Repellant and attractant plants could ease pest pressures | 12
When it comes to vegetables, light conditions are a major consideration. | 20
Medical marijuana BMPs
Farming in the city
Alberta researchers developing Best Management Practices | 14
The urban ag market is drawing considerable consumer interest | 12
CGC’16 preview section Your guide to this year’s highlights | 49 SEPTEMBER 2016
CGC’15 recap Medicinal cannabis a hot topic. | 24
Research is transforming greenhouses from energy users to energy suppliers. See page 56.
by Wageningen University
Medical marijuana BMPs
Alberta researchers are developing Best Management Practices for medical cannabis crops. See story page 14.
4
6
8 Business Issues 10 A key online resource for enhancing IPM
Technology Issues 12 ‘Push-Pull’ pest program studied by London AAFC
Good bugs, bad bugs 28 Good IPM goes a long way with environmental stewardship.
AGGA awards 32 Annual Alberta program recognizes innovators. Cut mums 38 They’re the perfect choice for stylish bouquets.
High profile speakers 42 CGC’16 speakers with great media exposure.
30 Medical Cannabis Research Developing Best Management Practices to help industry grow.
BY DR. MOHYUDDIN MIRZA
Looking Ahead to 2025 What will your business look like by then?
Pests Make Growers Invaluable? Will new technologies allow almost anyone to grow a crop?
BY GARY JONES
BY MELHEM SAWAYA
Photo
Life-long Learning
“The roots of education are bitter,” Aristotle once said, “but the fruit is sweet.”
It’s true that the effort and time to learn new things can be daunting, and overcoming initial confusion with new concepts can be frustrating, but he’s bang on in saying the results are well worth it.
I struggled through school. True story: my Gr. 13 classmates bought me a bottle of sparkling wine at the end of the school year in appreciation for my “efforts” to keep the math class average down. Confused? Well, the higher the monthly class average, the harder the monthly test – hence my “hero” status at year’s end.
When I began here at the magazine some 20 years ago, I was told I’d be on a continuing learning curve: the first for greenhouse horticulture, the second for magazine publishing. I had come from a newspaper background, and with no plant science background.
Horticulture is forever changing, and a love of lifelong learning is key. And a great way to keep updated, in addition to magazine subscriptions, ministry newsletters and regional association workshops, is by attending industry conferences.
This is the start of the season in Canada.
Things get underway with the CanWest Show (Sept. 28-29) in Abbotsford. It will be followed next month by the Canadian Greenhouse Conference (Oct. 5-6) in Niagara Falls, the Saskatchewan Green Trades Conference (Nov. 2-4) in Saskatoon, Expo FIHOQ (Nov. 16-18) in Drummondville, and the Green Industry Show and Conference in Edmonton (Nov. 17-18).
National Advertising Manager NASHELLE BARSKY nbarsky@annexweb.com 905.431.8892
Account Coordinator MARY BURNIE mburnie@annexweb.com 519.429.5175 888.599.2228
The magazine is a total different product than when I first arrived. We now also have the website and its daily news and features, weekly enewsletters, digital editions, archived and accessible stories, online video reports, webinars, an expanded Grower Day, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Pinterest. And I’m probably missing something.
The educational programs and trade shows are major draws, but it’s the networking and socializing that complete the experience. There are dozens of take-home messages every day, and the chance to talk to specialists about the latest varieties, systems and technologies.
This year’s keynote presentation at the Canadian Greenhouse Conference by Dr. Silke Hemming will look
“Education is learning what you didn’t even know you didn’t know.”
Technology changes. I haven’t received a fax in years.
“The whole purpose of education,” noted celebrated and syndicated newspaper columnist/author Sydney J. Harris, “is to turn mirrors into windows.”
That advice is golden. I’m still learning every day. “Education is learning what you didn’t even know you didn’t know,” quipped American historian Daniel J. Boorstin.
the transformation of greenhouses from energy users to energy producers. The technologies involved are quickly evolving, led by research teams throughout the world, and most notably by Hemming and her colleagues at Wageningen University in the Netherlands.
Conferences play a major role with improved farm profitability. They’re all about what’s new in the industry. They’re all about learning. They’re essential.
“It’s what you learn after you know it all,” observed legendary U.S. college basketball coach John Wooden, “that counts.”
Canadian CEO is Produce Person of the Year
SUNSET president and CEO Paul Mastronardi was named Produce Person of the Year at this year’s United Fresh show in Chicago.
Pamela Riemenschneider, who presented the award, said that Mastronardi is a driving force behind revolutionizing entire categories in the produce department.
“He was instrumental in bringing the Campari cocktail tomato to the market [back in 1995],” said Riemenschneider. “Since that time, the tomato
category has expanded from basic beefsteaks, Romas, TOVs and cherries to a complete menu of flavours, textures, and colours from bright yellow to a deep brown.”
The fourth generation CEO has earned a reputation for his passion for innovation, quality, and above all, flavour.
Visit our News archives at greenhousecanada.com for more on this story.
THE YEAR OF THE PANSY
PHOTO COURTESY NATIONAL GARDEN BUREAU
Want suggestions of what plants to add or expand production of within your product line for 2017?
Pansies would be a good bet, along with daffodils, roses and brassica.
