GH - January 2021

NEW PRODUCT

Taking chances: Year in review, opportunities ahead

COVID created challenges but it also revealed opportunities. What might 2021 have in store?

BY GRETA CHIU

2020 was characterized by struggles with uncertainty. No matter the crop, greenhouse operators were tasked with staying on top of rapidly changing regulations, updating pertinent protocols and ensuring the health and safety of their staff with limited information and resources at hand. The pandemic highlighted weaknesses in the supply chain, but it also forged opportunities and expedited ongoing change.

A FORGOTTEN SECTOR

“The biggest challenge out of the gate was the lack of access to concrete information,” says Michael van den Hoek, co-owner of Lowland Gardens in Great Village, N.S. As vice-president of the industry association Greenhouse Nova Scotia (GNS), van den Hoek and GNS president Cathy Oulton worked with their team to lobby for clarification on what was deemed essential, eventually creating guidelines and best practices to ensure their industry could operate safely amid the information vacuum.

Meanwhile, the same questions echoed across the country. The essential status of ornamental farms and independent garden centres was up for debate depending on the region in Canada.

“We were looking at a farm gate loss of $100 million,” recalls Dejan Kristan, marketing director of Flowers Canada Growers (FCG). The national estimate was initially generated based on affected sales around Easter, Mother’s Day and the spring planting season in 2020 – periods that usually account for about 60 per cent of the floriculture industry’s annual sales.

“Many grocery stores were working with a fraction of their staff, and the florist section requires specially trained employees… It became a lower priority for many retailers, resulting in a significant number of cancelled orders.” For some growers, adds Kristan, product that took months to produce were turned away in transit or even at the door.

Now with a second lockdown in effect in some areas, Gates notes how IGCs are once again relegated to curbside pickup, online orders and shopping by scheduled appointments. In late November, Manitoba banned the sale of non-essential products, including flowers and plants, even within essential establishments. “Any producer that had been planning to ship to that province or produce there will have to think about what this looks like come Spring,” says Morse.

“Some provinces were easily able to correct themselves due to being defined as essential, whereas other provinces like Ontario were slower to achieve that,” says Cary Gates, pest management director at FCG. Not being a food crop, ornamentals have been differentially perceived by the public and by policy makers, often left out of agricultural considerations.

“I can’t stress how important it was that they were identified as essential. If they were not, the impacts would have been considerable,” says FCG executive director Andrew Morse. The losses started when North American retailers prioritized food, household and sanitation – items consumers were looking for.

Many were expecting a strong poinsettia season in 2020, but then the U.S. retail environment shifted, with large-scale stores opting out of floral Black Friday sales and little notice given to producers. Some tried to find alternative avenues. “If Manitoba locks down, can you find homes for poinsettias meant for that province? Maybe. Expand that to all of Canada – it’s a lot harder. Expand that to the States? It becomes impossible,” says Kristan.

Producers with specialized foreign equipment may have a hard time finding someone to do the repairs. “Right now, there are exemptions for entry for specialized workers that have been contracted prior to the pandemic,” says Morse. The caveat? It only applies to services for infrastructure that has been deemed essential on a national level, and ornamentals aren’t on the list. “As a result, we’ve seen some farms refused access to those specialized workers, with or without quarantine.” As many greenhouses employ European technologies, growers needing repair services from a foreign specialist will be hard-pressed to find them. “As the pandemic continues, we see ongoing restrictions to entry, and this has the potential of becoming a bigger issue. As time goes on, the likelihood of a failure goes up,” says Morse.

A BANNER YEAR FOR SOME, BUT NOT ALL

Though there have been recounts of tremendous growth for ornamentals in 2020, Morse emphasizes that not all growers were

businesses like themselves. Without a dedicated marketing person on staff, they found themselves taking orders through Facebook and Instagram rather than completing transactions online. They’ve recently put up their online store for 2021, she says. “Because if people aren’t comfortable shopping in person, you need to be able to help them in another way.”

“Perfect your online store and the system of getting [product] ready,” offers Verheul. He sees e-commerce as a way to sell early, gain operating capital, and draw customers even on a cold or snowy day.

“An online store post-COVID can still be a very good money maker… You can draw people in over a longer period of time, especially in a short selling season.”

ON FOREIGN LABOUR

“The absolute largest challenge we had in 2020 was labour,” says Linda Delli Santi, executive director of BC Greenhouse Growers’ Association (BCGGA), “and it’s going to be our biggest challenge going forward this year.” Though many of the association’s members already had their workforce in place by lockdown in mid-March, there were side issues. “In Mexico, the offices that process visas shut down more than once,” she says, while other worker-originating countries closed down their airports. Her members needed special permission to land partially filled charters, amounting to three or four times the price of a regular plane ticket.

An evolving situation is whether countries feel comfortable sending workers.

“There continue to be travel disruptions and we expect that after such a tumultuous year, some employees might opt to stay in their home countries for 2021,” notes Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers’ (OGVG) general manager Joe Sbrocchi and science & government relations manager Dr. Justine Taylor.

With the introduction of ArriveCan in

late 2020, the onus is now on foreign workers to fill out details of their COVID status online, prior to their flight to Canada. Problem is, many do not have access to internet or credit cards and face potential language barriers. The employer can complete it on their behalf but there‘s a fee, says Delli Santi. At time of writing, it was unknown whether the fee would be recoverable if the worker were unable to fly.

The pandemic raised sensitivities around the seasonal agricultural worker program (SAWP), about what it means to access labour and the current state of local availabilities, says Niki Bennett, science coordinator at OGVG. Following a period of heightened public attention, the federal government opened a consultation window in late 2020 with the intent of generating recommendations for living and housing conditions. “But the actual implementation comes down to each individual public health unit and local municipality who each have their own set of housing criteria and requirements,” notes Glen Snoek, marketing & economic policy analyst at OGVG. “There are a number of [operators] who want to undertake fairly significant housing projects for their workers but are very cautious right now because of the state of what rules may be.” Currently, housing and workplace inspections are taken on by six different individuals from differing institutions on separate visits. “We’re looking for ways to streamline the inspection process,” says Bennett, who would also like to see minimized risk to workers and crops

Because the SAWP program does not allow workers to arrive prior to Jan. 1, Delli Santi says some of their members have turned to the agricultural stream of the Temporary Foreign Workers Program. This will allow workers to quarantine for two weeks in late December before starting in 2021.

While the BC provincial government mandates quarantining of workers in government-managed accommodations, greenhouse operators in other provinces must look for available short-term rentals at a rate at which they’re needed. This is often a struggle for rural areas where farms are located. And with construction projects on hold across many parts of the country, housing will prove to be another hurdle for 2021.

“As it is now, the largest risk to most farm operations is the introduction of the virus into a congregate living situation, resulting in a large-scale outbreak,” notes

Sbrocchi and Taylor. Grateful for the sacrifices made by agri-food workers, accessing quick tests and vaccines remain top of mind for the organization. They’re working to ensure that critical workers have early access to COVID vaccines for worker safety and the health of the supply chain.

“No one has a pandemic book to guide them through this process,” says Bennett. “Necessity breeds ingenuity, and we saw a lot of it.” The pandemic has expedited the process for adopting more automated solutions and unlocking greater potential in leveraging data. “How can we reduce our manual labour needs and transition those into jobs that more Canadians would be interested in holding?” This could be the start of a new era.

