Heat and CO2 coming from a pulp mill will supply one of the most energy efficient greenhouses in North America – the Toundra Greenhouse. | 30
4
News 6 New Varieties 8
Technology Issues 10
Beyond the boiler: innovative ways to reduce greenhouse heating costs.
Business Issues 12 Can plant retailing ideas be transplanted into new markets halfway around the world?
Harrow research 18 ‘It’s a total team approach.’
Automation (including trackless cart delivery systems) has long been the hallmark of the Ontario greenhouse vegetable sector. | 18
DRS. MICHAEL BROWNBRIDGE AND ROSE BUITENHUIS Powerful predator
Myths and facts about Dicyphus Hesperus, effective in whitefly and spider mite control.
DR. ABIDA NASREEN
Succeeding with succession
Professional advice will pay big dividends. BY GARY
JONES
Industry has become a world leader
I can recall in the early years of my beginning a career in which I write about all things greenhouse how fixated almost everyone here was on Europe.
The greenhouses were much bigger there, the research far more advanced and the yields were setting the bar for the rest of the world. Canadian growers would routinely schedule trips and tours to check out the latest and greatest the European industry had to offer, and justifiably so. Europe was at the leading edge, and Canada was playing catch-up.
But not any more. Today it’s virtually a level playing field in terms of yields, levels of automation and research. Canadian greenhouses are incorporating the very latest in technologies and growing the newest varieties and crops.
Canadian greenhouse research is certainly on par with any other region, and that’s been a huge factor in the growth and strength of the industry. To illustrate the point, let’s look at one major hub of research.
My first visit to the Harrow Research and Development Centre
• Determining the population densities of western flower thrips required to cause economic damage to cucumbers.
• Photosynthetic productivity responses to various environmental conditions and nutrient supply.
• Trials of fungicides for their effects on tomato powdery mildew.
• A study of bacterial canker and NFT systems.
• A study to determine where on tomato packing lines bruising occurs, how it can be minimized and what corrective measures can be undertaken.
That, then, was my introduction to the world of research at Harrow. I’ve returned to the centre pretty much each spring since then, and have always come away more impressed with every tour.
But there is a larger take-away message, and that’s the close relationship the centre has with growers. Industry input and feedback is highly
Level playing field in terms of yields, automation and research.
(then called the Greenhouse and Processing Crops Research Centre) was in the early spring (possibly late winter) of 1996. (I had only been with the magazine a few months at that time.) The open house that I and 45 growers attended was the subject of a three-page feature in our June edition that year, with the headline, “Vegetable research focus sharpened.”
The Harrow greenhouse program that year had grown by 80 per cent over 1995, with 18 people working on greenhouse vegetable research up from 10 the previous year. Some of the projects featured during that open house included:
valued. Common problems identified in commercial greenhouses are very soon the focus of multi-disciplinary research. It’s a true teamwork approach, both from inside and from outside the centre.
Much of the seed funding for the research comes from the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers. Matching grants from senior levels of government can then be accessed.
The Canadian greenhouse vegetable sector has enjoyed significant growth in size and sales over the years. Other greenhouse regions across the globe now look up to Canada as a world leader.
RODENT CONTROL trapped like rats » They’ll be «
These are some of the products eligible for the Vetoquinol Club points program. Sign up today at vetoquinolclub.ca and reap the benefits. club
GREAT PALATABILITY BAITS
• Low or no wax formulations
• Grains and food grade oils ingredients
• Greater acceptance for better results
• Different actives for rotation
GIVE THEM BAITS THAT THEY WILL LIKE!
Last call for ‘Seven Habits of Successful Growers’
Last call! The latest in crop lighting strategies, water treatment systems and labour management strategies will be among the topics with Greenhouse Canada’s Grower Day on June 21. It’s all part of a “Seven Habits of Successful Growers” theme.
Other topics include the keys to family business success, new age marketing, and mechanization/ efficiency ideas. There will also be a discussion of how to set the groundwork for continued business success in greenhouse growing through to 2025 …
and beyond!
Check out our mini trade show of leading industry suppliers – a great opportunity for one-stop shopping to help you grow more profitably and efficiently.
Grower Day is again being held at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites St. Catharines Conference Centre. Registration opens at 8:30 a.m., and the talks begin at 9:15. Visit the microsite at www.greenhousecanada.com/grower-day for more information.
FUNDING FOR QUEBEC AGRI-FOOD SECTOR
BY
Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (la Caisse) has outlined its strategy for Québec’s agri-food sector. It also announced the creation of a $125-million fund to invest in every segment of the sector’s value chain, targeting companies seeking to accelerate their growth and farmers who operate family businesses, and their successors.
“This is a sector with strong growth
THE NUMBERS
7.95 GROWTH OF CANADA’S FARMLAND VALUES IN 2016. (Farm Credit Canada)
potential for Québec. It has all that’s needed to succeed, both at home and in global markets, which are becoming increasingly competitive.
“For la Caisse, it’s important that both today’s farmers and their successors, as well as companies in the processing, distribution and marketing segments, be well positioned to compete and face the challenges in this sector,” said Christian Dubé,
executive vice-president, Québec at la Caisse.
The agri-food sector adds close to $22 billion to Québec’s GDP. The sector accounts for approximately 500,000 jobs, and exports more than $7.5 billion. To further support projects in the agri-food sector, la Caisse has announced the creation of the Fonds agroalimentaire CDPQ. This $125-million fund will be used to make direct investments
3.8% Percentage of greenhouse/ nursery operations among all Canadian farm types in 2006. (StatsCan) Dutch exports of flowers and plants set new sales record in 2016, up 3% from the previous year. (Royal FloraHolland) $8.2B
$3.7B Value of greenhouse, nursery and sod industries in Canada in 2015. (StatsCan)
Lettuce sales in 2015 (StatsCan) 13.4% – Lettuce had the largest percentage sales increase among greenhouse vegetables $36M – Total value of greenhouse lettuce sales
(between $1 million and $30 million) in every segment of the value chain, with farm ers and in projects and SMEs.
Investments in the agri-food sector will also be made through funds, in partnership with those active in the industry and other experts in targeted mar kets (between $5 million and $30 million).
For more information, visit cdpq.com.
3.3% Growth of greenhouse, nursery and sod industries in Canada from 2014 to 2015. (StatsCan) 68% Ontario’s share of cut flower sales in Canada. (StatsCan)
PHOTO COURTESY ERIC LABONTE, MAPAQ.
Potunia® Starfish
A favorite at California Spring Trials was ‘Potunia Starfish’ from Dümmen Orange, a very stable blue and white petunia with a distinctive pattern. Starfish joins a series long-trusted as an easy product for the grower; finishing in perfectly mounded bubbles of colour ideal for pots, baskets and packs. Consider the 50 per cent cost-sharing program on Green Pack plastic to achieve true retail recognition without breaking the bank. na.dummenorange.com
Petunia ColorRush
A new vegetative petunia series with big-time vigour with even bigger landscape performance, ColorRush provides mounds of colour for massive-sized containers. It holds up in the heat and bounces back from
This massive landscape begonia glows with easy-to-care-for colour from spring through fall. Its sturdy stems hold flowers above the foliage for superior show in the garden. Plug into huge design power with Megawatt Pink Bronze Leaf
Superbells® Blue Moon Punch™ Calibrachoa
rain like a champ. Ideal for landscape applications, balconies and large baskets. It has a height of 10-12" (25-30 cm), and a spread of 24-36" (61-91 cm). It is available in Blue, Pink and the new Pink Vein. ballfloraplant.com
Canna Cannova Bronze Leaf Orange
– a unique colour for this large begonia class – a must-have landscape colour! Available in Pink Bronze Leaf, Rose Bronze Leaf, Red Green Leaf, Rose Green Leaf and new for 2018 – Red Bronze Leaf. panamseed.com
Cannova is the first seed canna series that offers an easy-to-grow option in this heat-tolerant class. The newest colour for 2018 is Bronze Leaf Orange, a complement to the popular Bronze Leaf Scarlet and other tropical colours. Cannova work great on their own, or mix them with other flowers in your garden. It’s versatile and works well in the ground or as a thriller component in large-size containers. ballingenuity.com
Vista Valentine Petunia
A true, bright pink petunia joins the popular line of sun-loving Supertunia Vistas from Proven Winners. These plants are very vigorous, with mounding habits that can reach up to two feet in height in the landscape and will
Bloomtastic Calibrachoa series Begonia Megawatt™
trail over the edges of baskets and containers up to four feet by the end of the season. They are fantastic landscape plants and are great in large containers, where they function as both fillers and spillers. www.provenwinners.com
These cool silvery lavender blooms have a dark eye, and are early to flower in Week Nine. Abundant flowers will cover this plant, and promise to impress as they cascade out of baskets, patio containers and window baskets. This new addition takes the colourful series of full sun Superbells® Punch varieties from Proven Winners to seven colour options. www.provenwinners.com
New for 2018, the Bloomtastic Calibrachoa series was bred to be the most vigorous Calibrachoa line offered by Dümmen Orange, making it a great option for quick turn production in small pots or for irresistibly impressive planters and baskets. Both ‘Bloomtastic Rose Quartz’ and ‘Bloomtastic Serenity’ feature remarkable heat tolerance, iridescent extra-large flowers, and a spreading growth habit, making them one of the few Calibrachoa on the market appropriate for landscape applications. na.dummenorange.com
For more New Varieties, visit the “Marketplace” section at greenhousecanada.com. We’re always looking for New Varieties (75 to 100 words with a high resolution photo) from flower and vegetable breeders; please send to greenhouse@annexweb.com.