The National Garden Bureau, the non-profit organization promoting gardening in North America on behalf of the horticulture industry and its members, has announced the four plant classes that will
BY THE NUMBERS
Office assist: plants offer a means to
DECREASE STRESS
WHILE ENHANCING PRODUCTIVITY BY 12%.
be featured in the 2017 “Year of the” program.
• For bulbs – daffodil.
• For annuals – pansy.
• For vegetables/edibles – brassica.
• For perennials – rose. As always, the National Garden Bureau board of directors selects crops specifically for the North American market that are easy to grow and genetically diverse with a lot of new varieties to choose from. Breeders, brokers, seed companies, growers and
garden centres throughout the U.S. and Canada are urged to highlight these flowers and plants when planning their marketing for the 2017 season as the publicity generated from this program is substantial. Both members and non-members are encouraged to take advantage of the publicity this program generates by using the NGB logos in their 2017 catalogs, websites, advertisements and other
marketing materials. By mid-November, NGB will have photos of numerous varieties of all four crops (provided by NGB members) posted on its website. NGB also provides PDFs of factsheets, flyers, handouts, signage etc. After Nov. 15, all of the above can be downloaded at no charge from the NGB website.
Garden writer publicity begins this month, while consumer publicity will begin in January.
GERBERA DAISY is one of the top natural air purifiers in the office and home.
(Study by Dr. Virginia Lohr of Washington State University)
15 TO 20 plants are enough to clean the air in a 1,500 sq. ft. area.
(Jay Naar, author of Design for A Livable Planet)
Research shows that plant-filled rooms contain 50-60% fewer airborne moulds and bacteria than rooms without plants.
SPIDER PLANT seen as one of top natural air purifiers in the office and home.
5 DECIBEL NOISE REDUCTION – all thanks to small grouping of workspace plants.
StarShine
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With eye-catching colors and strong novelty patterns, this new series from Selecta One will give your calibrachoa program a fresh look. Big, brilliant, star-patterned flowers burst from cool green foliage. Blooming from Spring through Fall, StarShine dazzles in hanging baskets and large or small containers. Choose from four glorious colors or mix them up: Apricot, Cherry, Pink and Violet. This stunning series from Selecta One will light up the retail bench like a star!
Visit selectanorthamerica.com to order StarShine Calibrachoa and to find best growing practices.
Superbells® Garden Rose
The groundbreaking new Superbells Garden Rose is the first in a brand new line of Calibrachoa bred for landscape use rather than containers. It is extremely vigorous, quickly covering 2-3 feet of ground, and blooms all summer without deadheading. It exhibits outstanding heat and humidity tolerance and has been screened specifically for resistance to Thielaviopsis. Watch for additional colours to come in the future. provenwinners.com
Perovskia Blue Steel
Pansy Cool Wave® Morpho
Popular bicolour is now available in premium spreading/trailing Cool Wave Pansies. Cool Wave has superior overwintering – the earliest pansy to return
in spring. It crushes the competition in trailing and filling containers. It is excellent in early spring baskets and is hardy to Zone 5. www.wavepetunias.com
Achillea ‘Little Moonshine’ (USPPAF)
It has great compact habit with the same bright gold flowers of Achillea ‘Moonshine.’ This petite beauty grows 9-12” tall by 10-12” wide in the sun. It is ideal for containers and smaller gardens and features early and long blooming
– May to September. USDA Hardiness
Zones 4-8. It was bred by Har Stemkens of Syngenta Flowers and introduced by Blooms of Bressingham®. bloomsofbressinghamplants.com
Red October (PPAF)
Andropogon ‘Red October’ is available from Emerald Coast Growers. Its deep green foliage darkens to purple in late summer, then vivid scarlet in autumn for spectacular late-season color. ‘Red October’ loves sun and reaches heights of 5 to 6 feet. It’s hardy in Zones 3 to 8. ecgrowers.com
A perennial first: Now you can grow highquality, affordable Perovskia from professional-grade seed. ‘Blue Steel’ has higher and much more uniform germination than other seed varieties so you’ll grow top-notch plugs easily and efficiently.
No vernalization or overwintering is needed, so production time is slashed. Aromatic, silvery foliage carries clouds of small blue flowers. Its sturdy, controlled landscape habit is comparable to the vegetative market leader. www.kieftseed.com
The UpTick series has a tidy, mounded habit that makes it easy to ship. It’s also very attractive for landscape designs! This North American native offers bigger flowers and longer blooming for more colour at retail and in the garden. Available in stunning new colors: Gold & Bronze, Yellow & Red, Cream & Red, and Cream. darwinperennials.com
Lantana ‘Havana’ series
The Lantana Havana series is a brand new introduction from Dümmen Orange starring heat tolerant, compact Lantanas in five colours. The Havana series features advanced genetics with moderate vigour and extra-large umbels. Versatile in full sun containers and beds, the low seed set of this series leads to quicker flower cycles, dramatically increasing the total number of blooms throughout the growing season. Such a striking increase in flower-power not only benefits retailers and customers, but the numerous pollinators that rely on the nectar of Lantana. dummenorange.com
FOR MORE NEW VARIETIES, VISIT GREENHOUSECANADA.COM.