THE RUGOSE

Amid the fluid COVID situation, the greenhouse vegetable sector continues to be occupied by another pathogen – the tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV).

“The fact that the fruit has to be virus-free when shipped across the [Canadian-US] border,” says Delli Santi, “that will be an ongoing challenge.” Breeding for resistant varieties has been a common technique for dealing with greenhouse vegetable diseases in the past, but with this regulation, even the fruit of resistant varieties cannot enter the U.S. if tested positive for rugose. “The resistant plants can have the virus, they just don’t succumb to it,” remarks Delli Santi.

“We’re looking to have Canada, the U.S. and Mexico potentially align in not just how they regulate this virus, but how they detect it,” offers Bennett. This way, a positive in one country is a positive in another. Currently, there are no official international protocols. “The fruit pathway is deemed by many countries around the world as very low-risk,” she says, and few countries are regulating this pathway, with the US being the most prominent.

As OGVG and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) continue to trial disinfectants against ToBRFV, Bennett reveals that they’re also in the midst of testing new technologies to detect the virus. This could be a gamechanger, reducing sampling and testing costs, and could potentially be expanded to detect other viruses, both in and out of the greenhouse.

Turn to the editor’s note (pg. 4) for more on Ontario’s greenhouse vegetable markets and an evolving pepper trade issue with the U.S.

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Choosing the right grow light to maximize output and ROI

Looking to install or upgrade your supplemental lights? Here’s a stepby-step guide to help determine what’s best for your needs.

BY HAL FRIESEN AND DR. RYAN TUCKER

Lighting is one of the most expensive and important decisions in controlled environment agriculture (CEA), whether in a greenhouse, indoor farm, or vertical farm. Lighting technology continues to evolve rapidly, however, producing an overwhelming number of options. How then is a grower to choose the right light? This article provides an answer.

IMPORTANT TERMS TO KNOW

Here are some important grow light terms:

• PAR: Photosynthetically Active Radiation, the light spectrum plants use for photosynthesis and development, historically ranging from 400 nm to 700 nm.

• PPFD: Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density, a measure of photosynthetically active photons shining on an area in a second. Since billions of photons are usually involved, we count them in bunches called “moles” (1 mol = 6.02x1023 photons) or “micromoles” (1 µmol = 6.02x1017 photons). Units are usually in micromoles of photons per square meter per second (µmol/m2s). PPFD varies with distance and geometry. Each crop will have a minimum and maximum PPFD that it can tolerate, and this will also depend on lighting duration.

• DLI: Daily Light Integral, how much light a plant receives in one day. This is calculated by adding up the PPFD received by the plant within 24 hours. Units are moles per square meter per day (mol/m2d). For example, 500 PPFD on a plant for 24 hours yields a DLI of 500 µmol/m2s x 86,400 s/day ÷ 1,000,000 µmol/mol = 43.2 mol/m2d. A plant’s needs will sometimes be reported as DLI rather than PPFD.

HOW TO SELECT THE RIGHT LIGHT

In the best cases, the right grow lights can optimize output, temper operating costs and keep pace with an evolving market.

1. Define operational goals

Do you want to maximize yield, quality or flexibility between crops? Do you want to minimize investment or maximize ROI? With the sheer number of lighting products on the market,

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Total illumination area, the illumination area of one light, and the price of one light are typical upfront costs that operators will consider. But that’s not enough.

defining your operational goals helps you first narrow down the available technology to the candidates that best fit your needs. Yield and quality may require continuous optimization over time, and knowing your operational goals will inform which

technical specifications to focus on. Knowing your goals, you’ll be able to ensure that your grow light solution not only meets your initial needs, but is also flexible enough to continuously optimize through the parameters most important to you.

2. Determine target lighting requirements

Lighting can be a five- to 10-year capital investment, so plan for the future. For example, if you know you’re starting with leafy greens but plan to incorporate vine crops within two years, consider building your system to accommodate the crops with higher lighting demands.

You can then determine your lighting targets from the following parameters:

Intensity (PPFD, DLI): Which of your crops requires the highest PPFD or the greatest DLI? Specify your system to meet the needs of your most demanding crops, present or future.

To find the recommended PPFD or DLI of your crop, look for verified agricultural resources and handbooks, such as “Measuring Daily Light Integral in a Greenhouse” from Purdue Extension (extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/ho/ho-238-w.pdf).

Spectrum: What distribution of wavelengths do you need?

Fixed output, broad-spectrum lights are generally acceptable for producing high quality plant growth across a range of crops, but more advanced lighting systems can adjust the spectrum for specific needs.

For example, if you get the most commercial value from budding or flowering products, you might focus on systems that enable you to adjust the ratio of red to far-red light during different phases of growth. Too much far red light, however, might falsely signal to the plant that it’s being shaded, triggering shade-avoidance mechanisms such as elongation or altered flowering time that are contrary to your crop goals. The right ratio of red to far red light, in contrast, can let you trigger flowering when you want it. If optimizing photobiology through the growth cycle can improve commercial value, adjustable spectrum lighting might be a feature to consider. See g2voptics. com/photobiology/ for more information on the subtleties of photobiology.

Uniformity: Often overlooked is whether your light is uniform. Is one plant going to be saturated, while others are light-starved? While you can ensure your plants are lit by

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In addition to direct costs, lighting also involves indirect operating costs such as HVAC, ongoing labour, and managing overhead, not to mention degradation, replacement, and endof-life costs.

properly placing them under the fixtures, the fixture design determines how much flexibility you have for the placement of crops, while still achieving a certain uniformity in illumination. Look at the manufacturer’s uniformity and illumination specifications to know the distance and acceptable angles for achieving a certain PPFD. Uniformity is achieved by the combination of a grow light’s specifications and the overall room design, so some lights won’t work with your expected grow environment.

Coupling: This is another often-overlooked factor in grow lights – how much of the emitted light actually reaches plants (reported as a percentage) – that relies on both light specs and layout design.

Many layouts leave 30 per cent of light spilling into aisles and not contributing to plant growth. This is wasted capital and adds to your operating expense. How well the light couples to your plants is determined by the plant’s canopy shape, as well as the light fixture’s angle of emission and distance. If you’re growing in a single layer of connected tables, your coupling will be high (95 per cent) with wide-emission lights. But if you’re growing on racks where there are typically walkways in-between, the height of the rack lighting will dramatically impact how much light is lost. If your rack lighting is quite high compared to your plant canopy, wide-emission lights can result in a lot of wasted electricity in lighting up your walkways. If you have many levels of rack lighting that are mounted close to the plant canopy, then the loss from spilled light is less. Look for specifications of angular emission, as well as whether or not the lights are lensed, and compare them to your intended layout. See how much of your lighting investment is going to contribute to plant growth.

3. Determine the total area you need to cover

What’s your total area for growing crops? How large is your expected leaf canopy? Are you willing to accept lower light quality around the perimeter?

In general, don’t include the area of walkways and benches in your estimation, but it will depend on the shape of the room. When you’re growing in racks, only the racking counts, but when it’s a large single-layer canopy room, often the walkways are illuminated (unintentionally) by the lights, and might have

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hidden costs) over a time period of interest.

For a very simplified example, take two different lighting systems: System A has a capital cost of $75k, annual operating cost of $10k, and is estimated to produce $100k annually. In contrast, System B has a capital cost of $100k, annual operating cost of $15k, but is estimated to produce $125k annually. The second system essentially amounts to a 33 per cent higher upfront cost, 50 per cent higher operating cost, and 25 per

cent higher yield capabilities.

