummen Orange is a yellow colour. Skysail yarrows produce many small diameter inflorescences instead of one large inflorescence as is typical with A. millefolium. When Skysail blossoms fade, they do so in a pleasing fashion without developing a “dirty” greybrown colour.
Delphinium
The Delgenius series from Pacific Plug & Liner
ABOVE
Achillea Skysail Yellow
(PP&L) has three new colours. The earliest to bloom in the group is Blue Fabulosa, Neva has a pure white bloom and Chantay a pink bloom. This series is available for fall or spring planting from a 72 liner. This series is propagated in tissue culture and is known for its sturdy plant and free branching. Hardy to Zone 3.
Darwin Perennials has a showstopper of a delphinium with its new Red Lark release. Its bloom is a coral red in colour. The flower’s stalks are very sturdy indicating the ability to handle shipping well. Above all, this cultivar is unique looking and captured my attention even in the pouring rains as I toured the Darwin display at CAST.
With seed-produced delphiniums we have a new colour in the Delphina series from ThinkPlants/Syngenta Flowers. White with Black Bee with a white flower and a black central tuft of petals that with a little imagination can be said to be in the shape of a bee.
Grow with the pros
Luke Den Haan
Den Haan Greenhouses, Lawrencetown, Nova Scotia
“Several years ago, I traveled to Delphy in Holland and it opened my eyes to the idea of using LED technology for winter production. We decided to go with the best on the market, Philips LEDs. In 2020, we installed Philips LED toplighting over our cucumber crop and Philips toplighting and a single row of Philips interlighting in our tomato crop. The production forecasts have worked out exactly as Signify predicted with a 40% increase. And growing under LEDs took out the peaks and dips in our production. We are very satisfied with the results of growing under Philips LED lighting.”
Ho
Dianthus
Greenfuse Botanicals has introduced a new hardy dianthus called Constant Cadence Potpourri that produces multi-coloured blooms (fuschia, rose, pink) from just one plant that looks good from bud break through to senescence. It is hardy to Zone 4.
Echinacea
Darwin Perennial’s Sombrero Poco series is the compact cousin of the Sombrero we are familiar with. This year red, hot pink and white colours join hot coral to help fill out this series. For crop scheduling, it can easily finish in a 1-gal. pot in one week. Hardiness: Zones 4 to 9
Kieft Seed has released a yellow colour for its Artisan F1 series of seed propagated echinacea. Soft Orange and
Red Ombre are already in the marketplace. In the pipeline are white, burgundy, deeper red and scarlet. Release dates for these latter colours will depend upon seed availability. This series has better branching over the OP cultivars in the marketplace. You can expect a seed germination rate of at least 85 per cent.
Benary introduced the seed propagated PollyNation Mix echinacea last year; this was a blend of different colours. This year the individual colours have been separated out into individual seed lots that include yellow, pink shades, orange/ red, magenta and white. PollyNation seed is treated with Benary’s new BeGeen technology, which means the seed priming method is free of micro-plastics and chemicals. In case you were wondering, the “Polly” in the name is a reference to the pollinator friendliness of this plant.
Echibeckia
This unusual plant name arises from the intergeneric cross between Rudbeckia and Echinacea. It may be a stretch to call this plant type a perennial in Canada, but I have heard of successful overwintering in Zone 6 locations. In the Guelph trial locations (Zone 5), this plant has not overwintered reliably. That said, there is no denying that this plant has an amazing floral presence in containers. The Summerina series from Pacific Plug and Liner has a wide variety of showy cultivars. New this year are Summerina Swoop and Dizz. Before now, this series was only known for its large showy, single blooms in shades of yellow, orange and brown. Swoop and Dizz have smaller, semi-double flowers with lemon, peach and red shades hinting some coloration hinting at its Echinacea genetic roots. The vigor is suitable for finishing in a 10- to 12-in. pot.
Gaillardia
Dummen Orange has added a new colour to its Spin Top series: mango. Spin Top gaillardia have been trialled for multiple years in Zone 3 as well as Zone 9 and can survive both extremes. The Copper Sun Mariachi gaillardia with it pleated petals has been rebranded to Mariachi and more colours in that flower form will be introduced soon.
Iberis
White Shadow is new from Dummen Orange and is said to have the largest inflorescence diameter of its type in the marketplace. It has a pure white blossom colour with bloom naturally occurring in early spring. It has a mounding habit and is perfect for quart- or gallon-sized containers. Hardiness: Zones 3 to 9.