Supertunia®
www.360energy.net | info@360energy.net
Beyond the Boiler
As a greenhouse operator, when you think of heating you likely think first of boilers, followed perhaps by the weather which feels out of your control. All growers know that careful climate control is critical to successful production, but the balance of heat gained versus heat lost is often not considered in detail. By thinking beyond the boiler, you will consider how your greenhouse’s whole building system impacts your heating requirements and costs, and what you can do about it.
ABOVE
Summer is the perfect time to make energy efficiency changes.
The main heating inputs for a greenhouse are sunlight, lighting and ballasts and boilers. Heat loss occurs through the exterior (conductive and radiative heat loss), infrared radiation (solar energy reflected from inside), evaporation of water, and ventilation – both passive (roof venting, air leakage) and active (exhaust fan). To actively control your heating costs, you must understand how these elements work together as a system. A heat balance study will provide a detailed breakdown of where energy is used, for what purpose, and how effectively it is retained. It will consider your acceptable thresholds for humidity and CO2 levels, and strategies you use to manage those conditions.
Ventilation is one of the most frequently overlooked elements of heat loss. Roof vents are often opened to balance humidity without recognizing this can also cause up to 40 per cent heat loss. Without a monitoring and alerts system, these vents often stay open longer or wider than needed for humidity purposes, making boilers work
harder to maintain temperatures. Mechanical ventilation improves control of the rate and volume of air exchange, but still expels valuable heat. In the residential sector, heat recovery ventilators (HRVs) have been used for over 20 years, but they are not a common feature in North American greenhouses. HRVs recover and recirculate heat while still expelling humidity and oxygen. An effective HRV will reduce boiler size requirements, making it a common-sense investment when considering a new heating appliance.
Carbon pricing also influences greenhouse heating costs. It is now in place in several provinces, and proposed to be Canada-wide by 2018. Growers that rely on #2 fuel oil are particularly hard hit since carbon emissions from oil are approximately 45 per cent higher per gigajoule (GJ) than for natural gas. A careful manager will consider fuel required for heating versus for CO2, whether that fuel provides both benefits, and the cost-benefit compared to using purchased CO2
Cogeneration is the last “outside the boiler” option we’ll discuss. Such systems produce electricity while capturing the heat and CO2 byproducts for greenhouse requirements. Cogeneration does require a sizeable capital investment; it makes the most sense for large growers with lighting systems (high electrical consumption) who can also export excess electricity to their local utility. Various jurisdictions offer grants that can reduce the payback to five years (down from a typical eight).
There are also effective boiler-focused ways to reduce your energy use and costs, many of which do not require new equipment. The first step every greenhouse should take is annual boiler maintenance. This ensures the boiler meets technical specifications for cleanliness, allowing it to operate at its most efficient.
Summer is the perfect time to make changes that will improve your cost-efficiency next winter. Get an early start while last winter’s heating costs are still top of mind, and ensure you don’t miss out next year.
Jennifer Niece and James Williams are with 360 Energy, one of North America’s leading energy services firms.
GROWER
THE SEVEN HABITS OF SUCCESSFUL GROWERS
Join us for a day of leading edge presentations on a variety of topical issues that are impacting – or will soon impact –your greenhouse business, and enjoy numerous networking opportunities with key industry suppliers and specialists.
WHERE DO WE STAND WITH LED CROP LIGHTING
Speaker: Dr. Chevonne Carlow, OMAFRA greenhouse floriculture specialist
THE FUTURE OF GREENHOUSE LABOUR
Speaker: Albert Grimm, Jeffery’s Greenhouses, St. Catharines, ON
Speaker: Will Heeman, Heeman Greenhouses and Strawberry Farm, Thorndale, ON
INGREDIENTS OF A SUCCESSFUL FARM BUSINESS
Speaker: Jim Meyers, Meyers Farms & Flowers, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON
MECHANIZATION AND EFFICIENCIES
Speaker: Chris Newhouse, Waldan Gardens, Wainfleet, ON
WHICH GREENHOUSE OPERATIONS WILL THRIVE IN THE YEAR 2025
Speaker: Melhem Sawaya, Focus Greenhouse Management, Simcoe, ON
Making good use of global retailing ideas
In 1896 Arthur and Robert Bunning left London for Perth, West Australia. This was the beginning of a business journey that started in the timber industry, grew into Westfarmers and eventually the move into hardware retailing and supermarkets. As far as the garden retail sector is concerned the success has been phenomenal. Now Bunnings has returned to where the brothers started with the opening of the first branded Bunnings store in the U.K., which was launched in February in
ABOVE
John Stanley helped organize a meeting in Paris of leading independent garden centre managers to share information from around the world.
St. Albans, Hertfordshire, on the northern fringe of London. As every Australian will know they dominate the garden retail sector in Australia and the challenge is whether they will do the same in the U.K. where they plan to rebrand the Sainsbury Homebase hardware and garden business.
I managed to visit the new St. Albans store in the first week of opening to check if the Australian flavour is evident and whether the model will work in the U.K.
The store layout and marketing is the same as the winning approach in Australia and the model works exceptionally well. Before visiting the store I had also visited other hardware stores and independent garden centres in the area so that I could judge the differences in marketing styles.
In the other shops I could wander about, mostly ignored by the employees. It was a pleasure, then, to walk into Bunnings and have a greeter welcome me and then find everyone keen to engage with me and talk about their knowledge and advice on various products. This approach is very “Un-English” but it works. Team members
had attended an intensive training workshop before going on the shop floor and customer engagement was obviously stressed. At first the British customer is hesitant in being greeted, but they soon come around to enjoying this team engagement. These team members are promoted as “category heroes,” something that is rarely done in U.K. retail outlets.
Many plant displays I saw in other retail outlets were uninspiring, while Bunnings understands fully the importance of impulse sales and their plants were cleverly displayed to encourage sales.
Customers are also encouraged to “linger longer” with complimentary (and quite excellent) coffee, along with free workshops and activities for children. Clearly weekends are going to be a success with the Australian “sausage sizzle” being introduced. These events, linked to local community activities, have been a winning formula for the business and one that will be repeated in the U.K.
The U.K. has not had a competitor who uses this style of retailing in the garden sector and it will now be interesting to see how the industry reacts to the challenge.
IN OTHER NEWS
Imagine what would happen if the owners from some of the leading independent garden centres from around the globe gathered in Paris for two days and worked to develop ideas for the future of their businesses.
That is exactly what happened in mid-January. The idea started with garden centre owners having a conversation with me and suggesting that the next step forward for them was to develop ideas and share information with like-minded colleagues from around the world.
The group started the session by looking at the scenario that average sales are going up, while customer count is going down and how they could address this. The topics then moved to the opportunities with urban agriculture, online shopping strategies, merchandizing, new garden centre design concepts, marketing and business development.
John Stanley is a retail business coach, consultant, speaker and author. His expertise is in customerfocused layout, merchandising, marketing and branding, and customer-focused selling and service. Visit his website at www.johnstanley.com.au.
“We know the work we put in to grow safe, healthy food. We’re the ones who should tell our story.”
GREENHOUSE
TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
2ND ED.
Greenhouse cultivation has expanded in recent decades with increased demand for horticultural production. This book covers current technologies and management practices of general greenhouse production, with a particular emphasis on plastic greenhouses and vegetable growing.