At face value, the lower-cost lighting system may appear to provide more value in the short term. However, the longerterm benefit of 25 per cent more yield can have a major impact on the return from the $25k difference in investment between the two systems.

You can calculate the simple ROI on the marginal difference between the two investments after five years of the additional $25k capital investment as: [(Additional revenue for 5 years) –

(Additional cost for 5 years) – (Additional capital investment)]/(Additional capital investment). The additional revenue each year is $25k and the additional cost per year is $5k, so the simple ROI is [(5 x $25k) – (5 x $5k) - $25k]/$25k = 3 (or 300% ROI!)

The payback period is calculated as (Investment amount)/(Estimated additional cash flow), or in this case (Additional capital investment)/ (Additional annual revenue – Additional annual cost) = ($25k)/($25k - $5k) = 1.25 years.

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Note that these are highly simplified examples which don’t include some of the more important aspects such as light degradation and yield variation over time. However, these examples do illustrate some of the key principles we’ve described throughout the article, and how the best lighting solution is not necessarily the most obvious one.

Be sure to work with financial experts to develop a proper financial model including the time value of money and cost of capital in order to capture nuances and maximize returns on your valuable lighting investment.

FINAL TIPS

• Cheap lighting isn’t usually cheap in the long run.

• There is no such thing as a “perfect spectrum.” Different crop types, growth stages/methods and goals have different optima.

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• Flexibility is advantageous over the long term.

• The hidden costs of light degradation are often overlooked.

• Ongoing support wins. Grow lights are complex production equipment. This article introduces grow-light profitability, but an expert can help you learn more. Reach out to an extension specialist or lighting professional with questions, and read more about indoor growing at g2voptics.com/horticulturelighting

Hal Friesen, M.Sc, is an R&D team lead and technical communications specialist, and Ryan Tucker, Ph.D., P.Eng., is CEO of G2V Optics based in Edmonton. G2V is known for producing some of the most advanced commercially available lighting and monitoring products for the range of renewable energy, aerospace, and controlledenvironment agriculture applications. They can be reached at info@g2voptics.com.

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Letting go of your energy curtains

When patching things up won’t fix what’s broken.

BY GRETA CHIU

There’s an important piece of technology suspended in the greenhouse that doesn’t receive as much attention as it deserves.

Accumulating dust, dirt and sometimes algae, energy screens are often left unchanged for far too long. As B.C.-based Tineke Goebertus of Vortus Greenhouse Consultants explains, there are two different lifespans to note. “The technical [lifespan] is when it falls apart,” she says. “The economic [lifespan] is when you have so much dust, fray, and improper closure that the advantages of having a screen are cancelled out.”

Based on Goebertus’ observations, she estimates the average economic lifespan to be around five years – much shorter than the technical – but she’s seen growers hang onto them for ten years or more. Though annual cleaning can help, the grime can’t be eliminated entirely and will continuously build.

“Screens gradually lose their light transmission over time,” says Robert Hanifin, greenhouse climate specialist at Ludvig Svensson. “Depending on the material composition of the screen, that can be over one per cent a year.” Even without dust and algae, the screen itself will age from the intense heat, light and other greenhouse conditions it’s

subjected to. “The old adage is, one per cent light [equals] one per cent production. If you’re losing light transmission every year, by the time that energy curtain is seven or eight years old, you’ve lost 10 per cent of light transmission or more. That’s lost production, and it may not be readily apparent because it’s happening slowly over time.”

Depending on the product and how it’s being treated, Hanifin says a good rule of thumb is around six to eight years for screen replacement. But growers shouldn’t wait for holes to appear, because by then, the situation is already dire.

“You have cold air from above, dropping through your screen, making a cold spot somewhere,” Goebertus explains. A compromised screen leads to uneven greenhouse temperatures, inconsistent lighting and a drop in energy efficiency. Patching up damaged areas with a different material won’t help much either, and might even hinder.

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Already a staple in European greenhouses, double screening is quickly becoming the norm for Canadian greenhouse vegetables and growing among ornamentals. Compared to using one screen, two

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Spotting iron deficiencies in ornamental plants

Plants behave differently, even when it comes to nutrient uptake. In the case of iron, some plants can be more or less efficient than others, leading to toxicity or deficiency.

DBY DR. MOHYUDDIN MIRZA

uring this COVID-19 pandemic, familiar workshops and conferences are being held by virtual means, which is a good alternative, but face-to-face interactions about plants do become limited.

Growers are always innovative, so they send short videos and cell phone pictures through text messages, WhatsApp or the many other platforms available. Soon, we will be getting ready for the 2021 bedding plant/ornamental season, so let’s take this opportunity to review symptoms of a common nutrient deficiency – iron.

IRON-INEFFICIENT PLANTS

There is a group of plants known to be iron-inefficient, and it includes petunias, pansies, bacopa and calibrachoa. They are fast growing, require regular levels of nitrogen above 200 parts per million (ppm) and tip the pH of the growing medium towards the alkaline side. However, once the pH starts going above 6.2, these plants begin to show symptoms of iron deficiency. That is what is shown in the first picture.

It is obvious why this group is called iron-inefficient. They quickly show symptoms of iron deficiency despite the fact that there is enough iron present in the feed. Most of the time when iron is deficient, manganese is also deficient. A sharp eye, experience and a tissue test can confirm that. Typical iron deficiency occurs in the youngest leaves where the major veins remain distinctly green and the interveinal area (between the veins) turns yellow. In the case of manganese, even the smaller veins spread across the leaves start losing their green colour and a “netted” pattern of yellow becomes more visible.

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Many times, growers have asked why plants pictured on the left, in the first photo below, are perfectly green and not showing any signs of deficiency. It is not that I selected these plants from other trays and put them there for comparison. The reason appears to be in the growing medium. Sometimes, when lime is added to the peat moss to raise the pH, the media may not have been adequately mixed by the grower and thus, the pH of the starting medium was lower to begin with. The growing media manufacturing companies add enough lime to guarantee a certain pH (e.g. 5.0). This added lime also takes time, needing about two to three weeks to react slowly after wetting. I always advise growers to add potassium bicarbonate at a rate of 1 lb/3.2 ft3 bale, which raises the pH to the desirable range of 5.8 to 6.0

IRON-EFFICIENT PLANTS

Iron-inefficient plants are fast-growing but start to show symptoms of iron deficiency at high pH, despite enough iron in the feed.

In the second photo (next page) is a picture of a geranium, an example of a plant that is iron-efficient. When pH drops to the acidic side, the uptake of iron and manganese increases by almost four times, thus resulting in toxicity. The speckling seen on the leaves is an accumulation of iron and likely manganese as well. Once speckling symptoms appear, the damage is done and the affected leaves have to be removed. The desirable range for geraniums is between 5.8 and 6.4. Below a pH of 5.8, iron toxicity starts. Above 6.5, a deficiency of iron and manganese also occurs. Other examples of iron-efficient plants include impatiens and marigolds.

CORRECTING PH

Here are steps which can be taken to correct the pH. That should be the priority. Most of the time, there is enough

supplied through irrigation, though I have seen some poorly designed fertilizer programs with iron less than 0.5 ppm in the feed. Some growers have a tendency to foliar feed iron chelate or iron sulfate, which may not be effective.