Lithodora diffusa
New from ThinkPlants/Syngenta Flowers is Lithodora Tidepool Sky Blue. This spring blooming perennial is hardy from Zones 5 to 9. The flower is a true-blue colour with a tidy growth habit and bloom coverage over the entire plant without developing the centre bare spot that is common with this species.
Penstemon
New to the Pristine penstemon series from Dummen Orange are three new colours: Nightshade, Princess Pink and Primrose. This series is an attention getter with its broad range of colours and the pollinators love it, too! It has a compact branching and first year flowering habit that can easily fill a gallon container from a spring cutting.
Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii
Goldblitz from Kieft Seed is one to two weeks earlier finishing than Goldstrum and has a higher bud count as well. It is first year flowering from seed (85 per cent germ) and growers can finish this crop under natural daylength conditions. Hardiness: Zones 3 to 9.
Of course, there were many more new perennials presented at CAST than what I showcased here. I encourage you to search the catalogues of the breeders listed here to learn about their other offerings. One thing that is clear to me is that the breeders are doing an amazing job of developing perennials that are versatile for use in containers and the landscape and for forcing for unusual seasons of production. The next and final article in the CAST2022 series will focus on edibles. Thank you to Greenhouse Canada magazine and Ball Horticulture for their support on this CAST trip.
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SUPPLEMENTAL lighting
Some practical considerations when choosing lighting for greenhouse floriculture production.
BY DAVID LLEWELLYN AND DR. YOUBIN ZHENG
BELOW
Electrical lighting technologies have been used for decades for supplementing PAR during periods of low natural lighting to increase photosynthesis and growth.
How plants use light and how cultivators use supplemental lighting
Plants utilize their lighting environments in three main ways: 1) as the source of photosynthetic energy (i.e., PAR, 400-700nm) that drives plant growth, 2) as timing cues that moderate different life phases (e.g., germination, transition from vegetative to flowering), and 3) as environmental cues that modify plant structure to optimize the capture and utilization of PAR.
Through a complex array of photoreceptors, plants can sense the light intensity [e.g.., photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD), daily light integral (DLI)], photoperiod, and spectral quality and respond in ways to optimize their chances of survival and reproductive success. Greenhouse growers can manipulate the lighting environment to leverage the fundamental ecological characteristics of their commodities to produce flowering plants with preferred structure, size, and flowering responses.
Electric lighting technologies have been used for decades for supplementing PAR (i.e., assimilation lighting) during periods of low natural lighting to increase photosynthesis and growth. Low intensity electric lighting are also used to manipulate the timing of flowering responses in photoperiodic crops – either for promoting or delaying flowering – using strategies such as
PHOTO BY DAVID LLEWELLYN, UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH.
day extension and night interruption. Some cultivators also propagate crops in high-density indoor nursery systems; these systems rely entirely on electric lighting technologies as the sole source of PAR.
Contemporary and modern horticultural lighting technologies
High pressure sodium (HPS) lighting has been the standard electric lighting technology for assimilation lighting in greenhouses for decades, normally providing canopy PAR levels ranging from 50 to 200 µmol·m-2∙s-1. Since photoperiod signals require much lower intensity levels, incandescent and compact fluorescent bulbs have often been used for photoperiodic lighting. The high cropping density (often multi-layer) and low light levels required in sole-source propagation systems have traditionally used fluorescent tube lighting.
The popularity of horticultural light emitting diode (LED) technologies continues to grow exponentially due to their promise of high efficiency, long life, dimmability, and spectrum tuneability. This article will discuss some of the most likely scenarios where the special capabilities of LED technologies could be best leveraged to replace legacy technologies in plant production systems, especially floriculture production systems. Some critical and practical considerations will help growers in choosing the optimum lighting for their operations.
Supplemental lighting in propagation: Light spectrum may not be that important
While it comprises a small component overall production area, propagation can have a disproportionately large influence on
LEFT
Comparing different LED spectrums (foreground) with HPS (background) for the production of potted ornamentals.
finished crop quality because they start with healthy transplants. Therefore, propagation is an important component of your business to focus on when considering supplemental lighting.
We have conducted lighting research, both in greenhouses and indoor environments, that investigated the effects of light spectrum on stock plants, vegetative propagation, and seed germination of floriculture crops as well as spectrum and intensity experiments on leafy vegetables (e.g., microgreens, pea shoots) and cannabis.
