Greenhouses have long used solar power to grow plants and warm up spaces in chillier temperatures. Now, solar energy capture technology has come to the point where greenhouses can use solar power to generate electricity. Pg. 24. 16
Fine-tuning greenhouse energy controls Recommendations for lower cost sensors and more sophisticated climate control. BY
JOHN DIETZ
Editorial 4
Industry News 6, 8
Mirid survey 12
Native Canadian hemipteran predators of greenhouse pests.
Greenhouse strawberry production 28
What we’re learning about light spectrum and intensity.
VPD: A game changer 38
Keeping clean 42
Tips and tricks for keeping equipment in the best and most sterilized condition.
The big four in plant growth 46
LED grow lights 48
When you compare different lighting designs, make sure to compare apples with apples.
Celebrating half a century BC Hot House approaching 50 years in business.
BY MATT JONES
Using
VICTORIA RODRIGUEZMORRISON, DAVID LLEWELLYN AND DR. YOUBIN ZHENG
An energizing experience
The theme for this issue of Greenhouse Canada is energy, and it’s full of great articles related to energy controls, solar power and lighting for a variety of operations. And since energy is the theme for many of our stories, I thought it would be fun to share my experience with how I came to appreciate energy infrastructure and efficiency.
In my youth, being told not to waste energy was a regular part of my day-to-day interactions with my family. My father often reminded me to turn the lights off before leaving a room, or to know what I wanted before opening the refrigerator door. These lectures often caused my eyes to roll back into my head, as I didn’t take wasting energy very seriously. This poor behaviour started to change when I was introduced to life without power in my twenties. The first occurrence took place in 2003, when I was one of the 50 million people across Ontario and the northeastern U.S. who lost power to their homes for a few days in August. I can still remember making coffee for the first time using a barbecue (I don’t recommend this practice). My second experience without power was far less pleasant. While living in Wolfville, N.S. in 2004, there was a massive ice and snowstorm that knocked out the power for close to a week. This was an extra big problem because I lived in an apartment with electric baseboard heating.
While these experiences started to make me think about how I used energy, it wasn’t until my thirties when things really changed. That’s when I became a homeowner.
As my electricity, heating and water bills came in every month, I
quickly learned to take energy efficiency very seriously. All of a sudden, I was researching SEER ratings for new air conditioners and various upgrades for my furnace, and comparing the energy savings for different mechanicals with my potential return on investment. After a few years, I felt I had a pretty good handle on making my home more efficient.
Then my wonderful three children came into this world. It didn’t take long for me to start reminding the kids to turn off their lights when they leave their rooms, and not stand in front of the refrigerator with the door wide open staring into it endlessly. I’m fairly certain that I receive many eye rolls in response. Funny how that cycle continues…
Obviously, my experiences pale in comparison to the kind of energy issues and expenses that commercial greenhouse operators contend with on a daily basis. With the amount of electricity, heating and water needed to run operations, finding ways to become more energy efficient isn’t just a nice extra, it’s a necessity for survival. This issue isn’t going away anytime soon, and cost is only a piece of the puzzle. In some areas, the other concern is capacity.
In the Leamington and Kingsville areas, where the greenhouse industry is booming, it is expected that electricity demands will quadruple over the next 15 years. Ensuring the area has the capacity to fuel the industry’s growth is going to require significant investments in infrastructure, as well as some innovative thinking from energy and industry experts. Otherwise, that potential for growth will shrivel up, and nobody wants that.
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Partnering to support innovation in Northern Ontario
Agri-food innovation in Northern Ontario is receiving a boost with the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Bioenterprise Canada, known as Canada’s Food & Agri-Tech Engine, and Canadore College of Applied Arts and Technology.
Through this MOU, the College will be able to work more closely with Bioenterprise’s Northern Ontario team on projects and initiatives across Ontario’s North that support agri-food innovation and will have access to the Engine’s national network of experts, mentors, and resources.
“It’s always an exciting moment for Bioenterprise Canada when we have the chance to strengthen our network in Northern Ontario, and we’re proud to welcome Canadore College to the Engine,” says
Bioenterprise Canada CEO Dave Smardon. “Startups and entrepreneurs are always looking for ways to validate their innovations and Canadore College brings some much-needed capacity in this area to the Engine and to the agri-food sector in the north.”
A major focus for North Bay-based Canadore College is sustainability and innovation. The College launched the Research Centre focusing on applied research opportunities and solutions for industry and community partners. Through this MOU, Canadore’s expertise and facilities will be available to Engine members looking to validate innovations, and students will have access to experiential learning opportunities to make them workforce ready.
Source: Bioenterprise Canada.
VINELAND’S TREECULTURE RESEARCH PARK COMING SOON
Vineland has introduced a new TreeCulture Research Park. The two-acre facility will be ready to respond to climate change challenges commencing with the upcoming completion of the first phase of construction. Climate change is rapidly impacting the Canadian tree landscape, creating an immediate need for information dissemination throughout the urban tree value-chain and space to generate appliedresearch solutions that can be readily deployed in areas most needed.
Urban landscape field-scale research trials are essential in demonstrating the performance of solutions, however it is challenging to control variables in a real-world landscape. This is where the TreeCulture Research Park can make an impact.
Launching this fall, the first phase of construction
BY THE NUMBERS
will initially offer an open air laboratory containing 36 compartments that will expand to a robust 80-compartments facility.
The laboratory will feature Canada’s only individually instrumented tree compartments with integrated sensor technology to recreate conditions faced by trees in urban settings while recording trees’ responses to stress and monitoring weather, soil function and canopy health. The data generated will help develop new analytical approaches and support high-level advancements in the field.
With completion of this new facility, the program will continue to develop application mechanisms aimed at improving tree survival and increasing the sustainability of tree canopies and shrubs that can be applied in urban settings.
Reducing GHG emissions from fertilizer applications. Source: Government of Canada.
30% 10% 71%
Feds’ targeted reduction of GHG emissions arising from fertilizer application in agriculture sector by 2030 (from 2020 levels). Agriculture sector’s approximate contribution to Canada’s total GHG emissions.
The amount that fertilizer use has increased in Canada between 2005 and 2019.
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LEFT
Attendees check out an insect being researched for pest control applications at the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre.
Leading experts from around the world came together in Toronto to discuss the Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus (ToBRFV) this past August.
The 2022 ToBRFV Research Symposium drew more than 125 attendees to listen to 17 speakers present their latest research, technologies and industry updates from many areas of the world including Germany, the U.K., the Netherlands, Belgium, Israel, Jordan, the U.S. and Canada. The two-day symposium drew people from a wide-reaching audience that included research institutions, government, grower organizations, producers, propagators, seed companies, greenhouse suppliers, biocontrol companies, disinfectant/ crop protection companies, laboratories, media and more.
The event was a collaboration between OMAFRA, Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers, Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association, Flowers Canada (Ontario) and Agriculture and AgriFood Canada; with support from the Canadian Greenhouse Conference organizers and Vineland Research and Innovation Centre.
The symposium kicked off with a session by Dr. Nida’ Salem, professor of plant pathology, Department of Plant Protection at the University of
Jordan in Amman, Jordan. Salem’s presentation, “Epidemiology and management of ToBRFV,” looked at the impact of the new tobamovirus infecting tomato crops in Jordan since 2015. She discussed how the virus can spread extremely quickly infecting up to 100 per cent of a crop and creating yield losses anywhere between 25 and 100 per cent. Common causes of the spread of the virus include infected seeds; direct plant-to-plant contact by greenhouse workers, tools and clothing; and bumblebees. Salem recommended control methods to limit the source of ToBRFV, which included using virus-free certified seed; avoiding repeating tomato crops; removing root debris and any plant residues; and before planting, carefully disinfecting the greenhouse, stakes and tools. Concerns about contaminated seeds came up several times during the two-day symposium.
One of the most startling presentations where contaminated seeds were highlighted was presented by Dr. Michael Bledsoe, vice-president of food safety and regulatory affairs for Village Farms International for U.S. and Canada.
During his presentation, “Update on the North American Greenhouse Industry and Impact of the USDA/ APHIS Federal Order,” Bledsoe
2022 ToBRFV Research Symposium brings together researchers, growers and government officials from around the world in an effort to rid greenhouses of the destructive virus
BY ANDREW SNOOK
PHOTOS: ANDREW SNOOK.
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related to disinfection and resistance included:
· “Application of disinfectants to manage the emerging ToBRFV in greenhouse tomato” by Dr. Kai-Shu Ling;
· “Cleaning of ToBRFV from contaminated clothing of greenhouse employees” by Jens Ehlers;
which grows more than 100 varieties of herbs. The final stop offered a tour of the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre followed by a wine tasting at Foreign Affair Winery.
Look for detailed articles on some of the ToBRFV Research Symposium presentations in future issues of Greenhouse Canada
NATIVE CANADIAN hemipteran predators of greenhouse pests
To get the most out of your greenhouse biocontrol program, start with preventative strategies.