The author begins by addressing the natural greenhouse microclimate, in the context of managing greenhouse systems such as ventilation, cooling, heating, carbon dioxide enrichment, light management, crop physiology, greenhouse design and construction criteria.
The book then moves on to cover other issues of greenhouse management including irrigation and fertilization, soil and substrate cultivation, plant protection, regulation, economic analysis, environmental impact, and post-harvest production strategies and marketing.
Sam Bourgeois, Agvocate Apple Producer
IPM: PREVENTION And Early Intervention
This starts with awareness of ‘potential’ threats, using your experience to be on the lookout for incoming pests, and putting processes in place to facilitate early detection and/or early action to mitigate them.
BY Drs. Michael Brownbridge and Rose Buitenhuis
This is Part 2 in a six-part series of articles on thrips (and other pests) integrated pest management, where we will provide practical application tips and tricks, information on new technologies and how it all fits within an overall IPM program. Each article will be accompanied by a short video demonstrating a technique or principle. The content of this series is based on research performed at Vineland Research and Innovation Centre and is supplemented with ‘information from the field,’ contributed by colleagues using biocontrol strategies in greenhouse production. For more information on specific biocontrol agents or IPM in general, see www.greenhouseIPM.org.
The mantra of IPM is “start clean, and stay clean.” To be successful in biocontrol, actions need to be taken early and often before pests are readily detected in a crop. Biocontrol agents function most efficiently when pest numbers are low; they prevent damaging populations from developing. Furthermore, biocontrol agents will work best when deployed within a system that supports their success (Fig 1).
Consider the system: By definition, the systems approach is a pest management strategy where the influence of all factors affecting pest abundance is considered, with the goal of creating a system that is fundamentally more robust. In an ideal system, pests rarely reach damaging levels, plants are better able to tolerate feeding injury and conventional pesticides are rarely required.
However, if we do not understand the reason why there are pest outbreaks, we will always face a recurrent pest problem. Fixing a situation that is innately flawed takes a lot of effort (and money). It is a little like a jigsaw puzzle – there are many different pieces and understanding how each of these relate to and influence each other is critical to successful crop production and use of biocontrol strategies within that production system.
Pest-free environment: It is important to take preventive steps from the very beginning of a crop production cycle, ensuring that the growing environment that young plants are brought into is clean and free from pests and diseases. Implementation of good sanitation practices after a crop cycle and prior to installation of new plants is just good working practice. No residues should remain from previous crops, benches and floors should be disinfected, weeds under benches removed and algae cleaned
from the floor. All can serve as sources of infection or infestation; making sure that the greenhouse is clean from the get-go helps on many levels.
Use of screens over vents and fan intakes is probably the single most effective way to prevent the entry of many pests into the greenhouse. Mesh size is important, and use of screens will affect airflow (and cooling) through these vents or intakes. However, there are many useful resources (online and other) available to help calculate the type of screen needed, and how to install to prevent any impediment of air movement.
Healthy and resistant plants: It is also extremely beneficial to understand the relative susceptibility of different plant species and varieties to pests and diseases before they are grown. Knowing what to expect allows you to pre-plan a pest management program. Experience from previous years can help inform the plan, and can play an important role in the selection of certain cultivars for production. While the decision to grow some cultivars over others is primarily dictated by what the market wants, rather than pest management programs, there may be some latitude whereby it would make sense to select resistant or tolerant cultivars over more susceptible ones. If some cultivars are known to be susceptible, that knowledge can be used to guide scouting and management interventions. Work by Dr. Sarah Jandricic (OMAFRA) showed that some ornamentals could harbour high thrips infestations without showing a lot of damage. It is important to identify and control these hidden hot spots before the thrips move on to more susceptible plants.
Equally important is the use of production practices that optimize nutrient and water inputs to grow healthy plants. For some plants, use of high fertilizer rates, or application of high-N fertilizers should be avoided. There is a known link between fertilizer rate and population growth of pests like thrips and aphids. Although most greenhouse crops are on high-fertilizer regimes, not all plant species need these high rates. Research suggests that in some crops fertilizer can be reduced by 33 to 75 per cent without affecting quality, but this can have a dramatic effect on susceptibility to pests and diseases. Similarly, plants that are over-watered or water-stressed are more vulnerable to pests. Use of best practices will help create a more resilient crop
Elements that contribute to successful pest control: plant, environment and control agent – The System.
Fig
infestations can increase very rapidly: populations can grow from just one adult female to >5,800 in just 42 days (at 20C).
Fig 3. Preparation and immersion of poinsettia cuttings in a biopesticide treatment to control Bemisia> whitefly on incoming material.
that is more productive and inherently less prone to pests and diseases, and biocontrol then becomes a component that functions much more efficiently within that system.
Early start of biocontrol: Pests are excellent hitchhikers and travel around the world anywhere plant material is shipped. Despite the best efforts by propagators to deliver clean material, pests may be coming in on propagative plant material like cuttings, plugs or seedlings. We know that cuttings frequently carry low numbers of pests such as thrips or whitefly.
In 2009, Wendy Romero at the University of Guelph sampled cuttings of six chrysanthemum cultivars over a seven-month period. She found an average of eight to 28 thrips per 100 cuttings.
More recently (summer 2016), we counted pests on a few batches of chrysanthemum cuttings. Out of 13 batches of mum cuttings tested, 12 of these (i.e. 92 per cent!!!) were infested with either spider mites, thrips or both. We detected as many as 76 thrips per 100 cuttings. Although these numbers are alarming, detection of these insects in what may be thousands of cuttings or seedlings is like looking for the proverbial needle in the haystack and with cryptic pests like thrips, the problem is made worse by the fact that they lay their eggs in plant tissue.
Given that most propagation facilities for ornamentals continue to rely heavily on pesticides, any pests that arrive on cuttings are likely to have been exposed to a range of different chemistries so the efficacy of many registered products in Canada may be compromised. In these crops, growers should assume
that incoming cuttings will carry some pests. The decision, then, is to act immediately; no waiting for sticky card catches to reach a certain threshold.
For pests like thrips and whiteflies, by the time you see them in the crop (or on sticky cards for that matter) it is probably too late to achieve success with biologicals. Most of the highly successful pests (thrips, whiteflies, spider mites, aphids) have extremely rapid life cycles and high reproductive potential. Populations can go from a few to a lot very quickly (Fig 2). Clearly, the earlier we can intervene, the more likely a bio-based IPM program is to be successful.
A strategy often used in the early stages of crop production is to ‘front load’ a biocontrol program. The goal is to mitigate problems early by overwhelming pests with an army of biologicals. In vegetable production, seedlings are often treated with biocontrol agents at the propagator. Good examples are the use of biopesticide drenches like Rootshield®, which is applied early to prevent root diseases on developing roots, and the use of predatory mite sachets on a stick that is placed directly in the rockwool blocks.
During early growing stages of both vegetables and especially ornamentals, plants are small and generally grown close together. As a result, good crop coverage, e.g. with predatory mites like Neoseiulus cucumeris, can be achieved relatively easily and a comparatively small amount of product is needed to cover all the plants. Some biocontrol agents, like Dalotia (=Atheta), N. californicus and soil predatory mites, will establish without the need for further introductions, others will have to be released on a regular
Fig 1.
2. Thrips
basis throughout the production cycle.
Another way to control pests early is through the use of cutting dips. This approach has potential for many ornamental crops that are started from cuttings. Cuttings are immersed in low-risk (bio)pesticides such as insecticidal soap, horticultural oil or BotaniGard (Fig 3). Immersion of batches of cuttings provides thorough coverage, is quick and effective, uses relatively little product, and is readily integrated into the work flow. In a case study using poinsettia cuttings carrying
Bemisia whiteflies, dipping in a mixture of BotaniGard and Kopa insecticidal soap eliminated around 70 per cent of a starting population and reduced it to levels that were suppressed thereafter with other biocontrol agents. Results from these trials are being used to get this method of application on to the label of these materials. We are also expanding the work to validate this method for other hitchhiking pests such as thrips and spider mites and other propagative crops such as chrysanthemums, mini roses, ivy, bedding plants, etc.
POWDERY MILDEW CONTROL & SUPPRESS
Kills Powdery Mildew on Contact
MilStop is a foliar fungicide for the control and suppression of powdery mildews. It kills powdery mildew on contact and provides 1 to 2 weeks of residual protection.
Approved for organic production, it fully dissolves in water, has no residue, and dries quick and clean. MilStop has a 4-hour REI.