A Key Online IPM Resource
This tool is placing the latest information at growers' fingertips
The use of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and biocontrol in the greenhouse industry is growing exponentially and greenhouse growers are looking for resources to better understand how to manage pests and biocontrol agents within their production system. A new online tool, Greenhouseipm.org, has been launched to meet this need.
Greenhouseipm.org, is an independent information resource designed to improve productivity and the bottom line for growers while promoting sustainability. The website serves both the floriculture and vegetable greenhouse sectors in multiple ways.
• Assists industry professionals to effectively identify pests and select proven IPM and biocontrol approaches.
• Focuses on North American production systems and biocontrol agents available in this geographical location.
• Ties together all aspects of biocontrol-based IPM.
• Need for risk-reduction resources.
Growers can visit the news and events section of the website for updates on upcoming workshops and seminars and new resources. Growers can also access and follow the ONFloriculture blog managed by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) industry experts. This blog provides Ontario greenhouse floriculture growers with timely, technical information.
THE
SITE MADE ITS INDUSTRY DEBUT AT CANADIAN GREENHOUSE CONFERENCE IN 2015
Greenhouseipm.org, was first developed in 2011. In 2015, the site underwent a major revision and expansion and debuted later that year at the Canadian Greenhouse Conference with growers testing the site and providing feedback. The website has since attracted visitors from around the world including India, the United States and the Netherlands.
A national floriculture pesticide risk-reduction working group was established in 2010 through the pesticide risk reduction program of the Pest Management Centre (PMC). Through discussions, the need for consolidated, user-friendly information was identified as a critically important step toward achieving pesticide risk reduction in greenhouses.
“We have the technology, or at least a good number the pieces.”
Greenhouseipm.org, offers up-to-date information on IPM and biological control in the greenhouse setting. The new website provides detailed descriptions of pests and biocontrol agents as well as instructions on the use of biocontrols within an IPM program. The site is populated with technical and user-friendly information written by industry experts.
THE CURRENT FOCUS IS ON CONTROL OF WHITEFLIES AND THRIPS
The website currently focuses on control of two key pests, whiteflies and thrips. As the site develops, it will evolve to encompass all common types of insect and mite pests, as well as greenhouse crop diseases.
“Reactions from growers have been positive. One grower told me that the site is his reference and that he regularly visits to find information on how to control greenhouse pests. Our goal is to have every greenhouse grower finding the site this useful,” explains Dr. Rose Buitenhuis, research scientist, biological control at Vineland Research and Innovation Centre (Vineland) and contributor to Greenhouseipm.org. Greenhouseipm.org, is a dynamic website and content creators encourage growers to reach out with recommendations for additional research or resources. For more information, please contact Buitenhuis at rose.buitenhuis@vinelandresearch.com.
The website is a partnership between Flowers Canada Growers, OMAFRA, Vineland, and Agriculture Agri-Food Canada’s PMC. The Greenhouseipm.org, website was developed with financial support from the International Organization of Biological Control – Nearctic Regional Section, the pesticide risk reduction program via the strategy implementation project PRR10-230, and Ontario Farm and Innovation Program via Project #0066.
Shelby VanderEnde is the coordinator of Communications and Public Relations at the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre.
ON CONTAINERS AND TRAYS
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TECHNOLOGY ISSUES
‘Push-Pull’ Pest Program
AAFC researcher studies attractant and repellant tools for IPM
Greenhouse tomato growers may soon have another tool in their IPM toolkit, thanks to research at the London Research and Development Centre of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
Entomologist Dr. Ian Scott is leading a team studying how plants attract and repel insects based on volatile chemicals released from their leaves and flowers.
ABOVE
Entomologist Dr. Ian Scott of London AAFC.
This information can then be used to see which plants would be best at either attracting or repelling pests. These plants could then be applied within a “push/pull” strategy to help reduce insect damage in part by minimizing egg-laying on commercial greenhouse crops.
In “push/pull” the repellant plants are used to drive pests away from nearby crop plants, while the attractant plants would lure the pests towards them. The net result, then, would be much less pressure on the commercial crop.
The work is now looking at greenhouse tomatoes, and the pests being targeted are two major threats – cabbage looper and whitefly.
Scott grew up on a small farm south of Ottawa. He completed his undergraduate and master’s studies at the University of Guelph before completing his PhD studies in biology at the University of Ottawa. He completed a post-doc assignment at the U of Ottawa and Cornell University.
He joined the London AAFC research group nine years ago.
Transgenic breeding work by AAFC colleagues in Saskatoon and London demonstrated that volatile compounds released by flowers and leaves could be increased. These volatiles have an effect on insects in terms of their interest in feeding on those plants.
Scott studied the insect response to these new
transgenic tomato research plants and found that some genotypes were much more attractive to certain pests, specifically cabbage looper and whitefly.
This gave him the idea to do further studies with these plants to see if they could be used in a push/pull strategy. “The idea is to reduce the insect pressure on the main crop by providing other plants as the trap crop that are more attractive to the pest.”
The team is now developing other transgenic plants that will improve the “push” qualities, and to identify the volatile chemicals being released. “We want to know which are the more important compounds that are attractive and repellent to insect species,” says Scott.
This work is currently at the lab stage. Eventually they will move into small-scale experiments in a greenhouse using a main tomato crop and the trap plants.