BY R. LABBE, L. DES MARTEAUX, J. MLYNAREK, S. VANLAERHOVEN, P. DESLOGES BARIL, C. DEMERS, A. LAFLAIR, D. C. FERNÁNDEZ
Among the diversity of biological control agents employed in greenhouses, hemipteran predators represent some of the most economically important and wellsuited natural enemies. These predators can offer excellent crop protection on challenging host plants such as tomato, whose trichomes and chemical secretions present a barrier for establishment of many other beneficial arthropod species. For instance, hemipteran predators in Europe proved to be effective at mediating crop damage by the
FIGURE 1
invasive tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta, because they could persist on tomato and feed heavily on leafminer eggs and larvae. The tomato leafminer has spread rapidly from South America across Europe, Africa, and Asia, causing yield losses of up to 100% for both fresh market and processing tomatoes grown in fields and greenhouses. We therefore began to consider how we could mediate the potential threat of this pest in Canada. In today’s global regulatory environment, the importation of
Surveyors of native predatory hemipterans across Ontario. Clockwise from top left: Dr. Rose Labbe, Paige Desloges Baril, Andrew Laflair, Dr. Julia Mlynarek.
non-native biocontrol agents into new areas is highly restricted, owing to concerns of non-target effects by such introduced species. As such, finding new agents to target the plethora of native and invasive greenhouse crop pests requires us to first explore the species we have available locally.
HEMIPTERAN
SURVEY: FOUR YEARS OF FIELD COLLECTIONS ACROSS ONTARIO
Between 2018 and 2021 we completed extensive surveys of natural and agricultural areas across Ontario to identify predatory hemipterans that can be easily maintained in lab colonies, establish well on greenhouse crops, and demonstrate good control potential for a diversity of arthropod pests (Figures 1 and 2). In total, these surveys yielded over 1,300 predatory hemipteran individuals across sites in northern and southern Ontario. Among the insects collected, we identified and successfully established colonies for several native predatory hemipterans: two predatory nabids (Nabis americoferus and Hoplistocelis pallescens) and three predatory mirids (Dicyphus discrepans, Dicyphus famelicus, and Macrolophus tenuicornis) (Figure 3).
STUDYING SPECIES OF INTEREST: D. DISCREPANS, D. FAMELICUS, M. TENUICORNIS, N. AMERICOFERUS, H. PALLESCENS
To date, we have characterized the life histories (adult lifespans, number of offspring produced by females over their lifetime) for D. famelicus, D. discrepans, and N. americoferus. We have also assessed their predatory capacities against eggs of Ephestia kuehniella (the Mediterranean flour moth) and are completing similar trials on eggs and first larval instars of another lepidopteran pest, Trichoplusia ni (cabbage looper); both moths serving as our proxies for T. absoluta. We confirmed that the mirids D. famelicus and D. discrepans successfully develop on tomato and can establish at the greenhouse level. Life history characterizations and predatory capacity trials for M. tenuicornis and H. pallescens are currently underway.
Adult female D. famelicus and D. discrepans live for 60 to 75 days, laying an average of 124 and 75 eggs over their lifespans, respectively. By comparison, D. hesperus – a commercially available
Dr.
collects target insects from a ‘beat sheet’ during her survey.
FIGURE 3:
Some of the native predatory hemipterans collected through surveys and now under study at the Harrow Research and Development Centre. A. Macrolophus tenuicornis, B. Dicyphus discrepans, C. Dicyphus famelicus, D. Nabis americoferus.
biocontrol agent and close relative of our mirids – lives approximately 51 days and lays an average of 63 eggs over their lifespan. Adult female N. americoferus survive approximately 58 days (up to 112 days) and can produce an average of 43 offspring in their lifetime. Dicyphus famelicus and D. discrepans consume roughly 42 flour moth eggs per day (Fig. 4), while N. americoferus can consume an average of 56 flour moth eggs per day. Dicyphus famelicus and D. discepans consume an average of 4.6 and 2.1 first instar cabbage larvae per day, respectively.
How do these candidate species compare to hemipterans currently commercialized for use against T.
absoluta? The biocontrol agents
Macrolophus pygmaeus and Nesiodicoris tenuis reportedly consume an average of 50 T. absoluta eggs per day. However, Mediterranean flour moth eggs (1.27 mg) weigh nearly double that of T. absoluta eggs (0.67 mg). Taking the difference in mass into consideration, our mirids consume the equivalent of roughly 80 T. absoluta eggs per day, while N. americoferus could consume over 100 T. absoluta eggs per day. Similarly, as first instar cabbage loopers weigh roughly three times that of first instar T. absoluta, our mirids likely exceed the moth larvae consumption rates of M. pygmaeus and N. tenuis (an average of 2 T. absoluta
Figure 2.
Julia Mlynarek
larvae per day).
Among our five candidate hemipteran predators we are therefore confident that at least some will be effective biocontrol agents against T. absoluta, and we have confirmed their broader utility by observing that they feed on additional greenhouse pests such as whitefly, spider mites, and thrips. Our ongoing work will determine the feasibility of maintaining colonies
FIGURE 4: A sea of snacks: Dicyphus famelicus consumes one of many Mediterranean flour moth eggs.
of these predators and how quickly they might establish in greenhouse crops, which is foundational for commercial development and application of biocontrol agents in Canadian greenhouses.
FUTURE WORK: IMPACT ON THE GREENHOUSE SECTOR
We are thrilled to have identified promising, novel, and native hemipteran biocontrol species for future commercial availability in Canada. We set our future sights on characterising these predators’ pest control range and optimising their mass rearing protocols, release schedules, and greenhouse placement. We will also determine whether large populations of these predators can damage greenhouse crops; a known drawback of other mirids such as N. tenuis.
We expect that these predators will have a significant value for commercial greenhouses nationally and abroad, and hope they will contribute to the overall sustainability of pest management in greenhouse environments. We are now also in conversation with prospective industry partners who may help to accelerate commercialization of these species.
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Fine-tuning greenhouse energy controls
The energy components in commercial high-tech greenhouse production can be significant. Look for recommendations from Harrow for lower cost sensors and much more sophisticated climate control.
BY JOHN DIETZ
There’s a teaser lurking below the surface in greenhouse engineer Quade Digweed. For three years, he’s been teasing apart measurable components in light, heat, humidity and ventilation for greenhouse vegetable production.
Now, his projects are coming together with insight into simultaneously saving money and finetuning climate control.
Graduating in 2017 from the Lakehead University mechanical engineering program, Digweed was brought on staff by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada as a junior greenhouse engineerin-training at the Harrow Research and Development Centre in Kingsville, Ont.
His mandate is to support controlled
ABOVE
environment agriculture research and development. The focus is on understanding greenhouse microclimate, cover materials, and novel sensor applications.
Sites for the research are two new research greenhouses at Harrow and a cooperative partnership with Allegro Acres Inc., a nearby commercial greenhouse in Kingsville. Allegro Acres recently expanded from four to 12 acres of winter greenhouse pepper production under LED lighting in a $6,458,000 cooperative project with Harrow RDC, Essex Energy and Sollum Technologies.
Previous generations of commercial greenhouses focused on general, or macro, climate control for whatever was being grown under cover. Operators
Previous generations of commercial greenhouses focused on macro climate control for whatever was being grown using manual controls. Now, efforts are moving toward microclimate control using sensor arrays that report to new-generation software.
In a two-acre zone, sensors won’t pick up the variables that may be happening 300 feet away. More sensors can reduce vulnerability, at a price.
used manual controls. Computeroperated automatic controls are common today. Now, efforts are moving toward microclimate control using sensor arrays that report to new-generation software.
“Think of the microclimate as a bubble around the plant, a blanket of still air surrounding it. The microclimate can vary across the greenhouse and is strongly influenced by crop structure (geometry) and greenhouse management,” Digweed wrote at the outset of this project.
Managers learned that uniform control of macroclimate does not guarantee a uniform microclimate. By teasing out the details of climate variables within the canopy, researchers believed they could identify areas prone to disease, better predict yield and even predict the influence of new technology on microclimate before installation.
The first objective, and easiest, was to replace high-cost sensors with lower-cost sensors.
Put life back
“Normally you’d have a temperature, humidity and CO2 sensor per zone in your climate control computer for a greenhouse. A commercial scale zone could be two acres. For research, a zone is only 50 square metres,” Digweed says.
In a two-acre zone, sensors won’t pick
up the variables that may be happening 300 feet away. More sensors can reduce vulnerability, at a price.
“You’re looking at $1,000 for a good, research-grade temperature and humidity sensor. Good quality light sensors are in the range $600 to $1,000 each.”
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LEFT
Given a few years further development, Digweed suggests, it may be that A.I. systems will eliminate the need for direct microclimate monitoring.
Collecting detailed microclimate measurements in a commercial greenhouse requires four types of sensors at, ideally, four heights or levels in the crop. That’s 16 sensors for one zone. The new Harrow research greenhouse each have four zones.