Supplemental lighting from both HPS and LED improve rooting of cuttings, however there was little evidence to distinguish between spectrums for the production of rooted cuttings in greenhouse environments. While spectrum effects are more common in indoor environments, we found that these effects are greatly muted in greenhouses. The natural light imposes a strong spectrum dilution making it difficult to induce spectrum responses. From the results of these studies, combined with our previous studies on LED vs. HPS in cut flower production and many other studies by other research groups (e.g., Llewellyn et al., 2020a; Martineau et al., 2012; Poel and Runkle, 2017) we conclude that using LED and HPS technologies in greenhouses should result in similar production outcomes in terms of crop size and quality.
Energy efficiency of LED vs HPS
The question of what lighting is best for a given production facility may boil down to fixture costs (over their lifetime) and energy usage. For an equivalent photon flux, the purchase price of HPS technologies is still definitely cheaper than LEDs, however the price gap continues to narrow. Rebate programs are available in many jurisdictions to help offset the cost of energyefficient LED technologies. Where LEDs can outcompete HPS is the lifetime cost; or the so-called return on investment (ROE).
With the broad variety of form factors of different horticultural lighting technologies, it is important to standardize their overall efficiency for converting electricity into PAR to ensure direct comparisons are being made. This parameter is called efficacy, which has units of µmol·J-1.
Recent advances have improved HPS efficacy by about 60 per cent since the turn of the century (Nelson and Bugbee, 2014). Modern double-ended HPS fixtures with electronic ballasts can achieve efficacies of around 1.7 µmol·J-1 (Radetsky, 2018) which is close to the maximum achievable efficacy of HPS technology.
In contrast, LED efficacy is still rapidly increasing. Most horticultural LEDs are combinations of three LED types: blue (B, peaking in the 450nm range), red (R, peaking in the 660nm range) and white (W) LEDs which are B LEDs plus a yellow phosphor layer that broadens the emitted wavelengths. The spectrum from all white LEDs have a B peak followed by a much broader peak in the green (G, 500-600nm) and R wavebands. Figure 1 shows the spectrum of two types of W LEDs. The 5000 K “cool” LED has less phosphor conversion, thus a relatively larger B peak than the 3000 K “warm” LED.
PHOTO BY DAVID LLEWELLYN, UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH.
Naturally, internal losses in white LEDs reduce their efficacy below the base B LED – normally the large the B peak in the W LED spectrum, the higher the efficacy. The more general trend for LED efficacy is R > B > W, partly because R photons contain about 30 per cent less energy than B, thus less electrical energy is needed to produce R vs. B photons. However, due to the ubiquity of B LEDs in white occupant lighting applications, B and W LEDs are often several times cheaper than R LEDs.
FIGURE 1
Comparison of spectral distribution of different phosphorconverted white LEDs. The warm and cool white LED spectra have correlated colour temperature (CCT) of 3000 K 5000 Km respectively.
A major caveat that is not often discussed is the relationship between LED spectrum and efficacy in modern horticultural LEDs. Manufacturers tend to blend different LED types to strike a balance between diode cost, the colour perception of the emitted light, and energy efficiency. Generally, the higher the efficacy, the lower the colour-rendering and the more magenta (or ‘blurple’) appearance of the spectrum. The Design Lights Consortium publishes a detailed list of qualified horticultural LEDs whose design and performance meet a specific criteria. One major criterion is a minimum PAR efficacy of 1.9 µmol·J-1 (soon to be raised to 2.3 µmol·J-1). To contextualize how spectrum affects efficacy, Figure 2 shows relationship between percent red and efficacy of some DLC-qualified products. The colored ovals arbitrarily separate the spectra into three distinct groups, with typical spectra of each group illustrated in inset graphics. The spectrum distribution from the lowest efficacy group (blue oval) comes primarily from W LEDs, with a minor proportion from R. Conversely, the spectrum from the highest efficacy group (pink oval), comes primarily from R LEDs, with a minor proportion (normally five to 20 per cent) from B. The magenta-appearance of these B+R spectra have poor colour rendering, making it difficult to evaluate crop health during periods of low natural lighting. The middle grouping (green oval) is a combination of these extremes and - naturally – has intermediate efficacy levels and appearance. These spectrums normally have a pinkish-whitish appearance with decent colour-rendering.
FIGURE 2
Relationship between appearance colour (represented by % R) and efficacy of modern horticultural LEDs, taken from the Design Lights Consortium’s list of horticultural qualified products (DLC-Hort QPL) in November 2021. Inset graphics are representative of the typical spectral distributions of the products contained within each sub-grouping.