Scott will also determine the optimal number of trap plants required in a commercial setting to affect the push/pull strategy. “They can’t take up too much space from the commercial crop. It has to be cost-effective for growers.”
As well, the researchers will be looking at the impact of the trap plants on beneficial insects such as bumblebees. “We’ll be looking at the non-target insects as well as the target pests.”
Hopefully the use of trap plants won’t affect predators and bees used by the greenhouse industry. “Bumblebees are used for pollination services and for vectoring other biopesticides. We would hope this interaction wouldn’t interfere with what they normally do.”
Push/pull would be a part of an overall IPM program. “It will just be another tool growers could use to reduce pest pressures on their tomato crops.”
If it works with tomatoes, other greenhouse crops could also be studied. “If this is successful and looks promising with tomatoes, we would definitely be interested in looking at other vegetable crops.”
It could also be applied to ornamental crops, he adds.
“And it could very well branch off into other horticulture crops.”
This is the first year of a three-year study that concludes in March 2018. It addresses greenhouse pest control measures, pesticide resistance and environmental sustainability.
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DEVELOPING BMPs For Medical Cannabis Crops
Marijuana (Cannabis sp.) has been cultivated for the value of its medicinal properties for a long time.
It is worthwhile to mention that more research funding is required and traditional funding agencies are still reluctant to invest in this area.
BY YANG JIAN, JAN SLASKI, XIUJIE (SUSIE) LI, LIMIN WU, MOHYUDDIN MIRZA
The plants produce a group of chemicals called cannabinoids. There are more than 100 different cannabinoids isolated from cannabis, exhibiting varied effects.
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the primary and main psychoactive compound. Cannabidiol (CBD) is also one of the major active cannabinoids and is considered to have a wider scope of medical applications than THC.
The production, processing and use of marijuana have been regulated in Canada by Health Canada to
ABOVE
Young hemp plants.
assure high quality and safe products for consumers.
Since the introduction of Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR) in April 2014, many growers have applied but so far only one in Alberta has been issued a licence for production. Lack of good practices and lack of sanitation program have limited the application’s success.
To help Alberta greenhouse growers gain more knowledge on the production of the medicinal plant, we conducted a study, with the financial support from Alberta Crop Industry Development Fund, Alberta Innovates – Technology Futures and
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Alberta Greenhouse Growers Association, to develop a Best Management Practices (BMP) guide for medicinal marijuana in Alberta as a greenhouse crop using industrial hemp as a model.
STUDY LOOKED AT THREE COMMERCIAL HEMP VARIETIES
Three commercial industrial hemp varieties were grown under controlled condi-
tions and evaluated for their morphological characteristics and CBD content (used as a quality measure of the product in this study).
Variety ‘X-59,’ having a dwarf and compact growth habit, was selected and used to evaluate the impacts of plant density, fertilizer, growth media, temperature and photoperiod on the plant growth and CBD content.
LEFT Hemp flower buds.
Results demonstrated that industrial hemp can be grown in the growth chamber/greenhouse as a greenhouse crop and the dwarf type hemp variety is more preferable.
Plants should be managed properly, and special requirements on the nutrients, light intensity, temperature and photoperiod should be fulfilled to gain higher yield and high quality products, along with a high content of medical components, such as CBD. Plants grown at lower density (five plants/m2) had better growth, higher yield and higher CBD than the plants grown at high density (10 plants/m2).
A supply of higher K+ in the nutrient solution at the generative growth stage can increase the bud yield and CBD content.
TWO COMMERCIAL MEDIA WERE COMPARED
Two commercial grow media, Promix and coconut coir, were compared and there
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were no significant differences on plant growth, yield and CBD content between treatments.
However, we found that the coconut coir needs to be pre-treated very well to adjust pH and EC levels suitable for the plant growth.
TIMELY PHOTOPERIOD ADJUSTMENTS
Photoperiod of 18 hours light and six hours of dark per day was used in vegetative growth stage and switched to 12 hours light and12 hours dark at the five-leaf stage.
Plants had good growth at both vegetative and generative stages.
Changing the light setting too early or too late was not suitable for plant growth – the former had less vegetative growth and plants were skinning and had less vigour the rest of the time, while the latter had too much vegetative growth and didn’t set enough flower buds. It also had small, immature flower buds.
CBD content greatly varies in a hemp population. In the current study, dried materials of one plant (‘X59’) had as high as 3.94 per cent CBD. This is very encouraging because there is a high potential to successfully develop a high CBD strain through continuous selection process and vegetative propagation techniques.
Good sanitation practice throughout the entire plant growth, harvest, drying and storage phases is very important to eliminate possible mould contamination. We have tested UV light treatment to reduce mould populations of harvested products during the drying process. It was effective.
USING UV LIGHT TREATMENTS TO CONTROL MOULD AND PLANT DISEASES
In our future study, we will evaluate the UV light treatment during the growth stage to control the mould and plant diseases.
It is essential that pH and electrical conductivity (EC) levels be closely monitored during the entire growth stage. We believe that the same management techniques can be applied to the greenhouse production of medicinal marijuana. More research is needed to develop clonal materials with high CBD contents along with genetic fingerprinting. Clonal material available in the marketplace may not have information available on the purity of strains.