Now approved for greenhouse and field strawberries.
The most frequent questions asked about this approach are related to potential risks of phytotoxicity and disease transfer among cuttings that are immersed in a ‘communal bath.’ Immersion of poinsettia cuttings in oils and soaps prepared at the recommended spray rates (one to two per cent) caused damage to the leaves; the severity of damage was correlated to the concentration used and there were also differences in cultivar sensitivity. We also considered risks of disease transfer, specifically Pectobacterium (Erwinia) carotovora. Based on results from our trials, the level of risk appeared to be very low, but it is good practice to change the dip suspension periodically to prevent the potential buildup of inoculum to infectious levels, and to thoroughly clean and sanitize the dip bath after use.
THE LAST WORD
Prevention and early intervention strategies are key components in IPM, and are especially important when biological control forms the basis of a pest management program. This starts with awareness of ‘potential’ threats, using your experience to be on the lookout for incoming pests, and putting processes in place to facilitate early detection and/or early action to mitigate them. Use of cultural practices that minimize pest buildup wherever possible will support the successful implementation of a biocontrol strategy. Pest outbreaks may still occur, but if you start out right and build resilience into the production system, pest pressures will be reduced and you will set yourself up for success.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Researchers and technical staff who participated in the research: Dr. Sarah Jandricic, Graeme Murphy, Taro Saito, Mark Jandricic, Ashley Summerfield, Angela Brommit, Paul Côté, Dr. Michelangelo LaSpina, Anna Krzywdzinski, Rebecca Eerkes and Erfan Vafaie.
This project was funded in part through Growing Forward 2 (GF2), a federal-provincial-territorial initiative. The Agricultural Adaptation Council assists in the delivery of GF2 in Ontario. Dümmen, BioWorks, Koppert Canada, Flowers Canada (Ontario) Inc. (Guelph, ON, Canada), provided additional support.
We hope you are looking forward to the next articles in this series. We appreciate feedback, so if you have any suggestions for topics, or comments, please let us know (Rose.Buitenhuis@vinelandresearch.com; Michael.Brownbridge@vinelandresearch.com).
HARROW UPDATE: ‘IT’S
A
TOTAL TEAM
LEFT
Shalin Khosla with tomato grower Fabio Ingratta of Mucci Farms and a winter crop grown with supplemental lighting. Very impressive results, says Ingratta.
Ontario’s greenhouse vegetable sector is maintaining its commitment to leading edge innovation and automation.
On the world stage, it’s definitely a star performer.
It’s always an eye-opener to visit the Leamington/Kingsville region and view the pace of new construction. I’ve been making the trek from our Simcoe, Ontario, offices for more than two decades, and there have always been construction crews shuttling around the region during each visit.
You’d be hard-pressed today to find a concession in the region that doesn’t have dust swirls from the movement of construction equipment and crews.
But equally impressive is what’s going on within the structures – the endless trials of new varieties and new crops, the highly automated packing lines, the advancements in lighting strategies for year-round production, and the advances in pest management.
It’s no coincidence that this level of growth and innovation is going on within a 30-minute or so drive of North America’s largest greenhouse vegetable research facility – the Harrow Research and Development Centre.
It’s interesting to note the sprawling Harrow complex is itself welcoming investment this year with construction of a new greenhouse.
Completion is expected this fall, and it will be immediately put to good use – there’s never any shortage of research ideas for the scientists there to tackle.
Harrow researchers work closely with the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers association in identifying major challenges and opportunities. Projects are not confined to the hightech facilities at Harrow but also to commercial greenhouses in the area.
The Harrow team is a mix of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada scientists and technicians, along with research/extension specialists with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
DR. XIUMING HAO
Greenhouse vegetables are increasingly becoming a year-round brand in Canada, and much of the science behind this trend is being carried out at Harrow.
• The winter crop study is a comprehensive five-year project sponsored by the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the AgriInnovation program of Growing Forward 2. The project will conclude in 2018.
• A new project, specifically focusing on LED lighting, was also funded by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
Year-round production
is just one of the many initiatives now underway at North America’s largest greenhouse vegetable research centre.
UPDATE: APPROACH’
BY DAVE HARRISON
Dr. Xiuming Hao is leading the projects that involve AAFC colleagues at Harrow, Guelph and London research centres; the University of Guelph; and OMAFRA specialists.
Lighting is making it all possible, and the research has to account for all the variables associated with lit crops. They’re looking at the complete package, including nutrition, pest and disease management, and energy efficiency issues, among others.
Year-round market demand for locally grown vegetables: The market is asking for locally grown, consistent quality, premium brand produce year-round. Winter prices tend to be a little higher, and retailers prefer to work with a single supplier, rather than having to look to other suppliers in the winter – and that’s all good news for growers.
The current projects are building on work from earlier studies on crop lighting, including:
• From 2004 to 2008, the focus was on year-round production of cucumbers – long English and mini. Using HPS lighting, annual cucumber yields were increased by 100 to 150 per cent in comparison to unlit crops.
• And then from 2009 to 2013, researchers turned their attention to hybrid lighting systems – overhead HPS and intra-canopy LEDs – in a vertical lighting strategy with tomatoes. Roughly 60 per cent of the lighting was on top, with LEDs supplying the remainder within the canopy.
Supplemental lighting of tomatoes by itself can be too much of a good thing –the plants are sensitive to extended photoperiods, often leading to leaf chlorosis problems if the plant is pushed beyond its limit.
Dynamic Temperature Integration: Hao’s group came up with Dynamic Temperature Integration (TI) strategies. This involves a pre-night temperature drop of a half hour to two hours or so. The larger surface area of the leaves means they will cool faster than the fruit. This redirects the plant growth balance more towards the fruit for higher yields. It also means less chance of leaf chlorosis.
It’s important that the 24-hour temperature setting is maintained by incorporating slightly higher daytime temperatures.
The other benefit is that the lower evening temperatures also mean energy
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Dr. Xiuming Hao has been studying a variety of lighting strategies with greenhouse vegetable crops.
savings, especially within greenhouses that don’t have energy curtains. “With energy curtains,” Hao explains, “the savings aren’t as great.”
Next up were mini-cucumbers. Thanks to improved micro-climate management and optimization of lighting, they have been able to extend the lifespan of the crop from three to six months. Just as impressive, there has been no need for pest sprays during trials the past two years.
With a conventional system, four crops are grown each year, with yields of about 15 kgs/sq/m per crop.
However with lighting, they grew a single winter crop from October to March achieving yields of about 60 kgs/sq/m. Adding a summer crop, then, would mean a doubling of the normal yearround yields with conventional crops. There would also be considerable savings on transplants and labour.
The team then looked at peppers last year, and again achieved impressive results. The key was cultivar selection – some respond well to lighting, while others do not.
The crop was planted in October and was finished in mid-April. Yields of 20 to 21 kgs/sq/m were recorded in the best treatment, and the trial was only terminated because the plants had outgrown the height of the greenhouse. Given a taller structure, the crop could have kept producing through to the end of August.
Normally, in a regular commercial greenhouse, full-year production yields of 25 to 28 kgs/sq/m are achieved.
Hao is looking forward to the fall and the completion of Harrow’s newest
greenhouse that will be seven metres to the gutter, and able to accommodate the growth of the lit pepper crop. “This new greenhouse will allow us to finish the pepper trial and have a full year with the crop. But the early results are very promising.”
The new greenhouse will also feature anti-reflection coating on both sides of its diffused glass.
The Dynamic Temperature Integration (TI) strategies were also applied to the pepper trial, and with excellent results. Despite the longer photoperiod, there was very little leaf chlorosis. It also improved yields in March and April.
TI is now being applied to cucumber crops – long English and minis.
Far-red LED Light: Work is also continuing on work with Far-red LED Light. Under HPS lighting, leaves tend to be small and compact. A lot of the light ends up on the floor and is not intercepted by the leaves. The more light that is intercepted by the canopy, the better the rate of whole plant photosynthesis.
There is a solution. A small dose of Farred light on the top of the crop will make the leaves and canopy bigger because the plants think they are being shaded. They will stretch and the leaves will grow larger to intercept more light, resulting in faster early growth and a high early yield.
“And you only need a small dose,” Hao explains.
The treatment has worked well on tomatoes. Trials last year with cucumbers were not as impressive, but that’s because the plants grow so fast.
This year the team is turning its attention to sweet peppers. Being a slower
growing crop, much like tomatoes, the plants were quite compact under HPS, so the expectation is that the sweet pepper trials will achieve similar results as seen with tomatoes.