On that very practical cost issue, the Harrow research team began looking for alternate highly accurate sensors at less cost.
“We found that, if you were careful in what you looked for, you can get a highly accurate sensor at a much lower cost,” he says.
One type is a class of thermocouple, Type T, normally used for medical applications. “They fit our purposes very nicely. These sensors can be very fine, almost hair-thickness, and aren’t affected strongly by solar radiation or self-heating because they’re so tiny. They can even adhere to the leaf of a pepper plant,” he says.
A second type of sensor is from the automotive industry.
“We’ve been able to repurpose some of these sensors to measure temperature and humidity of the air. They are designed for a harsh environment and are generally low cost because they are produced in such high quantities.”
The research also had to come to grips with another sensor issue, communication. Thermocouples and climate computers are traditionally analog; automotive sensors and lower cost data loggers are digital. The most economical array for a given zone combined both types. That issue, too, was resolved in the study.
“Getting computers to talk to other computers can be challenging,” Digweed says. “Once you’ve got those details sorted out, the results are excellent for accuracy.”
Release of product names and details will depend on permission to publish a peer-reviewed article on the research. Tentatively, that will occur sometime in the second half of 2023.
“We don’t have a publication date yet. Meantime, I’m happy to provide advice to growers and to share what we’ve learned,” Digweed says.
The project began in April 2019 and is scheduled for completion in March 2023.
CLIMATE MODELLING PROGRESS
Climate modelling is the second aspect of the AAFC project. The research team is working on a model to predict climate values at heights of one, two, three and four metres based on the actual values at the top height alone.
Three years later, they have “a robust dataset” for Maureno and Eurix peppers and a mostly complete dataset for tomatoes. The plan to work with cucumbers was set aside but excellent data now is being gathered on eggplant production.
Based on plant growth data, Digweed has been able to predict photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) values for the peppers at three heights, based on the actual value at a four-metre height. Next, knowing the PAR values, he hopes to be able to predict the effects of temperature, leading to ability to optimize the environment for the plants based on energy input efficiency.
Important variations in the microclimate have been linked with the type of lighting. This has to be reflected in the eventual software calculations.
“With the move toward LED lighting, humidity concerns can be an issue,” he says. “In winter, you have overhead lights radiating heat down and heating pipes radiating heat upward, so you end up with a cool area – and moisture buildup – in the middle of the
RIGHT
The microclimate data is revealing, as well, that a so-called ‘smart’ climate controller program must recognize crop differences.
canopy.”
The microclimate data is revealing, as well, that a so-called ‘smart’ climate controller program must recognize crop differences. One crop is sensitive, but another isn’t, to winter moisture conditions generated by types of lighting and heating.
“This isn’t an issue with peppers; they generally have low humidity in winter. But, it is a concern with tomatoes,” he says. “You can see excessive humidity in the middle of the crop canopy in greenhouse tomatoes. It could lead to disease unless accurately predicted and controlled.”
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY
In recent years, there’s been a big push toward data-drive growing in greenhouses. Growers want to both save energy and improve the climate for the crop. Intelligent, climate-controlling computers are already emerging.
A follow-up project is underway, funded by the Independent Electricity Systems Operators (IESO) of Ontario and in partnership with Koidra, an artificial intelligence company in Seattle.
“We’re using our expertise in interior climate monitoring and their expertise in A.I. to try to improve greenhouse cucumber and eggplant production in a commercial greenhouse. It’s a beginning. Growers are aware now of the importance of microclimate, and that we are developing tools for them to optimize it.”
ABOVE
In recent years, there’s been a big push toward data-drive growing in greenhouses.
Members of the Harrow AAFC team working with Digweed are physiologist Dr Xiuming Hao, pathologist Dr Genevieve Marchand and Dr Jason Lanoue, post-doctoral fellow. Kenneth Tran, CEO and founder of Koidra, has assigned an internal team of engineers to work with the AAFC group.
Given a few years further development, Digweed suggests, it may be that A.I. systems will eliminate the need for direct microclimate monitoring.
Digweed concludes, “If you can predict everything happening in a stable crop based off one or two carefully placed sensors, you eliminate the need for the high density that we built. Low cost would be much more appealing to growers. The system approach we’ve developed is going to be useful for research indefinitely. I could see it accelerating our research programs by reducing the cost for data collection.”
Celebrating half a century of growing
BC Hot House approaching 50 years in business
BY MATT JONES
The origins of BC Hot House (BCHH) go back to 1973 with the foundation of the Western Greenhouse Growers Cooperative Association. In the 1980s they merged with the Vancouver Island Greenhouse Growers Cooperative and in the late 1990s the association incorporated under the name that has stood until today. The company’s website states that it was “driven by a mission to deliver the freshest, most wholesome produce around,” and while the company has since been purchased by Star Produce and has significantly expanded its scope, that mission remains the same.
“BCHH’s expertise in growing and Star Produce’s innovation provided a perfect synergy to really create a dynamic and innovative boutique greenhouse company,” says president Matt Bates.
“David Ryall, one of the founding growers of BC Hot House, still works with us on innovation. He scours the world with seed companies in search of the best tasting, most marketable and most innovative products.”
Bates cites the example of their Avalantino tomatoes, which have been developed over the past
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nine years from seeds sourced from Holland.
“It’s just an excellent tasting tomato, it really brings taste back to the category,” says Bates. “Another example is a seedless mini-pepper from an Israeli seed that we’re currently marketing. I think between Star’s global reach and BCHH’s expertise in growing, it’s really provided a great synergy to bring innovative products to the greenhouse market.”
Along with varieties of tomatoes and peppers, BCHH also produces cucumbers and have recently established 18 acres dedicated to growing strawberries in Delta, B.C. They are the second largest greenhouse company in British Columbia with over 140 acres of total production across a 70-kilometre span of the province, as well as winter-season growing operations in Mexico. The company has its own growers under the BCHH umbrella and will also market products for other growers – all told, BCHH has an estimated 400 employees. There’s also a variety of different types of greenhouses under the company’s purview.
“Peppers need more of a high-wire greenhouse than tomatoes would, for example,” says Bates. “The
BC Hot House have a variety of greenhouse production facilities throughout British Columbia, as well as greenhouses that are used for winter growing in Mexico.
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facilities are built for that commodity. They are adaptable to a certain extent, but I think in the modern competitive market, a facility designed for a certain commodity will stay that way unless there are drastic changes.”
With growing operations in B.C. and Mexico, it should come as little surprise that the company’s primary market is along western North America. While the scope of BCHH’s business evolved over time, the evolution of the company’s growing practices has largely been dictated by the evolution of greenhouses themselves.
LEFT
BC Hot House sells their products, such as these Avalantino tomatoes, under the Big Taste brand.
impact the company directly, but also the budgets of their customers.
“Labour is up five per cent. Packaging 10 to 20 per cent depending on the amount of packaging. Fuel and fertilizer, 30- to 40-per-cent increases on both of those,” says Bates. “So, we’re really cognizant of costs and consumer value. Consumers need value, they’re in an inflationary environment as well. So, there are trade-offs. If they’re paying more for fuel, they need to be very conscientious at the grocery store.”
Looking to the future, Bates says he expects strawberries to become an increasingly important part of the company’s offerings. BCHH is also considering expanding to export products into Asian markets. But they will also continue to refine their current offerings.
“There’s such an abundance of opportunity in varieties and innovation, it’s really, ‘Where do consumers want to go?’ Right? Where do they want to take this? What do they want? It’s really consumer driven. But strawberries will be a big one and continuing innovation in tomatoes, peppers, seedless mini-peppers and with a focus on taste. Our brand is Big Taste, and we live by our brand.”
“There’s such an abundance of opportunity in varieties and innovation, it’s really, ‘Where do consumers want to go?’ Right? Where do they want to take this? What do they want?”
“Greenhouses started with wood and plastic back in the ‘70s,” says Bates. “This is the benefit of knowing David Ryall and being mentored by him. He talks about his first greenhouses with a wooden frame and plastic around. They’ve evolved into essentially massive production facilities that are incredibly efficient, can feed a lot of people and use state of the art technology to save water and space.”
Bates also cites the wider variety of products that are seen in the company’s greenhouses as a symbol of their evolution. There used to just be one type of cherry tomato, for example, but now seed companies tout hundreds of different varieties.
“We do trialing of tomatoes every year and we’re trialing dozens of varieties, just trying to find the best taste, texture, shelf life, yield, all those things, for the benefit of both the consumer and the grower.”
The biggest challenge for the business, like almost all businesses in all sectors currently, is rising costs, which obviously
Bates says that one of the key things that distinguishes BCHH from others in the sector is their passion for their consumers.
“We really try to connect with the end user and get their feedback on products,” says Bates. “I talk to consumers all the time that reach out to our company and talk about the products. I like to get what their feedback is and see what they’re looking for and what their response is to our products.”
But the real lifeblood of the business, even more than state of the art greenhouses and expertly cultivated seeds are the growers themselves.