It is worthwhile to mention that more research funding is required and traditional funding agencies are still reluctant to invest in this area.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Financial support: Alberta Crop Industry Development Fund, Alberta Innovates –Technology Futures and Alberta Greenhouse Growers Association
Authors: Yang Jian, Jan Slaski, Xiujie (Susie) Li, Limin Wu – Alberta Innovates – Technology Futures, Vegreville, Alta, and Mohyuddin Mirza of the Alberta Greenhouse Growers Association, Edmonton.
FOR MORE FEATURES ON MEDICINAL MARIJUANA CROP PRODUCTION OR FOR REGULAR REGULATORY UPDATES, VISIT GREENHOUSECANADA.COM.
RIGHT Hemp plants grown in a growth chamber.
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LOOKING Ahead to 2025
Is your operation on track to thrive in the coming decade? Do you have the necessary investment and marketing plans in place to deal with changing demographics?
BY MELHEM SAWAYA
There is always a market for quality.
For people who want nothing to do with gambling, I wonder why they are living in a casino. Greenhouse operators are farmers and they like to take a gamble. They take big risks every time a decision is put into action.
Even though this is the nature of the business, many steps can be taken to increase the odds of success.
Throughout my 38 years in the greenhouse industry I have seen many successful operations and some disasters and many in between. The degree of success always runs hand-in-hand with the foresightedness of the owner, operator or manager; this is in addition to the ability and willingness for planning.
Here are, generally speaking, the basic steps in the planning process:
• Set goals. Identify specific objectives. This should include a detailed overview of each goal, the reason for the selection and the anticipated outcomes.
• Objectives should be defined in qualitative or quantitative terms.
• And the most important thing is to discuss it and share it with all the people that are going to be involved in making any of these goals a reality.
FINANCIAL AND HUMAN RESOURCES
Each goal should have financial and human resources identified. An example of this would be of
setting a goal of increasing profit margins by 10 per cent. This would require an outline of the steps necessary to accomplish it.
The first step would be to determine the costs of production, shipping and average selling price of every item. This will require the input of many of your staff and then assigning the job to one person in-house or someone hired to accumulate all the information so decisions can be made.
• Establish goal-related tasks. Each goal should have tasks associated with its achievement.
• Define these tasks, and prioritize them in a chronological order so there is no interruption in the flow towards the goal.
• Establish timelines. Set realistic dates for specific tasks to be completed.
• Be flexible. Evaluate the different tasks as they progress and make adjustments as things gets to be clearer.
Establish timelines. Set realistic dates for specific tasks to be completed.
This is a general guideline on how to establish a plan. Every plan dictates specific tasks but the general format does not change much although the approach does.
Here are aspects to be considered in planning to thrive in the near future … 2025 and beyond.
The reality is that we are in an industry that is not growing as much as production is, so as a greenhouse operation we must decide where we want to be in the future and start working on meeting these targets.
Be sure to make a plan and get everyone who will be involved on board with the project.
THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY
Look into the past five to 10 to 20 years and analyze how your operation progressed, flattened out or regressed.
ABOVE LEFT How effective is your irrigation system, and will it take you through the next decade … and beyond? ABOVE RIGHT Have you considered new material handling systems?
Determine what were the influences that affected the performance. This a process to be brainstormed with people that know and understand the business. Look closely at your present operation and build on what is working for you. But do not stop there – start planning for the next year five to 10 to 20 years! I hasten to say the idea of “don’t fix what’s not broken” is totally wrong, because if
you are still doing the same thing over and over without any change, I guarantee that your business is going backwards. Cautiously planned change is the key for success.
Many greenhouse operations are family owned. This makes it so important to have business structures so everyone has the responsibility of what they have to accomplish, while at the same time being
able to work together.
Top of the line structures and good sales outlets are useless if you do not have the right employees in place to keep things running smoothly.
Review your customer base and do not just take the easy way. Loyalty to a customer should never be only one way. A healthy business is one that can walk away from a customer if that customer wants to take
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A commitment to maintenance and facility improvement is crucial for efficiency and producing a quality product. If there is only thing that will describe the greenhouses that will thrive in 2025 it will be “efficiency,” both with labour management and material handling. Heat, plant material and wages are quite comparable for every operation – the only variable is the overall cost of labour. Efficient operations can offer quality products at competitive prices, a great
recipe for profitability and stability.
Product mix is so important with profitability. Even if you are only producing bedding plants, the mix variation can be overwhelming due to container sizes, varieties enforced by buyers, shiping dates and different customers.
The rule is if you want to mechanize you have to simplify.
The cost of producing the same plant now compared to 10 to 15 years ago is doubled and the sale price at best went up 10 per cent. The greenhouse business
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NETWORKING PAYS DIVIDENDS IN SALES AND PRODUCT QUALITY
Build relations with your customers, suppliers and colleagues and a network of experts in the different fields. Someone once told me that if you want to get ahead, always capitalize on the strength of others and not only on your own strength, and this can only happen with your willingness to help others when they need it.
This will only happen if you have the willingness to make it happen. It won’t work if somebody is forcing you to do it.
And last but not least, how does all this fit into your life plan.
How
many years before your retirement? Is
there a succession plan in place?
Are you enjoying what you are doing?
Do you have alternatives
How many years before retirement? Is there a succession plan?