Modern LEDs certainly have higher efficacy values than legacy lighting technologies. There are currently over 600 different products listed on the DLC; almost 400 of them have efficacies ≥ 2.5 µmol·J-1 and more than 10 are more than twice as efficient as HPS. Suffice it to say that there are plenty of LED options available for the savvy greenhouse grower to choose from to suit the needs of any production system.
Considering the broad range of efficacy values for different LEDs, it is difficult to generalize how much more energy efficient LEDs are vs. HPS – it depends on the choice of LED fixture. Soon, every DLC-listed fixture will be at least 1.4 times more efficient than the best HPS. With all other things
being equal (e.g., light distribution), the higher efficacy of LEDs should directly translate to the reductions in “installed wattage” (e.g., # of fixtures per hectare × fixture wattage) that will be required for a given canopy PPFD.
A handy, but not altogether accurate, way of estimating the number of fixtures and the installed wattage for any given production scenario only needs a few basic values:
1. The production area in m2;
2. The target supplemental PPFD in this area, in µmol·m2·s-1;
3. The prescribed total photon flux of the fixture of interest, in µmol·s-1.
The number of fixtures needed to achieve the target PPFD in that area is equal to: (#1 x #2) ÷ #3. Further, multiplying the number of fixtures by their input wattage will estimate total power draw (i.e., installed wattage). Note that this is an ideal scenario that assumes that all produced PAR photons will reach your crops, with no wastage. This never happens in real life because it doesn’t account for fixture positioning (in 3-d space), light distributions patterns, reflectivity of hard surfaces, edge effects etc., but it is still a useful exercise to estimate how many fixtures of a given type are needed. It
can also help to quickly assess and compare light plans from lighting vendors.
Another often unmentioned concept is what happens to the electrical energy that you’re putting into lighting. Some of that energy obviously goes towards producing PAR photons with the rest emitted as heat. However, only about five to 10 per cent of the emitted PAR is converted into plant biomass through photosynthesis (Bugbee and Salisbury, 1988). Much of the absorbed light energy is converted into latent heat by evaporating water from the leaves through transpiration. Therefore, when determining the contributions of supplemental lighting to energy flux in the greenhouse environment, it is advisable to assume that all of the electrical energy input for lighting will eventually converted into some form of heat, irrespective of the lighting technology.
HPS vs LED: beyond efficacy
While HPS has been touted as having greater potential for increasing crop canopy temperatures, this may be beneficial in some circumstances but negative in others. Regardless, converting electricity into heat is a relatively expensive way to maintain temperatures in greenhouse environments. LEDs have myriad advantages over legacy lighting technologies for
Commercial field trial comparing the propagation of various ornamental crops grown under supplemental red and blue LED (left) and HPS (middle) to an unlit control (far right).
supplementing PAR in greenhouses, including:
1. Two to four times longer lifespans, with photon maintenance levels normally exceeding 90 per cent over their lifespan.
2. Better control over photon distribution patterns, which results in much greater flexibility in fixture shapes. This allows for the long and narrow LED fixtures which can be hung directly below super-structure elements, greatly minimizing the shadows cast by supplemental lighting fixtures.
3. LEDs are inherently dimmable and can withstand many duty-cycles without negative effects. This enables feedbackcontrol algorithms to manage LED intensity relative to natural lighting conditions, in real-time. The maintenance of stable lighting environments throughout the day can optimize crop light use efficiency while minimizing energy use at times when supplemental lighting is not needed (Llewellyn et al., 2020).
4. Cultivators can select an ideal fixed LED spectrum or, in some fixtures, tune the spectral output over time (e.g., throughout the day, at nighttime, or during different production stages).
Final
thoughts on what lighting to choose for your greenhouse
More light usually improves crop yield and quality and/ or shortens production time, especially during the darker months (Llewellyn et al., 2020b). The optimum amount of supplemental lighting depends on many factors including the types of crops you grow, the amount of natural light available
during the critical seasons, and how much you can afford –both up front and electricity.
While LEDs continues to get cheaper, the cost for good quality LEDs from reputable companies is still several times higher than HPS. Leveraging the lower electricity usage of LEDs to make back that return on investment depends on too many factors to generalize. ROE’s can range from a few years to over a decade in different scenarios. While efficacy and spectrum considerations are relatively straightforward, other factors such as distribution uniformity (i.e., where the light actually goes), your contract with the electricity supplier, government rebates, costs of installation and ongoing maintenance, fluctuating commodity prices, etc. can make the ROE calculations hard to predict.