Vertical distribution light recipes: In the LED lighting study funded by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Hao is working with colleagues at several centres and looking at vertical distribution light recipes for all three major crops.
“With LEDs you have a very narrow light spectrum,” says Hao. “You can change the light composition recipe.”
Considerable LED work has been done with leaf vegetable crops, such as lettuce and basil, but not as much with the larger fruiting vegetable crops, such as tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.
LED lighting will improve leaf growth, and with crops such as lettuce and basil, that’s what you want. However, with tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers, researchers want to see the benefits also in the fruit. “We want to have good leaf growth and photosynthesis,” says Hao, “but we also want good fruit quality and improved yields.”
The vertical light distribution profile can be optimized by LEDs. Earlier studies
looked at the intensity of light distribution, but now they’ll now also be looking at the light spectrum distribution. “Within the crop,” notes Hao, “the requirements for leaf growth and canopy growth will be different than the requirements for fruit growth.” Each will require a different light spectrum.
For example, you can increase the anti-oxidant content of cucumbers by applying blue LED light to the fruit.
“You want to have the optimal vertical light distribution with the proper light recipe. You want light that is good for leaf growth to produce high yields, and light that is good for fruit growth with high nutritional value and better fruit quality.”
• Dr. Rong Cao of the Guelph Research and Development Centre of AAFC is a food anti-oxidant specialist. He will be looking at light recipes to improve the anti-oxidant content of tomatoes, cucumbers and sweet peppers.
• Prof. Bernie Grodzinski of the University of Guelph and graduate student Jason Lanoue are studying how LEDs can improve the translocation of photo-
assimilates from the leaves to the fruit to increase yields.
• Dr. Aiming Wang of the London Research Centre of AAFC is looking at how light recipes can improve virus resistance.
• Harrow colleagues Dr. Rose Labbé (pest management) and Dr. Geneviève Marchand (plant diseases) of AAFC, and OMAFRA extension specialists Shalin Khosla (crop specialist) and Cara McCreary (pest management) are other key researchers on the projects.
“It’s a total team approach,” says Hao.
DR. ROSE LABBÉ
More and more greenhouse vegetable growers are moving into year-round production, and some of the big questions hover around pest management.
The industry has a pretty good handle on how bugs and predators interact during regular growing seasons and natural light conditions. But how does winter supplemental lighting affect their behaviour? What do growers need to know to keep things in check? Do the usual IPM strategies work under the
lights? Entomologist Dr. Rose Labbé is answering those questions.
She and her pest management team are part of the five-year AgriInnovation project spearheaded by Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, with funding support from Growing Forward 2.
“Greenhouses are starting to take up this technology pretty readily,” says Labbé, “so we have to know how our bugs are going to respond to lighting.”
The project is entering its fifth and final year, with much accomplished and much yet to learn.
Insect response to supplemental lighting: Since pests like whiteflies are often more tropical in origin, will they respond with a population explosion, she wonders. In contrast, spider mites can undergo diapause in winter conditions, so the addition of lighting changes things.
Her team is studying generalist predators, including Orius and Dicyphus. The lights, they’re finding, are no problem for them. They’re establishing quite nicely under lit winter conditions.
In an Orius trial last year, the results were quite positive under blue LED
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A robotic sprayer, another example of the move towards greater automation in the industry.
conditions. This year their response to red LEDs is being tested.
Orius is used on pepper crops and is a good thrips predator.
Tests were also done last year with Dicyphus. It’s more of a whitefly predator
in tomato crops.
Dicyphus really responded well to the lights compared to a control group in unlit conditions. Researchers also counted the number of nymphs produced under all lighting treatments – LEDs and HPS –and found fecundity rates were at a pretty high level. This would translate to better suppression of pests like whitefly in the wintertime, sensitive to daylength, so it can keep replicating at a relatively high rate in wintertime. It’s a mismatch with predators in the winter, Labbé stresses. So improving predator establishment in winter is important.
In addition to the effectiveness of predators, Labbé stresses the importance of growers starting with a clean crop, to minimize the amount of pest pressure at the start of any season.
Supplemental food sources: In a second trial, she is continuing work started by predecessor Dr. Les Shipp in studying supplemental food sources to establish and maintain predator populations. The use of supplemental food sources is quite common in Europe, but the practice is not yet as common in Canada.
“Here we have our own generalist predators, such as Orius insidiosus and Dicyphus, whereas Europe has its unique species, including Macrolophus and Orius laevigatus So it was important for us to see how our predators would respond to these new diets.”
There are two food sources being trialled – Ephestia (flour moth eggs) and Artemia (brine shrimp cysts).
Orius insidiosus didn’t develop very
well on the Artemia, but it did respond well to a combination of Ephestia and pollen. Dicyphus however, responded better to the Artemia.
Maintaining predator populations can be a lot cheaper than re-establishing them within the crop on a regular basis.
Some European firms have combined Ephestia and Artemia as a more economical option. Ephestia may be better nutritionally for the predators, but it’s also a little pricier.
Labbé is also continuing work on Typhlodrompis montdorensis, a promising new predatory mite not yet registered in Canada. It’s being used extensively in Europe with good success.
Working with thrips in Harrow pepper crops, Typhlodrompis topped all predators even though it had been shipped from Europe. “It is a potential new tool and effective under winter conditions.”
In Europe, in a cool climate, its reproduction rate is quite high. It is not yet approved for commercial import.
Labbé has been working with OMAFRA colleague Cara McCready on some insect screening trials. While it can be quite effective, it is expensive. As well, Ontario summers can get quite humid and ventilation is a key consideration for growers. “We wanted to determine the maximum mesh size you could go and still control the targeted pests while maintaining good airflow.”
DR. GENEVIÈVE MARCHAND
Dr. Geneviève Marchand is the newest member of the team.
The plant pathologist completed her PhD studies at Laval University working with Dr. Richard Bélanger on a number of projects, including powdery mildew control. Her thesis focus was on a new biocontrol agent being developed to control powdery mildew in greenhouse vegetables and some ornamentals.
That research was her introduction to greenhouse vegetable pathology.
Of particular interest to her are biopesticides and integrated pest management (IPM).
At the time of my visit, she was just setting up her research program and looking forward to assisting growers across Canada. There are already a number of biocontrol products registered, and more are needed. “There is considerable research underway on developing more biopesticides and this is very good news because we need more of them.”
She recently worked with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Pest Management Centre. “I’m well aware of the challenges in getting biopesticides registered.”
She will also be researching ways of using existing disease biocontrol products as part of IPM programs.
The interest in biopesticides has been growing in recent years, she explains. They can be very effective, and a useful tool in managing the development of pathogen resistance to pesticides. Depending on their mode of action, the development of resistance is possible with biopesticides, “but generally speaking the risk is much lower than with most conventional pesticides. That’s a big part of their attractiveness.”
SHALIN KHOSLA
The Ontario greenhouse vegetable industry is showing no signs of a slowdown. Some 165 acres were added in 2016, said OMAFRA greenhouse vegetable specialist Shalin Khosla, and about 200 acres of new construction is underway this year. A number of 2018 projects are already on the drawing board.
The growth trend we’ve seen over the past two decades or so is continuing with enthusiasm; almost every concession in the Leamington and Kingsville areas has a construction crew or two
hard at work.
Almost of all of the new construction is with glass, whereas for a number of years double-poly was the dominant covering with new projects. All three major crops – tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers – work well under glass. “The industry has learned to grow all three crops very well under glass,” says Khosla. “They’re getting very good results with glass.”
Double-poly used to have the energy-savings advantage, but energy curtains in the glass houses have evened the playing field. Some growers are even looking at double curtains to further improve energy savings within their glass greenhouses.
A number of growers with double-poly are also looking at curtains.
Major crops: Tomatoes are still the top crop in Ontario, followed by peppers and cucumbers. But there have been increases in some of the other crops, such as eggplants, strawberries and lettuce.
A growing trend is with the use of supplemental lighting, with several farms now harvesting winter crops. There are about 100 acres of lit greenhouses in the province, and that number is steadily on the rise.
Most of this is HPS lighting, noted Khosla, but there are numerous commercial trials underway incorporating LEDs, along with a few acres with LED-only lighting.
Leading edge lighting research has been carried out at the Harrow Research Station over the past four years as a project of the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers, OMAFRA and AgCanada, with funding provided by Growing Forward 2.