“In addition to David Ryall, BCHH has some of the most talented growers around,” says Bates. “Armand Vander Meulen, Lawrence Jansen, Herbert and Eric Schlacht, just to name a few. Their expertise, hard work and diligence are a huge part of the continued success of BCHH. We’re really grateful to them, for everything they do in feeding Canadians and Americans.” ”
Doubling the power of the sun
Updates on technologies integrating solar panels into greenhouse glass
BY TREENA HEIN
Greenhouses have long used solar power, to both grow plants and also warm up the greenhouse space in chillier temperatures. Now, solar energy capture technology has come to the point where greenhouses can also use solar power to generate electricity.
This technology is coming none too soon, at least in Ontario.
As reported in early 2022 by TNT Power (an Ontario power generation, distribution and automation company) “the Leamington-Kingsville area is experiencing unprecedented growth due to the expansion of the greenhouse industry. In fact, the area is expected to quadruple in electricity demand over the next 15 years, resulting in a critical shortage
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of electricity supply while infrastructure upgrades are still years away from completion at best.”
Toronto-based Mitrex is one company, offering what it describes as aesthetically pleasing and can be integrated onto every available surface, allowing clean energy to be generated on a mass scale: facades, glass, roof, siding. “The BIPV solar technology is entirely customizable to achieve the look of any surface material, transparency, pattern, or texture, and a patented coating process maximizes energy generation and ensures the panels last for decades.”
In greenhouses, Mitrex transparent Solar Glass is available for clear structures, and for opaque growing facilities, Mitrex offers opaque and semi-
Toronto-based Mitrex says its BIPV solar technology is entirely customizable to achieve the look of any surface material, transparency, pattern, or texture.
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GiPV panel roof view of Heliene products. The company is based in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.
opaque solar technology that maximizes energy generation on otherwise unused surfaces. Owners can choose which solar technology best suits their needs to generate energy and profit.
Mitrex photovoltaic (PV) glass uses high-output monocrystalline silicon or thin-film technology. The glass consists of two layers of heat-tempered, laminated, low-iron glass surrounding integrated solar cells. The company states that its high-performing materials coupled with a 25-year product and performance warranty guarantee durable, long-lasting solar glass.
“The appetite for this product is growing steadily, and it is a
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market that we foresee will continue to expand as demand for local and high-tech farming solutions grows,” says Mitrex marketing manager Haris Mohsin. Mitrex has multiple greenhouse projects in various development stages across Canada and the U.S.
In terms the cost of the clear product, Mohsin says it’s very similar to traditional glass. “Batteries can be easily included into the system design but are not required for every greenhouse, as energy can be sent back to the grid at a cost or for energy credits,” he explains.
ROI is typically five to seven years.
BIFACIAL PV CELLS
Heliene, based in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., is another company offering greenhouse glass solar energy generation.
In 2019, Greenhouse Canada reported on its project with Niagara College and Freeman Herbs. A half-acre of southernfacing panes of rooftop glass (about five per cent of available surface area) in one of Freeman’s greenhouses was replaced with 600 of Heliene’s solar PV modules, containing light-polarizing polyurethane backsheets and ‘bifacial’ photovoltaic (PV) cells, explains Patrick Gossage, Heliene product innovation and business development manager.
The bifacial PV cells convert both sunlight from above, and some types of UV light reflected by the pink backsheets just below, into electricity.
“The backsheet filters out green and yellow wavelengths while enhancing red and blue wavelengths, which have positive effects on plant growth,” says Gossage. “This means the panels absorb less photosynthetically-efficient wavelengths and emit more of those
with higher photosynthetic efficiency. Red wavelengths are reemitted in random directions independent of the incidence light. The resulting red light is more diffuse and permits off axis capture from thin solar cells placed within the two thin glass layers that make up the panel.”
The glass itself diffuses incoming light, regardless of the angle of the sun. This minimizes the shading effect of the cells, explains Gossage, while reducing the chances of crop burn under high light conditions. Diffuse light can also penetrate deeper into a plant canopy.
Looking at the crop grown in this greenhouse, Derek Schulze and Michelle Smith from Niagara College co-led the study with research assistants, Heliene staff and Marco de Leonardis of Freeman Herbs.
Temperature, relative humidity, dew point and chlorophyll content were not significantly different between the sections throughout the study. Photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) levels did show significant differences throughout the study, with control having the highest, a ‘strip’ (length-by-length) arrangement of modules being second highest and grid (checkerboard) arrangement having the least PAR.
As stated in the study summary, “interestingly, the higher light levels for the control section did not turn into significant gains in growth characteristics. The only observable difference was that plants grown under the strip configuration panels were trending towards being more compact and denser, which often translates into a higher quality product. Factoring in some of the crop variability experienced, it can only be concluded that the crops were not significantly impacted by growing under the solar panels. It should be noted that the higher light levels of the control section could potentially translate into more carbohydrate production and as such, further study would be advisable using a crop with more significant carbohydrate sinks.”
Gossage says yields were similar in the Heliene section compared to conventional sections of the greenhouse and there were some indications that the plant basil in the study grew a little more densely. This is likely because of the diffusion of light.
In terms of the two module arrangements, Gossage says that plant performance is similar with both, but the grid pattern is more expensive because it involves splitting cells and generally leads to some cell breakage. They only use the strip arrangement now.
He adds that the modules at Freeman are still functioning very
well. Heliene hopes to do another study in 2023 with Freeman using the existing modules but with different crops.
U.S. PROJECT
In 2021, Heliene did a project in the State of Washington. Gossage notes that for new greenhouse builds in the U.S., there is a Solar Investment Tax Credit available to offset the initial investment for use of conventional solar panels and those including Heliene technologies (Gossage is not aware of any other solar glass technologies eligible under this program) that integrate seamlessly on the roof.
The solar modules used for this greenhouse build project (completed by a Canadian greenhouse contractor) contained four strips of cells instead of two, says Gossage, which is a 66 per cent solar-cell coverage of the glass for more power production. Due to the higher level of shading with this situation, the cells were mainly distributed in roofs that cover distribution and packing areas.
NEW TECHNOLOGY
Meanwhile, Heliene is partnering with New Mexico-based UbiQD on a new “light curtain” containing a light-shifting nano coating. To this point, these curtains have hung under the glass roof of greenhouses with a shelf life of two to three years, explains Gossage.
In these curtains, green and blue wavelengths of light that plants don’t use are converted in a prism fashion using UbiQD’s nanotechnology into red and yellow wavelengths that plants can use. Gossage says there are many independent studies showing that this technology results in 10- to 20-per-cent yield increases in greenhouse crops.
“The UbiQD nanotech, known as quantum dots, is placed between two pieces of glass with our solar cells integrated alongside,” he says. “Having our technology integrated dramatically increases the typical two- to three-year lifespan of the quantum dots to 25 years. We are currently doing two greenhouse trials in Ontario, in tomatoes and cucumbers.”
One of these trials is at D.T. Enterprise Farms in Ruthven, Ont. “D.T. Enterprises is excited to support Heliene’s Generation 2 Greenhouse Integrated Phovtovoltaic (GiPV) solution,” says vicepresident Tony Mastronardi. “D.T. Enterprises is embarking on a significant drive to decarbonize its facilities as well as its vehicle fleet. We have a strong desire to generate clean power onsite, as we strive to reduce our reliance on natural gas and electrify our processes.”
POWERING UP
Indeed, as already mentioned, there is a serious electricity shortage in Canada’s greenhouse hotbed.
“The new electricity line that is being built for the Leamington area for 2026 is already oversubscribed,” Gossage reports. “This is a crisis and we are pleased to be part of the solution. A team from the University of Windsor is going to conduct a two-year grid impact assessment to better understand how Heliene’s technology can be leveraged as a ‘non-wired’ alternative to help fend off the power crisis.”
Gossage adds that ‘agri-voltaics’ are now really taking off in the U.S. This involves framed semi-transparent solar panels placed amongst the rows of field horticultural crops.
“Much of the prime solar locations are coincident with prime agricultural lands” he says. “Agri-voltaics allows land to be used to produce crops and electricity at the same time in order to keep farmers farming and diversify their income. We are starting to learn all sorts of ancillary benefits about this nascent practice including more efficient water usage, less extreme heat exposure and of course greater energy and food security. We are helping to plan an inaugural agri-voltaics conference on December 8 hosted by Western University.”
What we’re learning about light spectrum and intensity in greenhouse strawberry production
We’ve reached new heights in supply of and demand for fresh, juicy, good-looking strawberries
BY DR. DAVID HAWLEY, PRINCIPAL SCIENTIST, FLUENCE
People have been romantic about strawberries long before there was any semblance of organized production. One can trace our near-universal infatuation with them all the way back to ancient civilizations in North America, Europe and elsewhere. Over the last decade or so, however, we’ve reached new heights in both supply of and demand for fresh, juicy, good-looking strawberries.