The first fact to understand is that the pH (hydrogen ion concentration) is logarithmic, and it is sometimes difficult to visualize this. Simply stated, with each one unit change in pH, the hydrogen ions will change by a factor of 10. Considering that pH 7.0 is neutral, then pH 6.0 will have 10 times more hydrogen ions than a pH of 7.0, and a pH of 5.0 will have 10 times more than pH 6.0. In other words, pH 5.0 has 100 times more hydrogen ions than pH 7.0. Small changes have big impacts when it comes to pH.

When taking corrective actions to bring the pH down or up, it may take two to three weeks before a target pH is achieved, and that is very important in timing the saleability of the plants. Take the example of the geraniums in the second picture above. The picture is dated May 5, a time when customers are coming into the greenhouse. If you’re starting remedial measures at that time, it will take about 15 to 20 days to bring the pH to the desired levels. So monitor the geraniums and other plants regularly, and watch for any trends in pH – whether up or down – before symptoms appear.

For the group of plants in the “iron-inefficient” category such as petunias, bring down the pH by adjusting the pH of the feed solution or water. The lowest you may go is around pH 5.5. Many growers use ammonium-based fertilizers for some time, which helps to bring down the pH.

In the case of “iron-efficient” plants like geraniums, the pH needs to be brought up. I have seen cases where the pH has gone as low as 4.5 and damage was significant. Potassium bicarbonate is commonly used to bring up the pH. When pH is that low, it is recommended that growers stop fertilizing because the plants are not going to take up certain nutrients and further toxicities may occur. Some precautions are suggested with the use of potassium bicarbonate, such as washing the leaves after application. Potassium can also increase significantly in the root zone. Watch the electrical conductivity (EC) closely, and leach with water if needed.

Mohyuddin Mirza, PhD, is an industry consultant in Alberta. He can be reached at drmirzaconsultants@gmail.com

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The iron efficiency of this geranium causes symptoms of toxicity when pH drops to the acidic side.

Building the Yukon’s future in local food production

BY KAITLIN PACKER

Growing nearly anything in the Yukon brings its own set of challenges. “We’re basically at the top of the world,” says Derrick Hastings, farm manager at the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Teaching and Working Farm. “We’re at the end of the road.”

Located on the outskirts of Dawson City, Hastings says they depend on a single highway to stock their local grocery stores. This was put to the test when parts of the road washed out in 2012. “The Yukon and the environment up here is unique for food,” says Hastings. “We produce one per cent of our food locally. [Almost] 99 per cent of it is trucked in.”

Seeing the potential for food scarcity was a key reason the elders of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in (TH) First Nation began the TH Teaching and Working Farm in 2014 on TH farming settlement land. It was important to facilitate self-sufficiency by producing everything from pigs, rabbits and a variety of crops, including broccoli, cauliflower,

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tomatoes and more. The farm also supplies many local eggs with over 300 chickens and their own egg-grading system.

TOWARDS FOOD SOVEREIGNTY

Kent Mullinix, Director of the Institute for Sustainable Food Systems (ISFS) at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, explains the significance of this pursuit of food sovereignty.

“Food sovereignty implies the ability to control one’s type of food, source of food and way of eating,” he explains, which differs from merely gaining access to food. “To many of us and especially to Indigenous persons per my learning, [it’s] incredibly important.”

Mullinix says the effect of climate change on traditional food sources in northern communities has heightened their interest in developing capacity for local food production. “Lakes are disappearing. Caribou migration has completely changed.

The Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Teaching and Working Farm near Dawson City is addressing food scarcity in the Yukon by producing food through self-sufficient means and providing others with experience. ALL

Traditional sources of food are disappearing,” he says. That’s one reason the ISFS was involved in developing the TH Teaching and Working Farm and has helped launch other similar enterprises.

“I think the goal of the farm,” says Hastings, “essentially is to bring about a more engaged citizenry in their food supply.” That’s where the teaching component comes into play.

“Through teaching, people can learn the art and science of farming in a hospitable, non-threatening, non-pressure of traditional school or of business,” says Mullinix, adding that these commercial farm models are essential ways to teach the next generation of regenerative farmers. “That’s also why we are working with the Nations because they are also interested in developing regional food systems, specifically to support their people,” he adds.

Hastings says everyone is learning on the farm. A lot of his own experience in agriculture has been through hands-on methods, from working on a grain farm in Ontario for a summer when he was younger and community gardens in multiple cities across Canada, to building his own homestead farm in the Yukon. “I think having a youthful enterprise, one that is developing together and building together is very important for the longevity of a project like this, especially in these northern communities,” he says.

One example of that was a young farmer interested in growing oyster mushrooms. The farm was able to support his project and now, according to Hastings, they’re the only commercial mushroom growers in the Yukon. “People have an opportunity to take part in all different types of pursuits; ... it’s sort of an incubation idea,” he says.

The number working on the farm can vary, and Hastings says there were twenty employees this year. Some include young people like the mushroom farmer, and many are TH citizens. There’s one man who recently came from France to gather knowledge and experience he could take to start a farm in Haiti, his parents’ country of origin.

Aside from access to fresh produce, the weather in the Yukon is another unique variable. Not only is there still potential for frost on June 15th or August 15th, there’s intense sunlight during the summer months and over 20 hours of darkness per day for about three months in the winter. That’s why they grow the cold crops, such as Brussels sprouts and cabbages outside and crops that need protection from frost, such as tomatoes, cucumbers and corn, in the two smaller greenhouses they currently have.

SETTING SIGHTS ON YEAR-ROUND PRODUCTION

An award through the Arctic Inspiration Prize and support through the Climate Change Adaptation Platform paved the

way for further expansion with the development of a larger year-round greenhouse on the farm.

For Hastings, it’s important this greenhouse adds value to the operation on a long-term basis. Rather than just growing wholesale vegetables, his plan is to focus on producing value-added products that meet current food trends, such as pickled or fermented products.

While building plans are still in the works for the greenhouse, Hastings says they eventually want to have a mushroom-growing room and add a storefront to the structure where they can sell directly to the consumer. They also plan to add on a butcher shop and a processing kitchen, so people can process their wild game and workers can learn the trade of butchering. “It’s job creation,” says Hastings, “it’s a way to utilize the space completely and also long-term to create financial income outside of just a wholesale vegetable stream.”

Joe Sbrocchi, general manager with Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers, says successful farming involves thinking about the overall business and adapting to local opportunities. “Greenhouse growing is not just ... a science, there’s an art form to it and you have to work at that craft everyday,” he says.

Approximately 40 x 100 square feet, the planned greenhouse presents an opportunity for experimenting with a variety of innovations. Given the extreme difference in daylight throughout the year, artificial lighting takes careful thought. Hastings says the plan is to use LED lights for the cooler crops, since it’s more costeffective, and high-pressure sodium lights on crops more sensitive to cold.

Using a cordwood boiler as the main source of heat was a practical decision, since the short logs are easier to access locally and the farm doesn’t have the infrastructure to process and store wood chips. As backup, they’ll use an electric or propane heater.

The plan is to build raised beds with hydronic heating lines in the greenhouse, so the roots in the soil will be kept warm and the atmospheric temperature could be kept at a cooler temperature to reduce heating expenses. “I feel that’s a good way to approach heating and a space that size in the winter here,” says Hastings. Keeping the height of the greenhouse around 12 to 14 feet is another part of the plan to reduce their energy costs.

One advantage of living in a colder

climate is that many pests stay away. While aphids and flies can be an issue some years, they manage them with organic methods such as insecticidal soap.