“There have been some very interesting results,” said Khosla. The research has prompted growers to install lights because they’re now more comfortable using them. “The growers who have installed them have seen good potential.”
Consumers are asking for locally grown vegetables year-round, and the greenhouse sector is working to meet that demand. Lights are essential for winter production.
“Growers can provide high quality, locally grown vegetables produced at the highest food safety standards throughout the year.”
Crop diversification: There is also a continued diversification of crops, including many new categories within each of the commodities. “There is so much variety for consumers, so many different shapes, sizes and flavours.”
Most growers recycle their water, with very little – if any –discharge. There are several ways they’re accomplishing this, said Khosla, including using high quality fertilizers and by being more precise in their watering and fertilizing program.
And when they do have to discharge water, it’s safely done through the Nutrient Management Act with a Nutrient Management Plan, or with land application through the Ontario Water Resources Act of the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Control. The third possibility is through the municipal sewer system, if that option is available to them.
More work is being done to further improve efficiency in the greenhouse, “so that there are fewer litres of water and fewer kilograms of fertilizer used to produce the same number of kilograms of product.”
Industry innovation: A number of tomato and cucumber growers are growing winter crops under lights. Mucci Farms is one of them, now growing 15 acres of tomatoes under lights during the winter.
“The crop is doing very well,” said Fabio Ingratta during my tour of the greenhouse in March.
“They always say that light is the most important factor in growing, and we’ve seen how well the artificial lights really work.”
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The innovative pipe-lifting cart at Allegro Farms is a highly effective, low technology unit.
Growing methods and nutrition and watering programs have to be adjusted, he said, but the results are impressive. So much so that the farm is extending its lighting program into its other greenhouses and with other crops.
“The important thing is that we can now produce Canadian product 12 months of the year.” The usual spring crop will follow the winter crop.
Ground cover replacement: Nick and Gene Ingratta of Allegro Farms make use of an innovative cart – it’s like a modified appliance dolly – when it comes time to replace their ground cover.
In the past, their crews used to lift up the heating pipes and place them on hooks when replacing the ground cover, and would then have to return to lower the pipes once the ground cover was in place. It was exhausting work, with a lot of lifting. As well, resting the pipes on the hooks placed some stress on the roof.
The Ingrattas put new plastic down every year, so the process was a major undertaking.
However, the new cart has made things so much easier. It’s now a two-person operation. The employee with the cart can easily raise the pipes several inches by lowering the cart handle, thereby raising the built-in pipe rests at the end of the cart. A colleague can then roll out the ground cover. After that, the cart is moved further down the row and the process repeated until the whole row has a new ground cover.
Automated packing line: Mucci Farms recently installed a state-of-the-art cucumber packing facility. They grow long English, mini and cocktail cucumbers.
Virtually every part of the process has been automated, from the transport of the harvesting bins from the greenhouse to the pack area, to the unloading of the cucumbers, and to the packaging and palletizing.
There are a handful of workers helping ensure the cucumbers move through the system with no bottlenecks, but it’s largely hands-free.
The carts are also automatically cleaned in a high-pressure hot
water sanitizing unit before being pulled back to the greenhouse.
“There is very little handling by our employees at all,” said cucumber grower Guy Totaro. “Virtually all the tasks have been automated.”
There is even a robotic arm unit used to pack cocktail cucumbers.
Greenhouse lettuce:Mucci Farms, one of the oldest greenhouse vegetable operations in the province, grows tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and eggplant. Reflecting the industry trend towards diversification, they’ve recently added lettuce (two acres) and strawberries (15 acres).
The newer crops are not for the faint of heart. “Both crops are very challenging, very easy to screw up,” said Bert Mucci. “There’s definitely a learning curve.”
The lettuce crop is a highly automated floating production system, including the seeding, pot filling, fertilizing and transplanting processes. As well, the plants are automatically brought to a central packing area for greater harvesting efficiency.
The system is the first of its kind in North America.
They grow 6500 heads of Naked Leaf Living Lettuce a day. “You won’t find anything fresher or cleaner than the way we’re growing it,” says Mucci.
The company has plans to add another four acres of lettuce.
Robotics research: Dr. Medhat Moussa of the University of Guelph has done considerable work with greenhouse robotics, and continues to work with growers on new initiatives. He’s now developing robotic carts to assist with pest scouting programs.
Ontario greenhouse vegetable growers do indeed have a big appetite for leading edge automation and innovation.
CARA McCREARY
The past two Ontario winters have been relatively mild, so greenhouse vegetable growers have had to deal with slightly higher than normal pest pressures.
And one of the new tools they’re using is sticky tape, which can be especially effective against whitefly.
Cara McCreary, the greenhouse vegetable IPM specialist with OMAFRA, says use of sticky tape for mass trapping has been growing.
She noticed a fair amount used in 2015. There was even more used last year.
“Many greenhouses that hadn’t used it in 2015 started using it last year, and those who had used it were using it even more,” says McCreary.
Some who had strung it every other row the year before were now using it over ever row. “They saw the difference in the rows that had the sticky tape.”
It’s not easy to put up, but it stays up throughout the season. And there are new clips being used that make it much easier to move up and down over the crop, and easier to install, too.
The tape, combined with an increase in biologicals, made a big difference to tomato and cucumber growers who faced significant whitefly pressures in 2015.
The mild winter may have contributed to slightly higher thrips pressures early in the season this year. One of its biggest predator threats – Orius – diapauses through the winter, giving the pest a head start in the crop.
McCreary has been involved with insect studies under winter lighting conditions, working closely with AAFC colleague Dr. Rose Labbé. The work is part of a five-year winter crop study sponsored by the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers and AAFC, with funding support from the AgriInnovation programs of Growing Forward 2.
There are still some questions of how the pests and predators will respond to the lights, she says. Some of them don’t do well under regular winter short day conditions, so the lights may improve their activity. Good news if they’re predators; not so good news if they’re pests.
Among other projects, work with exclusion screening looks very promising. It’s still a fairly new concept and some growers are worried about the reduced airflow during hot and humid summer conditions.
But depending on what you want to exclude, the screens can be quite effective with no major impact on the greenhouse environment.
In Mexico, they use screening down to about the whitefly level, a very small mesh size. While they may not have the same humidity levels as those of southwestern Ontario, they definitely have the heat.
Commercial trials are underway in Ontario. The mesh is large enough to let thrips through. However, the screen fabric is still keeping them out – the insects are possibly confused by the material. Populations were monitored outside the greenhouse and inside the greenhouse, “and there was a dramatic reduction in the number of thrips inside.”
Greenhouse strawberries: McCreary is also looking at pest management in strawberries. This is a relatively new greenhouse crop in the region, but new acreage is being added each year.
She wants to know what pests and diseases are occurring, and what are the best controls.
“We can take some of the information from field production but we don’t always get the same pests and diseases in the greenhouse that they do.”
She’s looking into existing biological control agents that might work with greenhouse strawberries, and will then do the trials to find the optimal rates.
They also need to know what other products may be required to support growers. There are some products available, mostly biopesticides and some conventional pesticides, but not many.
“We’re looking for other products that could fit with strawberry production,” says McCreary. “This will be a long-term, ongoing project of monitoring.”
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trials by Harrow researchers at Allegro Farms.
Powerful predator
Myths and facts about Dicyphus Hesperus, effective in whitefly and spider mite control.
BY DR. ABIDA NASREEN
What is Dicyphus hesperus?
Dicyphus was developed as a biocontrol agent in North America for the same role as the predator Macrolophus in Europe to control whiteflies on tomato crops. Macrolophus is not native in North America and is not allowed to be imported. Dicyphus, like Macrolophus, belongs to family Miridae and share the same characteristics. These bugs are generalist predators having preference for whiteflies and spider mites. They have also been observed feeding on moth eggs and aphids.
Young bugs of both predators are green. Adults of Dicyphus are blackish with mottled creamy wings, and banded antennae. They have red eyes, and an elongated shape like that of Macrolophus.
The predators lay two to three eggs per day in plant tissues, and pass through four to five nymph stages to become adults. Dicyphus develops from egg to adult in 30 days at 24 C. The prevailing environment and availability of good quality food
are key factors for the population development of the predators. Young and the adult bugs get water out of plant sap or dewdrops for their metabolic needs. Long legs and their membranous wings enable the predators to walk efficiently over the glandular trichrome on tomato leaves and fly between the plants. Dicyphus has been demonstrated to be a true biological solution of whiteflies on greenhouse tomato crops.