Consumers now expect to have their pick of the finest fruits anytime, anywhere, incentivizing strawberry cultivators around the world to shift production indoors to greenhouses or vertical farms. Such a landmark shift in cultivation models comes with its own set of questions and challenges, chiefest among them how to deploy a lighting strategy that combines the right spectrum at the right intensity to maximize yields, morphology, fruit characteristics and sugar content.
Although the indoor strawberry market is still relatively young, new research is broadening
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our collective understanding of how growers can capitalize on heightened demand with the right lighting strategy—and dispel long-held myths about the role light intensity plays in improving strawberry production.
If cultivators can implement these insights into their greenhouse cultivation models, we will very likely see a fundamental shift in strawberry production in Canada: what I’m calling the Great Canadian Strawberry Coup of ‘22.
THE STATE OF THE STRAWBERRY MARKET
Strawberries are grown in every state in the U.S. and every province of Canada. Canada alone produces nearly 52 million pounds (about 23.5 million kg) of strawberries per year.
It’s still not enough to meet demand. Alberta, for instance, imports 97 per cent of its strawberries, while Canada is the fourth-largest strawberry importer in the world, according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
New research is broadening our collective understanding of how growers can capitalize on heightened demand with the right lighting strategy.
Consumers are now accustomed to strawberries year-round because a high volume of imports and cold chain deliveries enable constant availability. Constant availability, however, doesn’t necessarily translate to consistent quality, often meaning that cultivators leave revenue and market share on the table. As a result, many are moving production into greenhouses and
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deploying supplemental light to achieve greater year-round consistency and quality that can finally usurp the country’s reliance on imports.
But the value propositions supplemental light present to greenhouse growers extend well beyond consistent production. They also now have an opportunity to improve and optimize yields by implementing the right light spectrum at the right light intensity, inputs that we are only just now beginning to fully understand within the context of strawberry production.
THE EVOLUTION OF LIGHTING TECHNOLOGY FOR STRAWBERRY CULTIVATION
Full-scale indoor strawberry cultivation is still in the early adoption phase. However, the ability to control and improve crop outcomes hints at an opportunity to deliver high-quality fruit consistently via multiple harvests or flushes. Realizing that potential, however, is contingent on optimizing how much light at specific wavelengths is delivered to the crop.
In field production, June-bearing strawberries produce one large harvest in the spring and into the summer months. Indoor strawberry cultivation, however, can yield multiple large harvests per year to compound revenue capture and create a more consistent cultivation model.
This is notable and advantageous because it enables growers to use technology that finely tunes the light spectrum and its intensity to not only capitalize on a wider range of annual harvests, but also to influence the characteristics of the fruit. Recent research further substantiates this additional capability.
OPTIMIZING LIGHT SPECTRUM
To better understand the impact light spectrum and intensity have on overall strawberry production, Fluence initiated several studies with leading European research institutions to study the effects of various wavelengths at various intensities.
In 2020, Fluence conducted research at the Delphy Improvement Centre in the Netherlands, in collaboration with Wageningen University, to closely examine lighting’s impact on the performance of two June-bearing strawberry cultivars, Sonata and Sonsation. kams.ca 1-877-821-1684 · orders@kams.ca
The triple-replicate study analyzed production under four light spectra at a photosynthetic flux density of 200 μmols/ m2/s—white light, white light with a fraction of far-red, pink light, and pink light with a fraction of far-red—with winter and spring flushes.
The study found that both cultivars grown under a broad spectrum with a fraction of far-red light saw taller crops, wider canopies, higher overall yields and increased Brix values.
KEY FINDINGS
Sonata and Sonsation cultivars saw 68-per-cent and 40-percent taller crops as well as 28-per-cent and 29-per-cent wider canopies, respectively, under a white spectrum with a fraction of far-red in relation to a pink spectrum.
Researchers also recorded significant increases in yields— with and without fruit waste which can be processed into jams, jellies and preserves to extend commercial value—of both cultivars under a white spectrum with a fraction of far-red. Compared to the pink-only treatment, Sonata saw a yield increase of 13 per cent under white light with farred, excluding waste and an 11-per-cent increase with waste included. Similarly, Sonsation yields increased by 18 per cent without waste and 14 per cent with waste.
Researchers noted 14 per cent higher Brix values in Sonata fruit under white light with far-red compared to pink and six per cent higher Brix values in Sonsation.
OPTIMIZING LIGHT INTENSITY
The long-held notion among many strawberry researchers has been that increasing light intensity has little impact on overall yields. To explore this hypothesis, Fluence initiated a second study with Delphy that increased photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) from the standard 200 μmols/m2/s to 300 μmols/m2/s for the same two June-bearing cultivars.
Researchers found that the 50-per-cent increase in supplemental light drove up to 31-per-cent increases in yields of “Class I” berries. Yield increases were greater during the winter months, when the difference between actual and optimal daily light integrals are more pronounced.
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The notion among many strawberry researchers has been that increasing light intensity has little impact on overall yields. To explore this hypothesis, Fluence initiated a second study with Delphy that increased photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) from the standard 200 μmols/m2/s to 300 μmols/m2/s for the same two June-bearing cultivars.
The finding represents a significant step forward for greenhouse cultivators, especially those with facilities in more extreme climates and geographies like Canada. It not only highlights the gap in existing versus potential production, but offers a clear roadmap for cultivators to begin exploring lighting strategies that combine a balanced spectrum that includes a fraction of far-red light with higher light intensities to improve top-line crop performance.
Just as importantly, it shows that higher yields and better quality are not mutually exclusive. Growers can improve the factors that make strawberries highly marketable—aroma, taste, juiciness and uniformity—and produce more of them at the same time, creating new pathways to profitability that consistently meet demand with the best quality.
Dr. David Hawley leads the scientific research initiative at Fluence as the company’s principal scientist. His experience in controlled environment systems, horticultural lighting and cannabis metabolome naturally underpins Fluence’s mission to drive industryleading lighting research to explore the interaction between light and life.
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dependent on the focus level of the measurements (i.e., single leaf vs. whole plant vs. entire crop canopy) and when in the production cycle they are made.
Some legacy studies have modeled the photosynthetic responses of single cannabis leaves to light intensity, although the plants were in the vegetative phase and their light-histories were unknown. Others have evaluated cannabis bud yield under a narrow range of discreet light levels, but lighting was characterized according to installed power density of electric lighting rather than canopy light exposure. While there has been broad utilization of these studies’ results within the commercial cannabis industry, the comprehensive modeling of both cannabis’ photosynthesis and yield responses to a broad range of light levels has been missing.
light should a cultivator provide?
Figure 1 illustrates the generalized shape of typical plant responses (e.g., photosynthesis, growth, and yield) to increasing light intensity, called the light response curve (LRC):
1. At low levels, the curve is a positively sloped line (e.g., between Y-intercept and the 1st hatched line);
2. At moderate light levels, plant responses enter a phase of diminishing returns to increasing
light intensity (e.g., between the 1st and 2nd hatched lines);
3. And eventually become lightsaturated (e.g., to the right of the 2nd hatched line).
While all plants respond according to these characteristic LRC trends, the actual shape of the LRC depends on the plant species (and cultivar), the plant’s light history, and many environmental parameters. Further, the magnitude of plant light responses are strongly
Response of bud dry weight to increasing canopy-level PPFD.
The highest point on the linear phase of the LRC (known as maximum quantum efficiency, indicated by the red arrow) is a light intensity target for production environments. In theory, this light level should return high yields while the efficiency of lighting inputs is still maximized. Supplying light levels below this target will tend to result in suboptimal yields while light levels above this target may increase overall yield, but at exponentially higher costs in terms of equipment and electricity. That’s why we set out to model the temporal dynamics of leaf-level photosynthesis and whole-plant yield and quality responses by growing cannabis under a very broad range of canopy light intensities. These models will allow cultivators to set an optimal light intensity for their production goals; and adjust other input parameters (e.g. water, nutrients and CO2) as required.
SURPRISING OUTCOME: ADDING TO THE UNIQUENESS OF CANNABIS
We evaluated a range of light intensities (that spanned beyond the lower and upper limits of practical light levels used in production during the flowering photoperiod) on physiology, morphology, yield, and quality (12 hr/day light) of a CBD-dominant cannabis cultivar grown under 100% LED lighting in an indoor cultivation system.
We found that there was huge varibility in leaf photosynthetic responses in terms of the age of the leaves measured, their light exposure level, and the growth stage of the plant. For example, the light saturation level vary by about 10-times, depending on these factors. Therefore, it is
FIGURE 1
The typical light response curve of plant photosynthesis, growth and yield metrics to exposure to increasing light levels.
FIGURE 2
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Current cannabis production guides typically recommend light intensities during the flowering phase ranging between 600 and 800 μmol·m−2·s−1, meaning that cultivators could be leaving bud yield on the floor.
impossible to extrapolate leaf-level photosythesis to predict crop yield under different light levels.