This is keeping in line with the rest of their farming practice. Hastings says their goal is to utilize their own animals to improve fertility in the greenhouse. Since they have rabbits and their manure can be used without being composted first, they plan to set the rabbit cages directly on the beds to improve fertility.

Because worms are not native to the Yukon, Hastings says worm composting is another simple, but important part of their fertility program. And with only a few months each year where composting is possible outside, the practice could also reduce waste products. “Figuring out how to create [compost] in our warm space all winter, that will be a big innovation

for the North and I think probably something we could teach to other communities,” he says.

SPURRED BY A PANDEMIC

COVID-19 has presented further opportunity for innovation, particularly with distribution. The farm’s regular outlets for sale include on-farm retail, farmer’s markets, community supported agriculture (CSA) boxes, as well as various nutrition outreaches such as Meals on Wheels. Hastings says sales for CSA boxes increased by 50 per cent this year. “We deliver the boxes, so that became a huge selling feature,” says Hastings, noting its convenience and alignment with public health guidelines.

Another point, noted by both Hastings and Mullinix, is that COVID-19 revealed just how little perishable produce is available to northern communities at any point in time. Even places like Dawson City only have about a two-day supply of food on grocery store shelves. “COVID-19 has revealed fragilities in our global food system, absolutely,” says Mullinix.

It’s also brought about greater consumer awareness in the area, Hastings adds. While competition among local producers has increased as a result of fewer tourists buying produce during the pandemic, consumers have seen the necessity of supporting their regional producers.

The increasing variety of nutrition that greenhouse growers produce is of greater value too, says Sbrocchi. “One of the best things you can do with respect to COVID is make sure your body’s best balanced to fight it through your immune system, and that means eating fruits and vegetables.”

At the end of the day, the TH Teaching and Working Farm is doing more than building a self-sustaining business. It’s establishing food sovereignty by providing fresh food to the local community, the TH First Nation and beyond, and at the same time, reducing reliance on an at times uncertain food supply. “I think what we have there is a basis of reconciliation on a practical level,” says Hastings. “We have something where we’re actually on the ground building change.”

Hastings hopes what they’re doing on the farm will gain an even further reach as time goes on. “People who have a desire to bring these types of projects to their communities in the North don’t have to start from scratch,” he says. “They can come and learn from our experience.”

The farm chose a cordwood boiler, using a fuel that is more readily sourced in the local area.

Taking on pests and diseases in cannabis: Vegetative to flowering

BY DR. MICHAEL BROWNBRIDGE

In part 1 of this two-part article series, we discussed sanitation and preventative practices to deter pests and diseases in propagation (see Greenhouse Canada, December 2020). In this second installment, we consider what biological management options are available through to flowering and harvest. With proactive steps taken in propagation, your cannabis crop should be growing healthily, but don’t take your foot off the gas just yet! It is important to maintain good practices through the next phases in the crop’s life to ensure you reach the plant’s full production potential.

VEGETATIVE TO EARLY FLOWERING

During these stages, the threat of crop loss to root diseases remains and biofungicides should be reapplied when young plants are potted up. But now, there is the added challenge of dealing with foliar diseases.

BCA releases and bioinsecticide sprays should continue. You may be tempted to cut back as pests seem to be ‘under control,’ but we have seen resurgences in broad mites and thrips when predators have been removed from the program at this stage. Major remediation efforts

with biopesticide sprays were then required, and significant crop losses incurred.

FOLIAR DISEASES

Cultural practices like pruning and air circulation help keep powdery mildew in check, but the disease invariably shows up. Crop scouting will allow signs of infection to be detected early on, and regular preventative treatments will help contain the disease.

Potassium bicarbonate products such as MilStop can be used in a preventative or curative manner. K-bicarbonate brings a physical mode of action to bear and will desiccate mildew spores, destroy cell membranes and, by altering the pH at the leaf’s surface, create conditions that impede powdery mildew growth. The adjuvants in the formulation can be harsh on soft-bodied biocontrol agents (BCAs), but will not harm predators in sachets. Once spray residues are dry, they are harmless to BCAs.

Also BCA-friendly is Regalia MAXX biofungicide, a liquid concentrate based on an extract from the giant knotweed. When applied to plants, it induces a resistance response which

helps protect it against powdery mildew. Regalia and MilStop are compatible with each other and can be sprayed in rotation. Spray oils, such as Suffoil-X and PureSpray FX, will also help in controlling powdery mildew and are good options closer to harvest.

PEST MANAGEMENT

The same list of suspects encountered in propagation are likely to continue through this stage of plant development, notably mites, root aphids, and thrips. Whiteflies are generally not a problem in northern US and Canadian greenhouses.

The control options for these pests are essentially the same as described before, (i.e. Beauveria-based biopesticides, BCAs –see previous article for details). However, specific use practices and release rates will change as plants are now larger and the substrate volume is greater. A second release of the soil-dwelling predators Stratiolaelaps and Dalotia at potting up should ensure they become established for the remainder of the cropping cycle.

One addition to the BCA arsenal at this stage is the generalist predator Orius insidiosus. If released into hot

It’s

important to continue preventative practices throughout the vegetative and early flower stages, building on the clean start established during propagation. There

is now also the added challenge of foliar

spots, it can become established for an extended period from the first treatment or release. However, it is unlikely to persist for several generations in indoor grow facilities under artificial lights and is prone to diapause during the shorter daylight months (Nov to Feb).

Quality, Efficiency, Safety

Provide Agro offers complete automation packages for a variety of crops to limit worker risk and increase productivity. Working with our partners we tailor a solution to your specific needs and goals, to get the most out of the technology.

diseases.

into the crop. At this stage of production, however, sachets can now be hung in the canopy of the growing plant. Phytoseiulus persimilis is another valuable player at this stage of crop development and it can be used to clean up two-spotted spider mite (TSSM) hot spots if needed. Again, scouting is an important part of the program to ensure TSSM are detected before the webbing appears.

Foliar aphids now present a significant challenge. Biopesticide options include horticultural oils such as SuffOil-X and PureSpray FX, and insecticidal soaps such as Kopa and Opal. A wide variety of sprayers can be used to apply these and microbial biopesticides. While makes and models vary, they essentially fall into two types: hydraulic sprayers and low volume sprayers, and they use different methods to produce and deliver spray droplets onto the plant.

For all biopesticides though, achieving good spray coverage is critical to efficacy. As most pests occur on the undersides of leaves, sprays must target that area to ensure sufficient contact with the pest. Investment in quality, reliable spray equipment, correct selection of nozzles and spray pressure, sprayer maintenance and calibration, and attention to applicator training, all help to achieve better efficacy from each spray application. Incorrect timing and poor coverage are primary causes of biopesticide failure.

On the BCA front, different aphid parasitoids are recommended for targeting different aphid pests, and correct identification is necessary to select the appropriate parasitoid for release. Notable foliar aphid pests include those

Trichome sensitivity has been a key factor in determining the pest and disease management options available.

categorized as ‘small’ species (i.e. green peach aphid, cotton/melon aphid), and those considered to be ‘large’ species (i.e. cannabis aphid, potato aphid, foxglove aphid). Aphidius colemani or A. matricariae are the best options for ‘small’ aphids; A. ervi for large species. Predators are less discriminating, and Aphidoletes and Chrysoperla (lacewings) eat everything; as such, they often do an excellent job of cleaning up infestations. However, Aphidoletes will not establish under artificial lights. Orius will feed on aphids as well, and when established, will help keep several other pests in check.