AVAILABILITY AND DISTRIBUTION TECHNIQUES
With Dicyphus hesperus in buckwheat, the introduction rate for preventive applications is estimated to be one to two adult bugs/m2, noting that establishment takes at least six weeks. Sprinkle material on clean rockwool slabs or on leaves. Spread material thinly (maximum 1 cm thick) to enable easy movement of predatory bugs. A combination of mullein banker plant system with
the start of tomato crop in the greenhouse and later the augmentative releases have been admired for the excellent control of whiteflies and spider mites. Curative applications are also very effective to control whiteflies on the tomato crops but higher rates of predators per square metre are required. One pack of 250 Dicyphus adults is good to control a whitefly hot spot covering a 25-50 square metre crop area.
IS MULLEIN PLANT NECESSARY FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF DICYPHUS?
It is not always necessary to use mullein plants to support development of Dicyphus populations on tomato crops. It is equally good when applied directly onto the tomato crops just like other natural enemies. The mullein banker plants sprinkled with bugfeed provide a secure breeding habitat to the predators and thus assist in developing its populations before whiteflies invade the crops. Use of the bugfeed loose in feeder cups or hanging cards on tomato plants are found helpful to support the establishment of the predators in the crop preventively.
Monitoring: Examine plants with as little movement of the plant as possible because adults and nymphs move quickly and hide in the plant canopy when such disturbed. On tomatoes, adults and nymphs are often found on the midcanopy to top leaves feeding upon all stages of whiteflies including the minute eggs.
Does Dicyphus go under diapause?
The California strain of Dicyphus that is being mass-produced doesn’t get diapause in the greenhouse conditions, which is very much suitable for year-round use as an effective whitefly biocontrol.
Does Dicyphus damage fruits and plants? Dicyphus, like other bugs of its family, sucks a tiny amount of plant sap or dew drops to meet its need of water for digestion and body metabolism. It has been proved through research that Dicyphus hesperus prefer leaves on fruits to get water and did not cause significant damage to the fruits. Feeding specs can be seen on the tomato fruit if the predator population exceeds 100 predators per plant and the pest numbers are very low.
Is Dicyphus a good flyer? Yes, Dicyphus nymphs and adults are good searchers just like other members of the miridae family like Macrolophus and Nesidiocorus spp. Nymphs move from plant to plant, whereas adults can fly
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efficiently in the crop.
Conclusion: Dicyphus hesperus is a voracious predatory bug that appears to have preference for whiteflies, aphids and mites. They have also been observed feeding on moth eggs and potato psyllids. Adult D. hesperus are very good fliers and will move through out large areas to find pests. Nymph stages of D. hesperus can’t fly but are fast walkers and will move swiftly up and down, and between the plants which are in contact with each other.
When using 25 mullein banker plants, release five bugs/banker plant for six weeks at the start of the crop, following by three
augmentative releases directly on to the crop at the rate of 0.15 bugs /m2 weekly or biweekly depending upon the whitefly population. Supplementary use of BugFeed is useful to boost predator populations on the banker plants during the starter phase of first six weeks. When the whiteflies are detected on a tomato crop, the best strategy of whitefly control is to release Dicyphus in batches of 100 adults per spot directly into the infested areas; releases should be continued weekly for three weeks.
Dr. Abida Nasreen is director of research and development with GrowLiv Ltd., www.growliv.com.
Nymph Dicyphus hesperus (top) and Macrolophus pygmaeus (bottom).
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WASTE HEAT Tapped By Major Quebec Grower
Heat and CO2 coming from the Resolute pulp mill will supply one of the most energy efficient greenhouses in North America – the Toundra Greenhouse.
BY GUILLAUME ROY
It’s -10 C outside and a foot of snow already covers the ground. An intense orange light appeared in the northern Lac Saint-Jean skies just over a month ago showing some signs of industrial development. But forget about any forestry or aluminum development like the region is used to. This time around, it’s all about cucumbers.
And it’s big – a $38-million greenhouse project spreading over 8.5 hectares. Inside, state-of-the art Dutch technology produces amazing results: 360 cucumbers per square metre, much more than the forecasted 275 per square metre.
It is now among the most productive
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greenhouse in Canada, says Eric Dubé, Toundra Greenhouse general manager, who compares the productivity to Québec’s (80 cucumbers per square metre) and Canada’s (200 cucumbers per square metre) averages. This means the production that started in November should reach a much bigger total than the 45 million cucumbers projected.
At the greenhouse open house in mid-December, everybody was celebrating the creation of 200 new jobs in this rural area. Local investors, Eric Dubé, and Caroline and Bertrand Fradette, are particularly thankful to Richard Garneau, CEO of Resolute Forest Product, who not
An aerial view of the Toundra Greenhouse and the nearby Resolute pulp mill.
only believed in the project, but also convinced his board to invest in the project to become a 40 per cent shareholder of Toundra Greenhouse.
Québec Premier Philippe Couillard, who also represents this riding in the provincial government, was also a key player in the project. “The government officials never saw a project like that before and all doors were closed at first, even when I was asking,” he said. We need to learn lessons and use this story as a case study to be more open to innovation, because we have great opportunities to innovate in rural areas.”
Indeed, the project had to go through many phases and countless problems before the first cucumber was harvested in November.
When I moved to St-Félicien, a town of 10,000 people about 450 kilometres north of Montreal in 2008, the agrothermic park idea dreamt by the local mayor was already a latent project looking for a promoter.
cogeneration plant negotiated a 25-year deal with Hydro-Québec at six cents per kWh, the plant’s future was shaken.
In 2009, St-Félicien received a $5 million subsidy to build the heat-transfer infrastructure from the cogeneration plant to a 28-ha field they bought across the street.
Many promoters evaluated the project but nothing was proposed. Who would make a big greenhouse investment that relies on an uncertain energy source?
But everything changed with the arrival of Eric Dubé, a Royal Bank investor
from Montreal who moved to the region when the bank was heavily investing in local agricultural lands. After the bank changed its plans, Dubé stayed in the region to invest in a potato business and other agricultural projects.
He learned about the agrothermic park by talking with the mayor. This was a big and ambitious project he liked right away. He then met local investors Bertrand and Caroline Fradette, who owned a lumber mill in the 1970s, who were also interested.
Gilles Potvin actually started dreaming about this back in 1989 when he was the town’s industrial commissioner. Back then, wood residues were a problem and people were looking for ways to use those to create value.
That’s when a cogeneration plant idea came up. The plan: turn the wood residues to power. A good but kind of wasteful idea when we know that 80 per cent of the power generated is lost in the form of heat.
Gilles Potvin then came up with the idea of an agrothermic park. The extra heat could be used as an industrial economic development lever to develop a 30-hectare greenhouse hub and a 20-ha industrial area for forest products.
At first, the project looked perfect, but as time went by, wood residues gained value and became scarce as more projects arose.
From $5/ton when the plant was built in 2000, the wood residue price reached $18/ton in 2006. And since the
system for a unique growth
LEFT Production is in full swing and markets are growing.
RIGHT Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard was accompanied by a large group of provincial and federal politicians, Resolute Forest Products board members and Toundra Greenhouse officials for a tour of the 8.5-hectare complex.
In 2015, the cogeneration plant was for sale and they prepared to make an offer, but Enel Renewable Energy sold their 21-megawatt power plant to Greenleaf Power.
To find a reliable source of thermal energy they decided to look away from the cogeneration plant. Who was the other industrial partner with heat available nearby? The answer: Resolute Forest Product, with its pulp mill 15 kilometres from the downtown area.
When Dubé asked for a meeting with Richard Garneau, Resolute CEO, in February 2014, he was offered 10 minutes for his pitch. “We ended up spending an hour together. This was the beginning of a successful relationship.”
Stunned by the proposal to make a business partnership to grow cucumbers, Garneau readily asked, “Is there a market?” He needed this kind of information to convince the Resolute board to jump on board.
And Dubé replied quickly. In July, he came back with a Sobey’s promise to buy all their cucumber needs after meeting with Yvan Ouellet, Sobey’s procurement and merchandizing vice-president. “We believed in this bold and crazy project. And today, cucumbers produced here can be found in 450 points of sale in the province,” he said.
From then on, Resolute agreed to be a 40 per cent partner in the project and to allocate a field close to the pulp mill for the project, but Garneau stated his conditions. Local partners had to come up with a good business plan and use an efficient and recognized technology. The municipality also needed to be a partner and the workforce should be found locally.