Many lighting vendors will provide side-by-side comparisons of their technology versus ‘the other guys’ (whoever they happen to be) to help push their products. These are often based on idealized scenarios which can have hidden factors – such as the reflectivity of hard surfaces and the amount of stray light around the edges of the target growing area – that can be difficult to fully understand. Before purchasing a lighting solution, scrutinize the light plans and ROE models, ask questions, compare numbers with other vendors, and share your thoughts and findings with other industry folks that you trust. You may not get objective responses, but different points of view can still help you make the best decision for your operation.
Overall, we believe that LED technologies are the future for efficient, long lasting, and high quality horticultural lighting,
Cannabis production under LEDs.
LED and HPS comparison study.
PHOTO COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH.
PHOTO COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH.
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regardless of the application.
The Design Lights Consortium website (https://www. designlights.org/horticultural-lighting/) is a great source of upto-date information on the top-performing horticultural LED lighting systems allowing easy evaluations of the performance characteristics of different fixtures. Key product features are easily filtered for selecting appropriate fixtures, such as: form factor, type of cooling, dimmability, spectrum tuneability, temperature range, spectrum ratios (including presence of far red), and input power. The minimum qualifications to be listed will increase within the next year, including a 20-percent increase in the minimum efficacy and the absolute necessity that products are dimmable.
One final point of caution. LED companies often manufacture and sell several fixture variants within a single product line. These variants may combine different spectral combinations and input power ratings to suit the needs of a variety of greenhouse facilities. It is quite common for vendors to highlight rated efficacies in terms of “up to” a certain value, which will of course be the most efficient variant. Each fixture variant should have a separate DLC listing where you can independently match the efficacy with the spectrum. If you are considering LEDs that are not on the DLC – and vendors may give myriad reasons for this – use caution when evaluating their proffered efficacy ratings. These ratings can be inflated by unscrupulous vendors by only indicating the efficacy of the bare LEDs while ignoring other
inherent fixture-level losses, which can reduce total efficacy by as much as 30 per cent (Kusuma et al, 2020). You may be able to use DLC-listed fixtures with similar spectra (e.g., the inset images in Fig. 4) to assess how realistic a given vendor’s claims may be.
The rapid improvements in LED technology and product development, concurrent reductions in price, and growing body of scientific research have made it clear that LEDs are the future of horticultural lighting. While there are now myriad options to choose from, entities such as the DLC can assist growers in selecting the best lighting system for their individual needs.
REFERENCES
• Bugbee B. and Salisbury F. (1988) Exploring the limits of crop productivity. Plant Physiol. 88:869-878.
• Design Lights Consortium, Horticultural Qualified Product List, https://www.designlights.org/horticultural-lighting/ search/ (accessed on 12 April, 2022).
• Kusuma P., Pattison P.M., and Bugbee B. (2020) From physics to fixtures to food: current and potential LED efficacy. Hortic Res 7, 56. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41438020-0283-7.
• Llewellyn D., Schiestel K., and Zheng Y. (2019) Lightemitting diodes can replace high-pressure sodium lighting for cut gerbera production, HortScience. 54:95-99.
• Llewellyn D., Lindqvist J., and Zhen, Y. (2020a) How
Biological control – utilizing a population of natural enemies to seasonally or permanently suppress pests – is not a new concept. The cottony cushion scale, which nearly destroyed the citrus industry of California, was controlled by an introduced predatory insect in the 1880s. Accelerated invasions by insects and spread of weedy nonnative plants in the last century have increased the need for the use of biological control. Use of carefully chosen natural enemies has become a major tool for the protection of natural ecosystems, biodiversity and agricultural and urban environments.
intelligently controlled LEDs can be used to more efficiently manage supplemental lighting in greenhouse production systems. Acta Hortic. 1271:127-134
• DOI: 10.17660/ ActaHortic.2020.1271.18.
• Llewellyn D., Schiestel K., and Zheng Y. (2020b) Increasing levels of supplemental led light enhances the rate flower development of greenhouse-grown cut gerbera but does not affect flower size and quality. Agronomy. 10. 1332. 10.3390/agronomy10091332.
• Martineau V., Lefsrud M., and Nanzin M.T. (2012) Comparison of light-emitting diode and highpressure sodium light treatments for hydroponics growth of Boston lettuce. HortScience. 47:477-482.