Rice root aphid infestations can become problematic at this stage unless regular, preventative measures are taken. Drenching the root ball with entomopathogenic fungi is one of the few approved ways to manage aphid forms that feed on roots. The fungal suspensions must be applied in sufficient volumes to saturate the root ball and growing medium to ensure contact with aphids on the roots. Root drenches are best combined with other measures targeting winged adults (i.e., biopesticide sprays) as aphids move from the soil and into the foliage. Targeting both life stages delivers a one-two punch for greater overall efficacy.

FLOWERING TO HARVEST

The final three weeks of production can be a nail-biting period. Given the sensitivity of the trichomes and the need to consider microbial ‘loadings’ in flowers (owing to mandatory microbial testing requirements), there are few pest and disease management options available. For example, it is strongly recommended

that growers halt microbial sprays within three weeks of harvest, which means that Beauveria-based products should not be used. Potassium bicarbonate sprays should also be halted three weeks prior to harvest to avoid potential damage to the trichomes. SuffOil-X sprays (at the 1% rate) can generally be continued up to one week prior to harvest, but different cannabis varieties show different sensitivities. Pay close attention to the plants to see if there is evidence of phytotoxicity; test first on a small batch if unsure. BCAs can still be used, but if the earlier measures have been taken and maintained, pest numbers should remain low through the final three weeks.

One of the biggest challenges at flowering is Botrytis. With the recent Health Canada decision to allow sprayable nutrients to be applied in cannabis, use of such materials can help promote plant health. Use of sprayable nutrients like ON-Gard or ON-Gard Calcium can enhance uptake of elements like calcium which is an essential component of plant cell walls. The bottom line is that stronger cells, especially in flowers, can reduce susceptibility to diseases like Botrytis. This has been demonstrated in petunia whose flowers are very susceptible to grey mold; susceptibility in this instance is linked to poor movement of calcium into flowers resulting in deficiencies, which translates to weaker cell walls, and increased susceptibility to Botrytis. Although this link has not been definitively established in hemp or cannabis, it seems to hold a lot

SOME KEY POINTS TO REMEMBER

• There are a limited number of control options available

• We do not have any ‘rescue’ products

• Effective strategies rely on sanitation and use of a range of preventative measures

• Look after mother, use clean cuttings, and keep a clean growing environment

• Apply preventatives early and heavy up-front

• Start clean and stay clean

of promise for the future as another tool to prevent infection. In the interim, there are a few sprayable materials that can help suppress the disease. These include Regalia MAXX biofungicide, which can be applied up to harvest (as a plant extract, it contains no living organisms); RootShield HC and PreStop, which can be applied as foliar sprays up until three weeks before harvest; and MilStop, which may be applied through the early flowering stages. All may be rotated within the same program to bring different modes of action to bear.

Foliar sprays of hydrogen peroxide (e.g. ZeroTol) may be one of the most valuable tools at this time. Peroxide can be integrated into a preventative phytosanitation strategy through the vegetative growth phase and may be continued for the last two weeks through flowering to harvest. The peroxide helps reduce microbial contamination on the flowers and helps to suppress pathogens.

SOME TAKE-HOMES

No two locations are the same, so it is impossible to provide a single plant management blueprint that can be applied everywhere. The information shared in this two-part article series has considered many of the common challenges and some possible solutions that will help you through the production cycle.

Remember, there are many lessons that have been learned in other horticultural crops (particularly floriculture) and techniques that may be transferred easily into cannabis production. Commitment to continued education and discourse will help the industry as a whole to move forward.

We have discussed many preventative strategies that have been shown to work. Putting together a successful program requires planning (before the crop, not during!) and good record-keeping. There is always a lot to learn from previous crops: when pests/diseases appeared, what worked, what did not (and why), and what happened in different varieties. Good planning is fundamental to success.

Michael Brownbridge, PhD, is a biological program manager at BioWorks Inc. He can be reached at mbrownbridge@bioworksinc.com.

For more, watch the accompanying webinar of the same title at greenhousecanada.com/ webinars and revisit part 1 of the article series on propagation in the December 2020 issue of Greenhouse Canada.

RELIEVING THE PAINS of greenhouse work

With plenty of repetitive motions needed to fulfill common tasks in the greenhouse, workers are prone to developing musculoskeletal disorders.

I shop a bit differently these days. Thanks to my job, a “Product of Ontario” sticker means a lot more. Having witnessed the dedication that goes into each fruit, vegetable and plant for sale, I am keenly aware of the effort and impacts greenhouse production can have on the workers involved.

WORKERS IN ACTION

It was an eye-opening experience, the first time I set foot in a greenhouse.

safety training springing into action. It didn’t take long for me to realize greenhouse workers wore many hats; responsible for a wide variety of tasks. Often manual in nature, they performed repetitive tasks involving the use of their hands for extended periods of time and were required to lift an assortment of heavy objects. They also operated an array of machinery such as tractors, forklifts, skid steer loaders and other specialized horticulture equipment.

BY DON PATTEN

I was immediately thankful to be there; welcomed in from the cold, to a warm oasis filled with beautiful sights and smells. Everywhere I looked, I saw employees working diligently to plant, cultivate and harvest delicate greenhouse plants.

Not invited to simply look, I quickly got to work; my health and

MSDs APPARENT

During my visit, it became obvious that greenhouse workers were susceptible to developing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). A term used to describe a number of different aches and pains affecting the musculoskeletal system (your muscles, tendons, and nerves);

common MSDs include back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and tendonitis. Symptoms range from pain, stiffness, swelling, tenderness, tingling or numbness, to a limited range of motion.

MSDs can occur suddenly or develop gradually over time. They are linked to known hazards in the workplace, alone or in combination:

• Forceful exertions

• Fixed or awkward postures

• Repetitive actions

The good news about MSDs is that they can be prevented.

PROTECTING WORKERS

Legally, employers have a duty to protect their workers from MSDs.

In Ontario, employers are required by law to take every reasonable precaution to protect workers from hazards, including those that may cause MSDs (Occupational Health and Safety Act, 25(2)(h)). In addition, the government of Canada’s Occupational Health and Safety Regulations list specific requirements to help employers prevent musculoskeletal injuries (Part XIX).

If ignored, MSD injuries can be costly to a business’ bottom line. An injured employee can lead to lost productivity, insurance claims and premium hikes, costs related to hiring and training new employees, and/or WSIB premium rate increases.

Luckily, MSD prevention doesn’t have to be costly or difficult.

STOPPING MSDs BEFORE THEY STOP YOU

Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD) Prevention Guideline for Ontario are fantastic resources for implementing an MSD prevention program in your workplace.

To get you started, here are some basics for workplace compliance and MSD worker well-being.

Education

As mentioned earlier, employers are legally bound to protect their workers and provide them with the information, instruction and supervision necessary.

As MSDs are often less obvious than a tripping hazard or a sharp blade, education is even more important. Ensure workers know the hazards and can identify MSD symptoms. For greenhouse workers, this could be a heavy and/or tingling feeling in their wrist from repetitively pruning, low back tightness from moving heavy potted plants, or elbow pain from repetitive and forceful gripping.

Early detection and reporting symptoms to supervisors is key to preventing injury.

Risk Assessments

A crucial step in any safety program is to complete a risk assessment. Take time to understand the tasks of your workers and determine the risks that could cause them harm.