The Sobey’s commitment was important, but the challenges were far from over. The agricultural zoning had to be changed. Local support was challenged when the mayor proposed investing millions of dollars in water supply infrastructure. Construction workers also protested when Dutch workers came to build the greenhouses.
But in the end, the project was completed on schedule and on budget.
In the greenhouses, an integrated computer system controls more than 700 environmental parameters, ranging from lighting, humidity, fertilizers and CO2 level controls. To improve plant growth, extra CO2, derived from natural gas combustion, is injected in the greenhouse, increasing the concentrations from 340 ppm to 800 ppm.
But that’s not all, since CO2 Solutions, a carbon capture specialized business, will build its first commercial $7.4 million project to feed the greenhouses with 30 tons of CO2 per day captured from the pulp mill, the equivalent of 2300 cars off the road. To do so, CO2 Solutions, which already has a 10-ton per day demonstration unit in operation, uses an enzyme-based proven technology, says Evan Price, the company’s president and CEO. The project will be completed in 2018.
And that’s not the only byproduct coming from the mill, since 25 per cent of the energy comes from the heat released in the pulp-making processes. The remaining energy comes from natural gas boilers.
The plants, which receive 20 hours/day of lighting, are irrigated and fertilized simultaneously and all elements not absorbed are recycled. Likewise, 98 per cent of the water is obtained from precipitation collected in basins or recycled through the recirculation system. Toundra does not use pesticides and relies on integrated pest management.
All of this is just the first phase of a $100-million-project covering 34 hectares planned over the next years. Hard to say when the next phases will be built, but the promoters are optimistic and other vegetables could be grown.
More good news for Toundra: Subway restaurants just signed a contract to supply 600 Québec and 250 Eastern Canada restaurants with Toundra cucumbers.
For Gilles Potvin, this project exemplifies the birth of a new ecological industrial era, where waste can become huge opportunities for others.
Guillame Roy is the editor of Opérations forestières et de scierie, a sister publication of Greenhouse Canada
MistTime software update
Dramm has unveiled an upgrade to its MistTime misting controller. The unit can now accommodate durations of up to 60 minutes. While this is not necessarily useful for propagation or other normal misting activities, it allows the controller to operate as a pulse irrigation system in addition to its normal operation, increasing its flexibility. www.dramm.com
Recyclable rEarth products
The rEarth line of recyclable containers continues to expand. As organic growing becomes more popular and grower interest in recycled containers increases, this line’s popularity continues to grow. McConkey’s Million Bottle Club recognizes growers and retailers who have saved one million or more water bottles from landfills by growing in rEarth containers. www. mcconkeyco.com
Cordless Pruner
The Cordless Pruner from Black & Decker helps to alleviate stress on the body, as it presents a 4V MAX lithium ion powered cutting experience, cutting out the labour intensive aspect of pruning. Its battery life offers up to 500 effortless cuts per charge. www. blackanddecker.com
CANADA CLASSIFIEDS
CLASSIFIED RATES: Minimum order $75.00 or 84¢ per word, word ads must be pre-paid. CLASSIFIED DISPLAYS: $72.00 per column inch, or $5.14 per agate line. GENERAL INFORMATION: Payment must accompany order. Copy required by the 1st of the month preceding publication. All advertising copy subject to the approval of the publisher. Send order and remittance to: Classified Dept., Greenhouse Canada, P.O. Box 530, 105 Donly Dr. S., Simcoe, ON N3Y 4N5
EQUIPMENT FOR SALE
FOR SALE: 60 Shipping carts 44x46" complete with 7 shelves each. Approx. 40,000 feet of drip line, used one season, in 100' lengths Best Offer. Call 519-317-4920. 06/1t/pd
REAL ESTATE
TWO GREAT GUELPH AREA BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES:
#1, TURN-KEY GARDEN CENTRE FOR SALE on 9 acres of owned land, with nicely updated home for owner/manager. Established in 1988; market leader in the Guelph area ; profitable with potential to become much more so in the years ahead. A true once in a lifetime opportunity for the right buyer!
#2, LOST HORIZONS PERENNIALS NURSERY. Renowned throughout Southern Ontario and beyond as THE go-to source for rare perennials - over 3,000 varieties in-stock. 5.5 acres including 2.5 acre public display gardens and upgraded heritage residence. Original owner will assist in the transition. For details on both of these great business opportunities, go to prosper.ca or phone Steve Dawkins, Broker with REMAX Real Estate Centre Inc., Brokerage Toll Free: 1-855-95-REMAX 06/1t/pd
FOR SALE: Greenhouse complex with 54,000 sq. ft. of growing space, office, lunch room, work shop, filling and seeding building, freezer/ refrigeration building, storage building, beautiful 4 bedroom home with 1 and 1/2 bath, screened porch on approx 10 acres of land with 30 foot access to fresh northern lake. Excellent infrastructure and extremely high quality/quantity of water. Asking $650,000. Call 807-355-8432 or email joyneill@hotmail.com. Owner retiring. 06/1t/pd
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INSIDE VIEW
GARY JONES | Gary.Jones@kpu.ca
How to succeed with succession
“They” (whoever “they” are) say that the only thing that’s constant is change. We face change continually. Home, family circumstances, career, country … and businesses change. Change of crops, markets, employees, technology and eventually, if they survive long enough, ownership. Transition to a new owner is often difficult enough. Succession to a new generation within the family has particular challenges, and especially, for some reason, to a third generation. So what makes it work? Or not?
I’m no succession expert by any means. But from the family business transitions I’ve seen, I’ll offer a few observations. So, in no particular order, here we go.
INCREASING THE LIKELIHOOD OF SUCCESS
Timing. Do it earlier rather than later. Succession can be a hard discussion to have, since it’s very personal for all parties. It’s tempting to put it off. Families that have made the transition successfully seem to do so because they’re not afraid to deal with this elephant in the room.
being a grower. New generations increasingly need a diverse and competent skill-set, being confident, yet not “know-it-alls.” There is no substitute for experience.
Deal with emotions. Recognize that this will be an emotional time. You may need to also recognize that you’d benefit from someone (friend, respected industry associate, professional) to help you work through this journey.
AVOIDING DISAPPOINTMENT
Timing. Again. At some point, the parental generation has to accept there will be a time to move over and let the next generation take over. Too often this is a stumbling block. Too easily it causes a “falling out” between family members, which is particularly sad. Businesses can come and go, but family relationships can be extremely difficult, occasionally impossible, to repair. Do what you can to guard against this.
Parental income. The process can be especially challenging if those leaving don’t have a reliable source of income once they exit the business. This is another reason to address succession earlier rather than later.
Seek professional guidance from those qualified to provide it.
Timing is also important since the process can take a long time. It won’t happen overnight, so provide sufficient time to properly work it through. And clearly, since the parent generation is not getting younger (who is!), important decisions need to get dealt with while people are still capable of properly doing so.
Seek professional help. Succession has many tax and legal implications, so seek professional guidance from those qualified to provide it, such as accountants and business lawyers. Make use of government agencies that often provide help for family businesses to plan and implement succession.
Respect. The parental generation should have faith in the ability of the new generation. Likewise, the “youngsters” should learn to appreciate all the good things the parent(s) in building the business. Mutual respect needs to be fostered. Parents need to enable the new generation to be “let loose” while ensuring they know they’re supported. If either is missing, maybe succession needs to be re-evaluated.
Personal development. Technical knowledge, business savvy, leadership, labour management abilities. Being a grower is much more than, well,
Sibling power. Succession may be complicated if there are multiple siblings involved, in particular if some don’t want to be involved and want their “share” paid out. Control and not adopting new technology or investing. “But we’ve done it this way for the past 25 years!” Maybe. But the world moves on, and the business has to move with it. Lack of faith in the new generation is often a result of “my way or the highway” thinking from older generation. If the business is to succeed, it needs to adapt and change. Be brave – let go.
Conclusion: Above all, remember that everyone and every business is different. What works for one business may not be the best for yours. The experience of others can help, but there are probably characteristics of you, your family and your business that make your situation unique. That’s not necessarily bad, it’s just different. Get planning.
Gary Jones is co-chair of horticulture at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Langley, B.C. He serves on several industry committees and welcomes comments at Gary.Jones@kpu.ca.
From seed to table, higher quality with better taste.
A better-quality product for the consumer. An integrated, innovative greenhouse solution for you. That’s what Syngenta provides through quality genetics and new variety innovations. Your customers, and their dinner tables, deserve nothing less than the very best.
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