At the end I am going to leave you with these five items that I am trying practice for the past little while:
• Own your own happiness.
• Challenge your own story, change the way you talk to yourself.
• Enjoy the journey not the destination – remember to put “me” on my calendar.
• Make relationships count: relationship with God; relationship with yourself; and relationship with your kids. Make sure they are good relationships.
• Balance work with play, and people will have a better opinion of you.
Melhem Sawaya of Focus Greenhouse Management is a consultant and a research co-ordinator to the horticultural industry –mel@focusgreenhousemanagement.com.
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ENVIRONMENTAL Stewardship With an IPM Focus
Insects pose one of the greatest challenges to humans when it comes to crop production and human health.
The new super bugs causing problems in the greenhouse can be effectively managed by applying biologically based pest management strategies.
We have struggled with insects over evolutionary time because of their short life cycles and high fecundity that allow them to withstand control measures in a very small amount of time. This evolutionary process enables the insects to develop heritable traits to overcome techniques used to manage pests.
resistance or a metabolic resistance to pesticides.
BY DR. ABIDA NASREEN
Development of these traits results in the resistance of insects from chemical control methods by a change in behaviour, maturation, or biochemical processes. Insects can develop either a behavioural
In behavioural resistance, insects escape pesticide exposure by learning to stop feeding, hiding under a shelter, avoiding the targeted site, or escaping from treated areas. However, in metabolic resistance, insects develop the ability to detoxify the toxins by binding them to proteins in their bodies; these insects possess more efficient enzymes that break down the pesticides into non-toxic compounds. This evolutionary process to exhibit resistance is very low in natural enemies. The reason for this might be due to differences in biology, ecology, and behaviour exhibited
Fig1. A conceptual pattern how pesticide resistant insects increased in numbers.
Fourth Spray Third Spray First Spray Second Spray
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For example, insect pests have already developed mechanisms to fight or survive plant defence systems whereas natural enemies have never been given the opportunity to develop such mechanisms due to long life cycle, and lower fecundity and in numbers than pests.
Furthermore, the application of pesticides reduces the food supplies of natural enemies while there is plenty of food available for the survived insect pest. As a result, most of the natural enemies starve
to death or are left with very low fecundity and predation capacity if they survive. Due to this reason, it is very rare for natural enemies to develop an evolutionary process and resistance to pesticides.
There is an increased abundance of insect pests with pesticide resistance in areas with a concentrated greenhouse industry like Leamington, Ont. Since a copious amount of the resistant pest population is flying around in the environment, it is very difficult for farmers to stop or reduce the growth of these insects even after applying
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biologically based Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies.
For instance, a farmer who carefully integrates different insect control methods will have a very low population of pesticide resistant pests.
However, a farmer who completely relies on chemicals to control the pests in his greenhouse will end up with a crop that consists of a fairly high population of insect pests, especially during the termination of the crop.
At this point, no one can stop these insect pests that have survived multiple rounds of pesticide sprays. They will have very high levels of pesticide resistance and are known as superbugs. Today, farmers observe such superbugs in the form of whiteflies, thrips, spider mites, and aphids.
All hope is not lost, however.
These superbugs can be managed by applying biologically based pest manage-
These superbugs can be managed by applying biologically based IPM.
ment strategies. Biologically based IPM suggests starting the pest control by introducing carefully selected natural enemies, and by delaying the use of chemicals until it is unavoidable and completely necessary. The use of chemicals can be delayed by proactive augmentative releases and conservation of natural enemies.
Conservation of natural enemies can be achieved by integrating non-chemical approaches such as pheromone mating disruption, yellow and blue sticky cards, cultural controls, and selective and proper use of chemicals (selective insecticides are least toxic to natural enemies but lethal to the pests).
The application of chemicals by methods (drenching) other than direct spraying can help to maintain or conserve the natural enemies.
Providing supplement food (pollen, frozen moth eggs, brine shrimp eggs, etc.) in the absence of pests, and the use of banker plants, can help the natural enemies to better survive and reproduce on the crop.
Dr. Abida Nasreen is director of research and development with GrowLiv Ltd. – www.growliv.com
AGGA Awards Recognize Leadership
Annual reception of Alberta Greenhouse Growers Association pays tribute to growers and specialists known for their innovation and industry dedication
BY DR. MOHYUDDIN MIRZA
A posthumous award was among those presented by the Alberta Greenhouse Growers Association last year during its annual awards reception during the Green Industry Show and Conference in Calgary.
The Herb Knodel award for Alberta greenhouse industry development was awarded posthumously to the family of Lyle Aleman who passed away in June 2015 in an automobile accident. This was a very emotional award presentation.
Lyle is fondly remembered for his commitment and dedication to the Alberta greenhouse crops industry and especially the Red Hat Co-Operative Ltd. As general manager he developed, initiated
and completed many projects which promoted the consumption of fresh vegetables. His community involvement was also exemplary.
AGGA ORNAMENTAL GROWER OF THE YEAR
Stuart Hunt graduated from the greenhouse horticulture and technology program at Malaspina College in Nanaimo, British Columbia. After working at Scania Greenhouses in Langley, B.C., he moved to Alberta in 1989 and got his first job at Prairies Sun Greenhouses in Joffre and credits John Bouw for teaching and mentoring and helped him to become the grower that he is today. He worked
BOTTOM Dr. Mohyuddin Mirza and Meritorious Services Award winner Dr. Kwesi Ampong-Nyarko.