Our results demonstrated the extraordinary plasticity of cannabis’ physiological, morphological and yield responses to increasing light intensity. We found that bud yield increased linearly with increasing light intensity, up to canopy-level photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) of about 1800 μmol·m−2·s−1. Further, harvest index – which is the proportion of the marketable buds to the total biomass – and the relative size of the apical bud (i.e., “the cola”) both increased linearly with
increasing light intensity. This meant that plants grown under higher light levels produced relatively more and relatively higher quality sellable product, and less waste.
Current cannabis production guides typically recommend light intensities during the flowering phase ranging between 600 and 800 μmol·m−2·s−1, meaning that cultivators could be leaving bud yield on the floor. While it certainly costs more in energy and lighting infrastructure to elevate the light intensity, the presence of other fixed costs associated with production (e.g., property tax, building and land lease rates, etc.) may make it economically feasible to increase production throughput by utilizing higher light intensities.
The illustration in Figure 3 clearly demonstrates the impacts that higher light intensity has on cannabis morphology, including shorter nodes (more branches), smaller fan leaves, higher bud yield density and increased size of the cola (highlighted in the circles). Also more appealing is the relative reduction in size of the sugar leaves, which have lower potency than the bud tissue. Additionally, we found that as we increased light intensity, the ratio of bud to total aboveground biomass increased. These morpholoical attributes promoted by higher light levels could also facilitate harvesting, since the buds would be easier to sort and there would be less unmarketable biomass to discard.
Increasing light intensity boosted terpene concentrations in buds, potentially leading to enhanced aromas and higher quality extracts, whereas cannabinoid potency was unaffected. If growers chose to increase their light intensity, they can expect improved bud quality (including easier harvests) and higher bud yield – and therefore, higher absolute cannabinoid yield – without altering potency of the product.
LEVERAGING CANNABIS YIELD AND QUALITY WITHIN PRACTICAL LIMITATIONS
While the higher light levels seem to improve cannabis production tremendously, there are some other factors to consider. Growers may also encounter infrastructure limitations when it comes to increasing light intensity. There may be ways to increase canopy PPFD within a current cultivation system by adjusting fixture positions and minimizing light wastage (i.e., light that does not reach the crop). However, practically speaking, significant increases in light intensity will necessitate the (costly) installation of additional lighting and electrical
infrastructure. Keep in mind that even though the yield responds to increasing light intensity linearly (Figure 2), doubling the light intensity does not double the yield. Growers can use these results to help them strike the balance between the benefits of increased floral yield and the costs associated with increasing light
intensity that makes most sense for their business. Of course, under different growing conditions or using different cannabis strains, doubling light intensity could double or even increase more of the yield.
Further research should evaluate the effects of light intensity on different
FIGURE 3.
Plants grown under low PPFD and high PPFD (Illustrated by Victoria Rodriguez Morrison).
cultivars with various cannabinoid profiles, specifically high THC cultivars. Growers that are focused on innovation can use this research as a guide to identify their own cultivar specific optimal light intensities.
This article is the second of a twopart series that summarizes the results of experiments that were conducted as part of Victoria’s M.Sc. study at the University of Guelph, School of Environmental Sciences. More detailed results of this study have been published in the open-source scientific journal Frontiers in Plant Science. This manuscript is available to anyone using the following weblink: https://www.frontiersin. org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2021.646020/ full
Victoria Rodriguez Morrison is a technical coordinator at Master Plant-Prod Inc. Dave Llewellyn is a research associate, and Youbin Zheng, PhD, is a professor at the University of Guelph.
VPD: A game changer
The advantages of using vapour pressure deficit measurements
BY CHRIS KNEZETIC
In my time as a grower, I’ve had to learn how to make a plant grow in time for either planting or shipping, starting with understanding what the plant wants and needs and how to best manipulate that in a greenhouse setting. Trial and error seemed to be the go-to so long as I maintained my foundation of what I thought I knew to best proceed.
In my less experienced days, I thought to myself, “Plants like lots of heat and lots of sun, so more the better, right? Plants don’t burn, they’re
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plants! Stress? What stress?” Silly things like that. So, once I realized that plants don’t exactly care for being stressed, I had to find ways to help them. One of the tools I found that has been a saving grace in more situations than one, was the use of our HPF (high-pressure fog) machines and controlling the output via Argus Controls VPD.
What is VPD? Vapour pressure deficit! I know that makes a whole lot of sense to everyone reading this, but to make things clearer, VPD measures
VRP, or vapour pressure deficit, measures how much room there is for humidity based on the current temperature.
how much room there is for humidity based on the current temperature. There is a lot of information on the science of how it is measured, but I will not be doing that here. Instead, I will share with you from where I started, to how growing is continuing in the greenhouses using these tools.
It all started when the summer hit and we couldn’t keep temperatures down in the greenhouse. Whitewashing the roof helped, but it wasn’t enough. We would hit 37C and up without any form of assisted cooling, other than using the irrigation booms to cool off the bays. Before I took control of the greenhouse, we tried using VPD solely for propagation, and we failed miserably on our first set of crops, losing near 50 per cent. After that, we swore off the HPF and decided to revert to traditional methods using plastic and cloth. While we figured that portion out, we never figured out how to properly cool the greenhouse without soaking the plants. So, one day I decided to just turn on the HPF in all the zones and observe what happened. Near immediately, the air inside the greenhouse became easy to breathe. Within a day, the plants appeared much less stressed, and within four days there was substantial growth across the crops. I had a hard time keeping their growth habits under control at this point,
but I figured I’d have an easier time manipulating a plant that wants to grow versus plants that struggled to take off after rooting.
This was all a major turning point in greenhouse management and how using VPD measurements can help us understand removing plant pressures and keeping those stomata open, even in the dead heat. Now my eyes gazed upon returning to VPD and HPF for propagating unrooted cuttings (URCs). It took a few cycles, but I had to take some risks and see what would happen if I propagated in the open. I cannot deny there have been a few moments where my chest about caved in when I noticed some damage across the crops, though it was from something different. After diligently watching each crop type during the growing season and off-season, I was able to finely tune things to where I wanted them. Now it is a sought-after standard for propagation and finishing.
I am not suggesting that every situation I have is ideal for this, but we are looking at the next greenhouse structure and redesigning it a bit to accommodate the fog unit system further. The biggest and best reasons I can give for preferring this system are my own, but they may appeal to those who are interested in this method. Starting with overall crop care, observations are made much easier when
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Using VPD measurements can help us understand removing plant pressures and keeping those stomata open, even in the dead heat.
crops aren’t covered in cloth and plastic. It is much harder to miss something when you can see the entire crop, from drying sections to insect and disease pressures, and overall crop uniformity. It is also much easier to act for spray applications or weeding tasks. This is especially important since removing plastic on URCs can easily pull cuttings out of the cells, and it can beg to question if removing the plastic was better or worse for the crop. Furthermore, transitioning your VPD setting helps find a balance for the cuttings that need more time to root versus the ones that have roots which benefits both. In many cases, it may not be feasible to start this method right from propagation, but it is helpful having greater control over the environment in later growth stages.
The crops are specific to their needs in terms of VPD settings, as is your structure and setup. Designing your greenhouse around this method is important to mitigate unforeseen losses, which brings me to the drawbacks of using this system. Some less than ideal situations were made upon discovery, such as doors being left open by employees, vehicle movement causing doors to shift, and unsealed sections in the corners of the greenhouse chambers. These sudden shifts in the environment can rapidly change the outcome of the success of your crop. Having reliable sensors is also paramount. If your sensors are reading something different, whether it be from placement, malfunction, physical disturbance, etc., this can cause serious crop failure if you are unaware of the incorrect readings. It is also wise to have a backup system and a good maintenance team to jump into action should a mechanical failure be imminent.
As is with growing, there are more ways than one to get your crop to where you need it to be. There tends to not be only one effective method that is the best, but more preferred. I am always looking to learn and understand better ways to grow things efficiently. There is a lot yet to learn and time to put in, but given the experiences I have gone through thus far, VPD and HPF will be what I choose to get better with. Whatever you choose, do what’s right for your operation.
Tips and Tricks for Cleaning EquipmentGreenhouse and Machines
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Modern greenhouse operations have a lot to contend with. The risk of pest infestations, plantborne diseases, and other frustrations is higher than ever, especially as the seasons change and conditions fluctuate wildly. Therefore, in order to maintain a clean and inviting business with plenty of crops in exceptional condition, you need to be good to the tools of the trade.
Let’s help with that. Here are a few tips and tricks for keeping your greenhouse’s equipment and machinery in the best – and most sterilized –condition possible.
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WHAT TYPES OF EQUIPMENT NEED TO BE CLEANED IN A GREENHOUSE?
Greenhouse operations aren’t as straightforward as the general public may perceive them to be. Different species of plants have different needs, and everyday maintenance requires the use of a variety of specialized solutions. In order to ensure nothing essential is overlooked in your cleaning process, you should first take stock of all the equipment and machinery used on a regular basis. These may include some or all of the following:
• Glass and/or poly (plastic) structures;
Different species of plants have different needs, and everyday maintenance requires the use of a variety of specialized solutions.