Although this may sound like a substantial task, it will save you time and effort in the long run. A risk assessment will help you target your efforts and realize more effective results. Ontario employers can use the Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS) free MSD Risk Assessment template to help them get

Inspections

OHSA Clause 25(1)(b) mandates that Ontario employers ensure equipment, materials and protective devices are provided to their workers and that they are in good working order. This requires regular assessments and should be a shared responsibility between the employer and their workers.

Monthly inspections by the greenhouse’s joint health and safety committee (for businesses with 20 or more employees) or identified health and safety representatives (for businesses with six to 19 employees) should also take place to identify any health and safety concerns – including MSDs. And, for ultimate effectiveness, all employees should be involved in developing solutions. This helps ensure the solution is practical and will increase the chances of adoption among workers.

Interventions

Once a hazard is identified, it’s time to find a solution. Interventions can take many shapes. For MSD hazards – like those found in greenhouses – the application of ergonomic principles is key.

Ergonomics is the science of matching the job to the physical and mental capabilities of the worker. Its goals are to:

• reduce, prevent and/or eliminate injuries and health disorders associated with the overuse of specific muscles and tissues;

• improve productivity;

• and enhance the quality of work.

Use the Hierarchy of Controls to identify what type of intervention to apply.

The most effective way to prevent MSDs is to eliminate the hazard or find a substitution. For example: Lifting heavy objects – commonplace in a greenhouse – places excessive force on the back. Can you remove this task? Is it necessary? Can improvements be made to ensure it’s done in a consistently safe manner (e.g. introducing a plant cart to lift and move trees)?

The introduction of engineering controls (adjustment to work stations, opportunities to automate planting, placing, harvesting and packaging processes, etc.) to remedy MSD hazards has become increasingly popular due to their ability to create production efficiencies at the same time. Some greenhouse specific examples include:

• Height adjustable sleeving workstations

• Height adjustable rose bunching workstations

• Raised troughs to improve working heights

Next, you have simple and effective awareness controls such as staff education/communication on proper lifting techniques, stretch break reminders, etc.

The implementation of administrative controls can help as well. These are policy or procedural changes, such as altering work hours, implementing job rotation or changing break schedules.

Lastly, if there is Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) provided, employers must ensure it fits properly and is appropriate for the task.

BE YOUR OWN ADVOCATE

Although many interventions involve the employer, workers can take action to protect themselves too.

• Participate in training.

• Follow safe work practices and use the equipment provided.

• Be aware of your work habits.

• Identify and report MSD hazards.

• Report any discomfort/MSD symptoms. And, report it early before serious harm occurs.

Personal Protective Equipment

The hierarchy of controls can help operators identify which types of interventions to apply.

• Avoid repetitive movements and/or look for opportunities to vary your tasks.

• Take breaks to rest your body.

• Seek assistance when a job requires heavy lifting

A LITTLE HELP FROM YOUR FRIENDS

My observations were recently validated on a much larger scale during the Greenhouse Risk Assessment Project conducted by WSPS and the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development (MLTSD).

This multi-year project brought together employers and workers of flower and vegetable greenhouses to explore industry specific risks. Results identified MSDs – specifically overexertion, repetitive strain, bending and twisting, pull force hazards – to be the top concern among vegetable greenhouses and the second biggest concern for flower greenhouses. (Visit greenhousecanada.com/webinars to watch a recording of a recent webinar presentation by WSPS.)

A root-cause analysis exercise is planned with vegetable greenhouses in spring 2020 to identify causal factors. Afterwards WSPS will collaborate with industry groups to select, adapt or develop intervention strategies to address the major root causes identified. The end-goal is to raise hazard awareness among the industry and provide greenhouse-specific, easily adoptable and effective health and safety interventions. Greenhouse industry, fear not. Help is on its way.

Don Patten is a Registered Kinesiologist and Canadian Certified Professional Ergonomist with Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS); a health and safety association responsible for over 170,000 member firms and 4.2 million workers across Ontario’s agricultural, manufacturing and service sectors.

Artificial intelligence: A digital brain for your greenhouse

How innovations in technology are making the complicated simple and profitable

BY DON HORNE

There is an ever-growing demand for experienced greenhouse growers – and a concurrent need to control an increasingly extensive area due to increased scale of operations.

As global populations continue to grow and the need to feed more mouths expands apace, greenhouses are the perfect solution. But who will operate these greenhouses? Enter artificial intelligence (AI), and the computing power that comes with it.

Data and algorithms are being used to improve growing operations, says the CEO of Blue Radix, Ronald Hoek. “You can actually translate the growth of a tomato plant into data points, and use that information to optimize its development.”

Algorithm-based solutions offer growers a digital brain for their greenhouse. According to Hoek,

he believes that algorithms can feed the world, allowing growers to optimize their greenhouse climate, reduce their water and energy usage and limit their operational risks and their ecological footprint. And by drawing on the expertise from a wide range of experts and growers, algorithms can be generated that will optimize growth and yield for greenhouse growers.

“Algorithms can also make use of experience, tools and solutions from different expert companies. A good example is lighting,” says Hoek. “You can optimize lighting to a very detailed level. Why should we reinvent the wheel by finding the requirements for lighting and optimization solutions, if we can use the knowledge from an existing company or program that specializes in them?

ABOVE Data and algorithms are being increasingly employed to improve growing conditions in modern greenhouses, says Ronald Hoek, CEO of Blue Radix .

HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS PRODUCTION

This guide is a comprehensive

The 220-page book maintains a focus on production and contains information that until now was available only in piecemeal form. It discusses the basicssuch as taxonomy and nomenclature, plant hardiness, the physical needs of crops, and types of irrigation systems-as well as cutting-edge, research-based information about perennial propagation and production.

A chapter about forcing out-of-season bloom includes up-to-date information about research on this topic as well as a table of specific forcing requirements for over 120 perennial species and cultivars.

Practical discussions about starting a business, marketing and customer service, setting prices for plants, and designing a production facility are included as well.

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The top row forms the basis for most dashboards, showing data and information about ‘what happened.’ Human input (light blue) is still needed to make decisions (orange) and take actions (green). Blue Radix starts from the bottom: data is used by algorithms for advice and automation of decisions, with little to no human intervention.

The same applies to IPM (integrated pest management). Artificial intelligence pulls all this data together.”

Blue Radix’s Crop Controller has been developed with support from Microsoft on the best possible usage of their Azure Platform. Crop Controller optimizes and steers climate and irrigation in a greenhouse with no human interference. The grower sets the crop strategy for the coming period. The algorithms of Blue Radix Crop Controller work with this crop strategy, learning and adapting to realise the greenhouse climate and irrigation accordingly.

Blue Radix colleagues have built more than six years of experience with the application of artificial intelligence in greenhouse operations around energy services at AgroEnergy – a leading Dutch Energy Company that offers smart autonomous energy solutions to greenhouses in the Netherlands.

For many, the idea of introducing automated systems raises the spectre of lost jobs. More computers and automation mean fewer people who traditionally did the work. Right? Wrong.

“The number of experienced and skilled growers is decreasing,” says Hoek. “As the sector grows, the amount of people who can operate greenhouses is decreasing. This is the problem, and that sense of urgency is growing to solve it.”

“Everyone is aware of the risks and

problems that are coming up with the lack of people who are able to operate a greenhouse. And at the same time, artificial intelligence, technology, algorithms, data, and data tooling have become much more mature in the last three years.”