TOP Flower Grower of the Year award-winner Stuart Hunt is congratulated by AGGA president Debbie Foisy.
ABOVE LEFT Vegetable Grower of the Year winner Andrew Mans, at left, with award presenter Paul Schlacht of Terra Link Horticulture.
ABOVE RIGHT Herb Knodel Award presenter Albert Cramer, chairman Red Hat Co-op (far right), with Mike and Mary Aleman (father and mother of the late Lyle Aleman) and Lyle's wife Carisa Aleman.
with Oyen Greenhouses for several years and contributed his skills and knowledge to help make the greenhouse the second largest propagator in Alberta. In July 2013 he moved to Red Deer to work with Dentoom’s Greenhouses and then in October 2014 he started working for Kevin Wasenberg at Central Alberta Greenhouses.
The award reflects his dedication to helping other growers as well as his reputation as a very knowledgeable person with plugs and plants.
MERITORIOUS SERVICE AWARD PRESENTED TO LONGTIME RESEARCHER AND ADVISOR
Dr. Kwesi Ampong-Nyarko is a scientist, researcher and advisor trained in plant sciences and technology of crop protection. He gained his PhD degree in agricultural botany from University of Reading in England. He has worked in various capacities in Africa, Asia and North America. His work experience includes employment in renowned research institutes, the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines and The
Winners of the Top 10 Under 40 will be featured in the November issue of Greenhouse Canada and will be announced during “The Gathering” on October 5th at The Canadian Greenhouse Conference in Niagara Falls. Canada is full of young, skilled and knowledgeable people who are driving the greenhouse industry forward. From commercial growers and wholesalers to manufacturers, equipment suppliers and service providers, they are the best and brightest in our industry. Join us as we celebrate the future of horticulture in Canada.
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International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology in Kenya.
He is a results oriented, high energy scientist with multi-disciplinary background and demonstrated expertise in crop production, insect science, weed science, on-farm experimentation, integrated pest management, organic farming, greenhouse crop production, environment and bioenergy, technology transfer, International Agriculture Development and urban agriculture.
His contributions to the Alberta green-
house crops industry includes:
• Research and implementation of IPM practices.
• Evaluation of different organic fertilizers, including Nature’s Source, and their adoption by growers.
• Greenhouse energy benchmarks in which energy use per kilogram of produce was developed.
• Development of production and processing protocols with Rhodiola.
• Several publications at the national and international level. He retired in 2015.
AGGA VEGETABLE GROWER OF THE YEAR
Andrew Mans received the Vegetable Grower of the Year award.
Mans Organics is a family owned and operated farm. Henk and Rita Mans started the farm in 1994. Andrew and his wife Denise joined the farm in 2012. They became organic seven years ago, as they felt that it is a responsible way to produce safe and healthy food.
Last year was the sixth season for onions, shallots and garlic. These vegetable crops are grown in rotation with
alfalfa and wheat. In 2012 they began building their first greenhouse to grow tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. After spending close to a year building that greenhouse they started producing greenhouse crops in 2013.
Their farm and greenhouse are certified organic by the Global Organic Alliance (GOA). The GOA has scheduled inspections every year at a minimum, and unscheduled inspections can also occur. This is one of the first certified organic greenhouse growing vegetables and supplying to commercial channels.
This year’s Green Industry Show and Conference will be held Nov. 17-18 at the EXPO Centre at Northlands Park in Edmonton. The show is Alberta’s premier event for the landscape, greenhouse, nursery, garden centre, turf and tree care industry. The show hosts are Landscape Alberta and the Alberta Greenhouse Growers Association. The AGGA traditionally conducts its AGM – and awards program – during the show.
– www.greenindustryshow.com
Dr. Mohyuddin Mirza is the newsletter editor and consultant with the AGGA.
Cut Mums Make Great Bouquets
All in all, chrysanthemum is an intensive crop to cultivate, but rather easy to control, easy to plan production around, and it has a very large international market.
BY ORI DANZIGER
Chrysanthemum belongs to the Compositea family and is a long-day, short-day plant, meaning that elongation occurs under long-day conditions and induction to flowering under short-day conditions.
At the end of each cycle, after harvest, plants are uprooted and the field prepared for the next planting. All in all, chrysanthemum is an intensive crop to cultivate, but rather easy to control, easy to plan production and with a very large international market. The chrysanthemum industry is enormous and among the 10 biggest crops commercially used worldwide.
Growing cycle – Each production cycle is made up of the long-day treatment stage, the short-day treatment stage, harvest and preparation of the field for the next planting.
Depending on local climate, market demand for stem length, and differences between varieties, three to more than five such cycles can be achieved in one year.
Uniformity of the cuttings and plants is highly
important to allow a balanced resource manage ment of the flower.
Planting density – Planting density differs between different varieties and climatic conditions. The common range is between 80 to 100 plants per gross square meter.
Cultivation – At mother stock stage, rooting and after planting, the long-day treatment is given by lighting the crop nightly so that plants are ex posed to a total of 16 hours of light (including the daytime hours). Cyclic light systems can be used. No pinching is performed, so that each plant gives one high quality stem.