• Flooring including tile, stone/concrete slabs, etc.;
• Dedicated heating and cooling systems;
• Plant bedding, such as structures and support systems in hydroponic environments;
• Irrigation systems;
• Condenser coils;
• Drains;
• Harvesting equipment;
• Carts;
• Racks;
• Conveyor systems; and
• Sorting equipment and/or related machinery.
WHAT CLEANING EQUIPMENT TO USE
Vapour steam cleaning systems are ideal for surface-level dirt and grime, such as on carts, poly structures, and racks. For more intensive cleaning, such as built-up mud and dirt on greenhouse flooring, consider using a dedicated wet steam pressure washer. Your best bet is to invest in something commercial grade that is built to last, features a vacuum attachment to remove excess water, and a dedicated heating element to ensure high-temperature cleanings are possible. This not only ensures optimal visual results but also kills unwanted bacteria.
KEEP YOUR GREENHOUSE EQUIPMENT FREE OF BACTERIA
On that note, regular maintenance of greenhouse equipment isn’t only about ensuring it looks clean. To prevent cross-
contamination between plants, minimize the risk of insectrelated pest outbreaks, and generally keep your operations as sterilized as possible, steam-powered cleaning on a regular basis is a must. Doing so can help minimize the need for intense cleaning solutions such as bleach.
This shouldn’t be done once a season, either; more frequent cleanings of all equipment, flooring, and even walls can reduce the risk of pathogenic organisms and disease spread, keeping your plants healthy and happy. This is especially important if you are selling fruits, vegetables, or other consumables like flowers to be used in medicine, as customers can then be kept safe while remaining confident in the freshness and sterilization of their purchase.
SPRAYING WITH A HOSE IS NOT ENOUGH
It might be tempting to simply hose everything down and let it dry in the sun, but that’s not enough. As noted earlier in our recommendation of choosing steam vapour and pressure washing equipment, pressurized hot moisture is crucial in disinfecting and hassle-free cleaning of greenhouse machinery and equipment. Components like condenser coils, irrigation, heating and cooling systems need a little more “oomph” when it comes to recurring maintenance, eliminating unwanted bacteria. Not only that, but the incredibly high temperatures afforded by commercial-grade cleaning systems like these are far more effective and efficient than traditional hoseadministered cleanings.
SET CLEANING SCHEDULES TO SUIT YOUR EQUIPMENT’S REQUIRED MAINTENANCE FREQUENCY
If you have a specialized piece of equipment that has manufacturer-recommended cleaning instructions, it’s best to follow them to the letter as a preventative measure. In addition, there’s no such thing as cleaning your equipment too frequently, so don’t be afraid to implement a daily, weekly, or even monthly maintenance schedule. That way, you can ensure the machinery and components of your greenhouse operations that need the most frequent cleaning can be looked after appropriately.
We hope that you will utilize these tips as a checklist of sorts to ensure a more informed and effective greenhouse equipment cleaning regimen. With care and consistency – not to mention a little proactivity – your operations will continue to blossom and thrive.
THE BIG FOUR
The big four in plant growth are light, temperature, water and CO2.
BY TINEKE GOEBERTUS
CO2 bubbling in a puddle of water and turning into acidic water instead of being CO2 into the greenhouse environment.
We always complain that there is not enough light in the winter. We are aware that the temperature in the greenhouse is too warm in the summer, and when the drip irrigation is plugged, the plants show water deficiency and we are worried. But when there is something wrong with the CO2, it is not that obvious. Yet, it can cause significant yield loss while a lot of money is being spent on CO2 at the same time!
So, when you have decided to supplement CO2 in your greenhouse, make sure you do it well or you will be disappointed.
SYSTEM DIMENSIONS
The dimensions of your CO2 distribution system could and should be properly calculated in relation to the area, the size of the CO2 fan, the diameter of the pipes and where to add the different sized washers. The goal is to have the CO2 evenly distributed over the entire area such that all of the plants can benefit from it.
The inflatable CO2 tubes come in different diameters and have the option of different distances between perforations. These CO2 tubes are also a function of the total installation and should not be different from one year to the next based on factors such as availability or price.
There are specialist companies who can design a proper distribution system from beginning to end
for your specific situation.
CO2 QUALITY
The quality of the CO2 itself is not a given. I am still very surprised how lackadaisical this important aspect is treated by many! The quality of the CO2 should be monitored closely and diligently; carbon monoxide (CO), ethylene (C2H4) and nitrous oxides (NOx) are real and true enemies of your crop.
The damage thresholds are different for a calamity or a residual dosing situation. In most cases there is a CO sensor installed after the fan in the supply line into the greenhouse. If it works well, it will only act in case of a calamity, usually set at 15 ppm. However, much lower levels of these toxic gases could still result in substantial residual damage, and the sensor will not pick it up!
For example, the damage threshold for NO x is 11 ppb over a period of 8 hours, while the damage threshold over a period of four weeks becomes 5 ppb. Similarly, the C2H4 damage threshold is 40 ppb over a period of one day, but this threshold drops to 16 ppb over a period of one year.
The most utilized CO2 sources are flue gas from a natural gas boiler, liquid CO2, or scrubbed flue gas from cogeneration. Make sure that all systems work well and have the quality of the flue gas checked on a very regular basis.
It follows that when the greenhouse air is not exchanged that often, and/or when you are dosing CO2 at higher levels, the risks are much greater.
More and more, greenhouse gas analyzers that measure harmful gases in the greenhouse are being installed.
CO2 from the flue gas can only be dosed when there is a condenser present to reduce the temperature of the gas. There
should be a temperature check placed after the CO2 fan to make sure that the gases dosed into the greenhouse are no warmer than 56C or you risk melting the PVC lines and generating ethylene.
When the CO2 is being dosed into the greenhouse, it is mixed with a lot of ambient air from around the CO2 fan. Make sure that this room is well ventilated and that no machines, e.g. forklifts, add their exhaust to it.
ABOVE
In order to ensure efficient use of the CO2 dosed into the greenhouse, make sure that the CO2 tubes are not in the water.
SENSORS
Both the quality and location of the CO2 sensor in the greenhouse are critical. The amount of CO2 dosed into your greenhouse, and thus, the money spent, is often decided on by one CO2 sensor
Please make sure that it is in the right location (inside the crop), has a short intake tube (which will improve reaction time), has a clean filter (obvious) and that, in the case of one with an internal pump, it works.
Be sure to calibrate the sensor very regularly; everything rides on this machine!
Finally, make sure that there is no water in the CO2 supply lines and that the inflatable CO2 tubes themselves are not in the water.
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.
Five things to check when comparing lighting designs for LED grow lights
When you compare different lighting designs, make sure to compare apples with apples
BY PASCAL VAN MEGEN
As a grower, you invest in supplemental LED grow lights because they power the yield and quality of your crops. In fact, the rule of thumb is that 1% light output equals 1% crop yield. So, it’s vital that your LED lighting investment delivers the full performance you paid for.
The performance is determined by the light intensity and light uniformity of the LED grow lights you use. If the light intensity produced by the grow lights installed is lower than what you expected from the design, there will be less yield. If the uniformity is inconsistent, individual plants will grow and develop at different rates and there will be uneven production in your greenhouse.
BEFORE YOU START
When you compare different lighting designs,
ABOVE
make sure to compare apples with apples. This means taking three things into account:
1. Verify the credibility of the performance claims that manufacturers make.
2. Make sure that DIALux calculation software is used for the lighting design. This calculation software is provided by an independent company and commonly used in the horticulture market.
3. Check which input parameters have been used for each lighting design. It is easy to tweak the input parameters and give the impression of more positive light level and uniformity within the lighting design. So which parameters are crucial?
The most important input parameters to check are:
When you compare different lighting designs, make sure to compare apples with apples.
PHOTO: SIGNIFY.
Has the right product been specified? Check if the exact product that you have selected for your project has been used in the lighting design, with the right light output (PPF in µmol/s) and spectrum (blue/red/white/far red/…).
Have your specific design values been used, like the average light level at your crop (PPFD in µmol/m2/s) and the overall light uniformity?
What are the standard settings? The height of the grow light and crop (free
height), reflection factors, and the size and position of the area that is used in the uniformity calculation all have an impact on the average light level and overall uniformity achieved.
1
CHECK THE FREE HEIGHT
The first input parameter to check is the free height that specifies the distance between the LED module and the head of the crop. The free height can seriously
impact the overall uniformity value. For high-wire tomato crops that have a limited free height of 1.50 to 2.50 m, for example, it can be a challenge to achieve a good overall uniformity value. Using an optimistic free height or calculating uniformity at floor level as if there is no crop, will positively impact the overall uniformity value.
The free height is calculated by measuring the distance between the eventual top of the crop and the mounting height of the LED grow light.