By incorporating all these factors into an AI greenhouse system, growers can make their company future proof, says Hoek.

IT STARTED WITH AUTONOMOUS ENERGY MANAGEMENT

Hoek starts by explaining daily energy management in Dutch greenhouses. Many greenhouses in the Netherlands have combined heat and power (CHP) installations and are able to trade on the energy markets, bidding on the daily rate, in the hopes of securing the best price for heat and power. And that can be a costly and daily burden.

“In 2014 we introduced within AgroEnergy a system that is a combination of algorithms that does the thinking for the grower,” he explains. “The system takes all the different elements into account when optimizing the energy costs. Important considerations are the lighting strategy, weather conditions for the coming four days, energy prices, levels of the heat buffer, etc. We combine this with approximately 100 greenhouse-specific setpoints. That information is combined with data from a climate computer and translated into the most optimal transac-

tion on our country’s energy markets.”

Through these algorithms, the optimal price is found and the CHP installation is ramped up or down to optimize cost savings. And the positive results are there for all to see when the utility bill arrives.

“You do not have to work with this daily energy management anymore, because the algorithms are not only thinking for you, but acting on your behalf on the energy market and steering installations. And that has proven to be a success.”

To date, 140 to 150 top greenhouses throughout the Netherlands are using autonomous energy management without the necessity of human interference. And a big plus for Dutch growers is that they don’t have to crunch the numbers on a daily basis, “because all the algorithms are doing the job for them,” says Hoek.

ADDING AUTONOMOUS CLIMATE MANAGEMENT

So, with all this experience in building autonomous energy systems for growers, the logical next step is to let robust algorithms work for the crop as well.

Developed in close cooperation with Dutch vegetable growers, Crop Controller optimizes climate and irrigation and steers the climate computer and all relevant installations in one run. The system analyzes, calculates and steers every 15 minutes. And works without human

interference. Of course, the grower remains always in control while benefiting from autonomous climate management.

The next step is to combine the strengths of autonomous energy management with autonomous climate management. Then every automated action is a balanced decision between optimal yield and lowest costs. Lighting is a good example once again: “What is the optimal lighting strategy for my crop with the lowest energy usage and costs?”

Many companies provide data insight tools for growers, supplying them with dashboards, alerts and digital advice. However, growers still need to assess the advice for themselves and perform the correct actions.

“We take it to the next level and offer solutions that go beyond human capacity,” says Hoek. “Algorithms really understand the strategy of the grower and perform actions fully autonomously. Only then will the grower be able to increase the span of control and make the company less dependent on the availability of human expertise.”

THE CANADIAN MARKET

As Blue Radix markets its technology worldwide, Hoek has a unique perspective on the Canadian greenhouse sector compared to their global counterparts.

“When I’m speaking with Canadians, especially Ontario greenhouse vegetable growers, they really understand the necessity of these developments,” he says, adding that Canadian greenhouse growers operate very much like their Dutch counterparts.

He does see a “prove to me that it works” characteristic among Canadian growers, who want the hard numbers before embracing the technology. But the move to automation is moving forward. “The introduction of AI into irrigation and fertilization, for example, that is already happening,” he says. “Growers are innovating in their operations.”

THE FUTURE

But where is it all headed?

“In the long run, we won’t only be about climate, energy and irrigation,” says Hoek. “We are also discussing algorithm connections with labour, logistics and marketing; when you connect them in the right and consistent way, it can help a lot in optimizing the operations.”

“I think three big companies in the field of AI will be there in about five years; and we will be one of them.”

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INSIDE VIEW

GARY JONES | Gary.Jones@kpu.ca.

Change is constant and constantly changing

As I write, we’re three days until provincial government elections here in BC, and the news consists mostly of party leaders saying how bad a job their opposition’s numbers have done or would do. We’re also just a couple of weeks away from the US election, and I’ve no need to tell you what that brings to the daily news and the stock markets. I never was a fan of reality TV, especially since most of it is anything but reality.

Two days ago, Canada announced that the border with the US will remain closed to everything but essential traffic for at least another month, and our Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry (who has become something of a local superhero), announced that BC is now officially in the second wave of COVID-19.

In September, I tuned in to presentations delivered at the UK Tomato Growers Association (TGA) conference, and thought the session on ToBRFV was fascinating. Excellent speakers and great information outlining the latest situation on the disease in Europe and the world, and the science behind its genetics. It seems this virus is spreading globally at an alarming rate, and is now being found in peppers and aubergine, sorry ‘eggplant’, seed.

The BC Greenhouse Growers Association recently organized a workshop on ‘Big Data in Horticulture’, presented virtually by Jo-Anne Relf-Eck-

for greenhouse growers, similar to growers in other Canadian agriculture sectors.

Speaking of losing energy (my home electricity), Tim Haworth of Cambridge HOK in the UK, gave a very enlightening talk at the UK TGA Conference. He discussed advances in LED efficiency, going from roughly 2 µmol/W when first introduced (2014) to about 3.5 µmol/W now, and his quick calculations revealed that “we’re now lighting a hectare of glass [tomatoes] for less than half the energy we were a few [20] years ago.”3 Using the numbers of the UK energy market, this means growers are saving about 95,000 GBP just on electrical load. Tim suggests that we’re “on the cusp of All Year Round (AYR) lighting of greenhouse vegetables being very viable.”3

The virus (not ToBRFV but ‘the other one’) has potential to drastically affect fresh produce, supplier inputs, the supply chain and, at the other end, the retail side of the food and ornamentals system. It is changing the way consumers purchase and what they purchase. Sometimes for the better –more fresh produce sales and garden supply sales.

...amidst this chaos, there are oodles of opportunities...

stein. Ironically, I was unable to attend as BC Hydro cut power to my house to replace a transformer and Telus told me the buried supply cable was corroded and broken anyway. Amazing how dependent we are on technology, eh? Even when we think we’re not. But I digress. Ms. Relf-Eckstein talked about smart sensing and monitoring in agriculture, cloud-based event and big data management, and benefits such as productivity, mechanization, and systems infrastructure. She also talked about ‘the 5-V’s of big data: high volume, velocity, variety [of data] transformed into value and veracity (quality),’1 and asked ‘why should you care?’ She suggested reasons that include “change is coming fast, (bringing [potential] information overload), equity, access, trust and privacy/security.”2 Data and personal information security, ownership, and access/portability, could be big issues

I guess, here in Canada, we can be thankful that at least we’re not dealing directly with the ramifications of Brexit, and the stalled, or delayed at best, negotiations. By the time you read this, both elections I mentioned will be over, and life will be back to normal. Or at least I assume it will be. Who knows what the future holds. The old saying ‘the only things that’s constant is change’, has never been more true. So, when it comes to the ‘state of the industry’, we’re in the usual place. Plenty of challenges on both the technical and business fronts, bucketfuls of uncertainty, massive changes in technology at an ever-increasing pace. However, it also seems that amidst this chaos, there are oodles of opportunities and exciting adventures to be had by those pressing forward. Enjoy.

1 De Mauro, A., M. Greco, and M. Grimaldi. (2016).

2 Relf-Eckstein, J., BCGGA Workshop, 21 Oct. 2020.

3 Haworth, T., and Harte, P., UK Tomato Growers Association Conference, 24 Sept. 2020.

Gary Jones is a faculty member of the School of Horticulture at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Langley, BC. He sits on several industry committees and welcomes comments at Gary.Jones@kpu.ca.

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