• Nelson J. and Bugbee B. (2014) Economic analysis of greenhouse lighting: light emitting diodes vs. high intensity discharge fixtures. PLoS ONE 9, e99010.
• Poel B.R. and Runkle E.S. (2017) Seedling growth is similar under supplemental greenhouse lighting from high-pressure sodium lamps or light-emitting diodes. HortScience. 52:388-394.
• Radetsky L. C. (2018) LED and HID horticultural luminaire testing report. http://www.lrc. rpi.edu/programs/energy/pdf/ HorticulturalLightingReport-Final. pdf (accessed on 12 April, 2022).
• Randall W. and Lopez R.G. (2014) Comparison of supplemental lighting from high-pressure sodium lamps and light-emitting diodes during bedding plant seedling production. HortScience .49:589–595.
This article was funded in part by the Canadian Ornamental Horticulture Alliance (COHA-ACHO) and by the Government of Canada under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership’s AgriScience Program. We thank Plusrite Hortscience for their financial support as well.
David Llewellyn has a M.Sc. in horticulture and has been a researcher for many years at the University of Guelph. Dr. Youbin Zheng is a professor at the University of Guelph.
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Need a ‘Grower of the Year’? Think like a poinsettia
I’m not one for social media, unless you can include chatting with friends over a coffee or a beer in a favourite café or pub. But I’ve been using one platform to catch up with (is that what they mean by ‘follow’?) what others are doing in our horticulture world. Perhaps because of the nature of the medium, it may be self-selecting in terms of the age demographic, but I’m thrilled to see how many young, enthusiastic people are out there doing fabulous things. It’s very encouraging.
On a different line of thought, I often enjoy the reports and reviews from the Spring Pack Trials (e.g. CAST) and other new variety showcases. There is some incredible plant material out there, and it’s always a pleasure to see new options coming available. Huge thanks to all those breeders working quietly, tirelessly, and often unseen to make this happen for the rest of us to enjoy.
For some reason, in these challenging times of finding new people, I was thinking about how we interview potential new team members. Maybe my mind thinks in a strange way, but given the themes of this edition of Greenhouse Canada, I then got to wondering how new varieties and a “Grower of the Year” are similar? So…
Both new varieties and exceptional employees fill a key role when placed wisely and effectively.
work on their own initiative.
Considering customers, valuable employees and best-selling plants will both provide solutions to customer needs/wants. At the same time, good leaders and star plants may often (not always) be eye-catching (people take notice) or present something that is different or novel in what they bring to the table. They are also flexible, being able to adapt to different or challenging situations.
In the long term, both growers and great cultivars exhibit a strong resilience to adversity, such as difficult customers, managing supply issues and labour, or in the case of plants challenges such as drought, pests, or diseases. Along with this resilience, both have potential for longevity, or to become something of an industry standard or benchmark.
For higher level employee positions, we need those who can demonstrate proven worth; a good track record. In new variety trials this may be good parentage, and in the workplace it could be great references, awards or other demonstrable excellence.
“Both new varieties and exceptional employees fill a key role...”
That specimen plant in a container or garden bed and the grower, designer or H.R. lead who are doing the job that they thrive in, are worth more than just their tangible financial cost. You must know people who are in “just the right job” – it is really obvious. Equally, it’s obvious when someone is not in the right job. Which leads to a second key characteristic in that both offer more than the basic minimum requirement or expectation; they add significant value to what they do or provide. Similarly, both a key employee or significant new variety should perform or look great on their own but are even better in a group or team setting. You know the frustration of working with a talented colleague who just isn’t a team player. Or someone who is great in a team, but is unable to
You can probably add your own ideas to this list. As we all know, the job market in our industry is stronger than ever, and employers need to attract and retain the best people from limited options. In my experience, (bad) interviews often focus on technical knowledge and the usual conflict resolution question. I don’t mean this in any derogatory or disrespectful way, but perhaps using evaluation criteria or matrices for any worthy “Plant of the Year” might identify candidates with the skills and characteristics of a future “Grower of the Year.” While not wishing to be anthropomorphic, I always maintain that a skilled grower can think like their plants: “If I were a [insert your chosen crop], what kind of greenhouse climate would I want right now?”
“You never know, perhaps a novel approach to evaluating new employee talent may open new ways of interviewing and successful hiring.
Gary Jones sits on several industry committees in B.C. and welcomes comments at greenhousewolf@gmail.com.
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