2 CHECK THE REFLECTION FACTORS
Another important parameter to check are the reflection factors used in the lighting plan. A reflection factor indicates the amount of light that is reflected by walls and other objects in a space. DIALux calculation software has originally been designed for indoor spaces like offices, where you will get reflection off the walls, ceiling and floors that impact the light level on your desk. To avoid being too optimistic about the outcome, the reflection values in DIALux are set at 0% for a greenhouse lighting design, because the glass in a greenhouse does not reflect the light from the grow lights.
3
CHECK THE AREA THAT HAS BEEN USED TO MAKE LIGHT INTENSITY CALCULATIONS.
The next thing to check is the calculation surface that has been defined. The size of the calculation area and the position of the grow lights within that area will seriously impact the average amount of active photons that reaches the surface of the crop (PPFD value in µmol/m2/s). When comparing lighting design results from different manufacturers, make sure that the calculation surface shows an equal number of maximum (peaks) and minimum (dips) light intensity values. This is the only way to calculate a realistic average PPFD value in the lighting design.
In the example below, you see two positions of a calculation area within the same light plan. Let’s assume that the light intensity peaks are located perpendicular to the grow light and the light intensity dips in between two grow lights. The values in the B scenario will generate far better average
light intensity values, because the light intensity is calculated over an area that shows four peaks and one dip. The A scenario shows four peaks and four dips, and consequently, far better represent the reality after installation.
4
CHECK THE SIZE OF THE CALCULATION SURFACE
Another important factor is the size of the calculation surface that will impact the overall uniformity value. When comparing lighting design results from different manufacturers, make sure the same calculation surface has been applied.
To represent a real-life situation, a calculation for the full compartment area should be made that includes the edges of the greenhouse. A calculation of the smaller centered area, which represents a typical production area should also be made. The calculation for the full compartment will generate lower light uniformity levels, because of the lower light intensities at the edges. So, make sure you always compare either calculations of full compartments or smaller areas within the full compartment.
5
CHECK THE TYPE OF UNIFORMITY USED
The final parameter to check is the type of uniformity being used. Uniformity can be expressed in different ways. When you run the DIALux lighting design software, it provides you with different types of uniformity. When comparing lighting design results from different manufacturers, make sure the same type of uniformity calculation is applied. For a horticulture application we prefer to express uniformity as the average light intensity divided by the maximum light intensity, which best represents a real-life situation.
IN SUMMARY
When comparing lighting designs there are lots of tweaks that suppliers can potentially make to their plan. If you want to make a proper comparison, you have to take a few parameters into account.
• Has the correct product, with the right spectrum and light output, been used in the calculations?
• Has the right light level for your crop and the right overall light uniformity been used?
• Are the settings comparable?
• Has the free height been correctly defined?
• Are the reflection factors set to 0%?
• Does the measurement grid have an even number of light and dark spots in it?
• Are you comparing full compartment or small centered area numbers?
• Is the uniformity defined the same in the lighting designs?
Pascal van Megen is an application engineer at Signify with a background in mechanical engineering. As an application engineer, Pascal ensures that growers are provided with high end horticulture lighting designs. He is providing internal and external training to customers and partners in the application of the Philips LED Horticulture products and systems. He acts as a consultant to customers and engineers, to drive continuous improvement of Philips LED lighting solutions.
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Farwest Show judges choose Nightfall Snowbell as Best in Show at New Varieties Showcase
The Nightfall Snowbell was chosen by professional judges as the Best in Show winner during the 2022 Farwest Show’s New Varieties Showcase.
The plant was bred by Keith Warren and introduced by J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co. based in Boring, Ore.
Nighfall Snowbell combines the deep purple foliage of Evening Light Snowbell with the gratefully weeping form of green-leafed cultivars such as Fragrant Fountain. It features purple emerging leaves with green undertones, which contrast with pearly white flower buds in spring. They open to reveal creamy white, bellshaped blooms. The leaves darken as the season continues.
Hydrangea wins Award of Merit at Farwest Show
Professional judges at the Farwest Show gave an Award of Merit to the Invincibelle Sublime Hydrangea.
Bred by Tim Wood and introduced by Proven Winners ColorChoice Flowering Shrubs, it is a full-sized smooth hydrangea with cloudlike mophead flowers floating above the plant on super-sturdy stems. Each floret of the big, fluffy blooms is a deeply saturated tourmaline-green that looks refreshing and intriguing in the garden all summer long. Very dark green foliage sets off the lively green of the blooms. Makes a fantastic cut flower, both fresh and dried, if you can bring yourself to remove them from the fabulous plant. Reaches 31/2–5 feet tall and wide. Zones 3 to 9.
The Farwest Show is organized by The Oregon Association of Nurseries.
The 220-page book maintains a focus on production and contains information that until now was available only in piecemeal form. It discusses the basics-such 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. The focus is on nursery and greenhouse production of field or container perennials, but the greenhouse plug and bedding plant methods of production are covered as well.
OCTOBER
Oct. 5-6
Canadian Greenhouse Conference Niagara Falls, Ont. canadiangreenhouseconference.com
Oct. 19-22
CiB National Symposium Victoria, B.C. communitiesinbloom.ca/ symposium-awards
Expo Québec Vert Saint-Hyacinthe, Que. expoquebecvert.com/en/
Nov. 14-16
HortEast 2022 Moncton, N.B. horteast.com
Nov. 18-19
Green Industry Show & Conference Red Deer, Alta. greenindustryshow.com
2023
JANUARY
Jan. 24-27
IPM Essen Essen, Germany ipm-essen.de
FEBRUARY
Feb. 21
OFVGA AGM
Niagara Falls, Ont. ofvga.org
To submit an upcoming event, contact editor Andrew Snook at asnook@annexbusinessmedia.com.
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INDEX
Garden Centres; Potential Industry Champions
During the heady days of summer, many folks were enjoying their yards and gardens. Garden centres were busy, and the aisles were bustling. Which got me to thinking about the role of this sector of our industry. In many ways, garden centres are unusual in that they perhaps represent the only direct face-to-face intersection between horticulture and the buying public. Parks, recreation and landscape sectors are obviously directly ‘customer facing’, but with very few exceptions (e.g. botanical and display gardens, and yard maintenance companies), are not engaging the spending public. Similarly, food, flower, and cannabis producers rarely engage directly with purchasers on site (save U-Pick fruit). So, garden centres provide horticulture a unique opportunity to showcase directly to the public.
They undertake many roles. Obviously, they are go-to retail places. Selling plants is where most start, and why many people visit these centres of expertise, and to receive advice, instruction and encouragement. In the UK, larger centres have for several decades been ‘destination stores’, with plants being just part of the portfolio of products. Pots and planters, pets and pet products, books, home décor, and even clothing are all part of the offering. Many
in B.C. this summer, this included promoting and providing native drought tolerant, pollinator and (unfortunately!) mosquito-repelling plants. Of course, we want all our guests to pay (through purchases) for coming to visit, but there may be times when people simply want to come hang out in a place that can be considered therapeutic – the calming influence of plants in a well-designed, constructed and maintained exhibition garden can provide a great service. And we shouldn’t forget that garden centres provide excellent places of employment. Be this casual, part-time, full-time or long-term career opportunities. A noble role.
Garden centre acquisitions are often driven by retirements, lack of family succession, and occasionally in some cases, insolvency. As with many industries, smaller family-operated businesses are being folded into corporate businesses looking to increase their market share, while the market overall continues to grow. Furthermore, the market is often closely linked to the real estate activity, which can positively influence garden centre growth no matter which way it’s going – tougher real estate markets mean more home-owner spend on existing residences and easier real estate purchasing can mean new garden renovations after a move. However you look at it, the real estate market is good for us.
The educational role should not be underestimated for adding value
also operate high-end cafés/restaurants, in and of themselves worthy of a visit, providing a full day of entertainment which can be rounded off by taking in a ‘how to’ workshop or lecture on a diverse range of gardening-related topics. The educational role should not be underestimated for adding value to garden centre services. And don’t forget the kids among us – garden centres may want to provide an exciting playground, so the younger generation get used to visiting and being around plants and garden supplies from an early age. They may even become the ones to suggest such destinations when families are going on an outing.
While responding to popular colour trends and fashion fads, garden centres are also uniquely positioned to drive these. In the Lower Mainland
So then, given the unique position of garden centres as the end customer-facing front line of the horticulture industry, I wonder if there are more opportunities for partnerships to develop their roles. For example, could large food production greenhouses find a direct access to (or feedback from) consumers through garden centres? Or could post-secondary institutions that offer horticulture related programs build partnerships to extend new entrant career training for the curious public, or indeed promote industry research to curious consumers? Can we find a horticulture equivalent of the James Webb telescope to create awe and wonder in plants to create new customers? Just a thought. So, let’s consider seeking to build those relationships for all parts of the industry through our garden centre champions.
THE SWITCH FLIP
Since 2013, Fluence has been assisting growers around the world in retrofitting from HPS to LED. Whether you’re looking to switch, swap, or supplement with LED, trust that Fluence has the solutions and services you need.