The period of long-day treatment depends on targeted stem length. Nowadays some varieties have minimal lighting requirements and can reach a stem length of 60 cm with no lighting at all. Long-day treatment is usually seven to 18 days.
Then the short-day treatment begins by short ening the day to 12 hours of light in a 24-hour period. In equatorial countries such as Colombia there is no need for short-day treatment. In
four-season countries, when daylight is longer than 12 hours, total blackout is required in order to induce the flowering. The time span from initiating the “short-day treatment” to flowering is known as the “reaction time.” Each variety is characterized by its own reaction time, usually 6.5 to seven weeks. Flowers are harvested when just beginning to open and according to market preference, placed in water containing a bactericide, and ready for marketing.
Plant growth regulators – Plant growth regulators are used in order to get a strong stem and short pedicels with an abundance of buds. Apply one to three treatments and concentrations according to the growth habit of the various varieties.
Treatment for each variety is determined based on accumulated knowledge and growing conditions. Note that use of B9 can decrease the uptake of colour absorption due to cell walls hardening.
Plant protection – The main fungal disease to look out for is White Rust. The main pathogens are tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) and chrysanthemum stunt viroid (CSVd) that are transmitted via thrips. Among the pests, leaf miners are the most troublesome. Preventing insect or disease activity starts with vigilant scouting, monitoring and phytosanitary management.
Looking into the Future – Future chrysanthemums will have high tolerance to white rust like the Atlantis® series and will be resistant to virus and viroids.
Growing chrysanthemum will require less lighting, and varieties will have uniform flowering that will enable mechanical harvesting as is common in the Netherlands. This will allow a more efficient and cost-saving work method.
Danziger Varieties – In order to meet the ever-evolving demands of the dynamic floriculture market, Danziger puts great emphasis on the breeding of new varieties using both conventional and genetic engineering techniques. Our breeding aims at introducing early flowering varieties, with tolerance for both high and low temperatures and non-fading colour of the flowers. Our full range includes varieties of all types and colours.
Danziger “Dan” Flower Farm has been breeding and growing chrysanthemums for more than 40 years and offers a wide selection of high-performing chrysanthemum varieties, led by the Atlantis series, known for its abundance of single/daisy perfectly shaped flowers, sturdy and stable stem, excellent vase life, high yield, ability to absorb colour efficiently, white rust resistance and use for all types of work from bouquets to designer arrangements. Danziger varieties are grown on high standard and professional farms in Colombia, destined for export to the North American market as well as the European market, the Far East and Russia.
The breeding team is focused on introducing new flower colours and shapes with favourable traits for the grower and end consumer. The Danziger Chrysanthemum collection is expanding yearly in compliance with the market requirement.
The company just recently introduced five new varieties, among them ‘Vino™’ and ‘Can Can™,’ which won second and third prize respectively at Colombia's Proflora 2015 exhibition. Recently launched varieties include the yellow ‘Georgia™’ and ‘Cordelia™’ (which is characterized by its green centre), the white ‘Pana Cotta™’ and the pink ‘Cara Mia™.
Ori Danziger is regional sales manager for Latin America for Danziger “Dan” Flower Farm. He can be reached at ori@danziger.co.il.
AWARD-WINNING DOCUMENTARIAN to Discuss Perennials at CGC’16
Looking for some advice on flowering perennials in the fall?
"The sheer joy of the first rose in bloom or the return of a butterfly, bird or garden creature does wonders for the psyche."
Renowned horticulturist and broadcast media veteran Kenneth Beattie can help. He will be discussing the topic at CGC’16 at the Scotiabank Convention Centre in Niagara Falls next month.
The conference runs Oct. 5-6. Beattie's presentation is on the Wednesday afternoon during the garden centre/retailing session.
Beattie is an award-winning documentarian and TV host whose
career path has taken him to the four corners of the world. His professional activities, spanning over four decades, have positioned him as one of Canada’s most notable and accessible resources in the plant world.
He worked for more than two decades in front of the camera as host, news anchor and correspondent.
• “The Earth’s Garden,” his award-winning international documentary series, continues to delight audiences globally.
BY DAVE HARRISON
ABOVE
Noted horticulturist, broadcaster and documentarian Kenneth Beattie.
• He was also the host of the especially popular “Get Growing” Canadian TV series, originally on the W Network. The series attracted the largest viewing audience of all time within its genre in Canada.
He serves on a number of international conservation societies, working with such personalities as Prince Charles, Sir David Attenborough and actress Betty White.
HIS PASSION FOR PLANTS WAS CULTIVATED AT AN EARLY AGE
Beattie said his passion for plants came at an early age. “Curiosity, intrigue and an ability to observe are gifts that I cherish,” he explains. “Combining these characteristics with mentoring from family and educators, I suppose, instilled the joy of nature from a very, very early age. Gardening was simply what was done for almost every household where I grew up.”
While to some gardening is a chore of weeding and insect control, to others it is a “delight in being outside and reaping the rewards of your efforts.”
Today’s consumers do their homework, he says. They take the time “to research an issue, an approach and the selection of plants available. The informed consumer today is on a mission, armed with oodles of information, whereas years ago developing the garden was just a regular household task.”
MAKING GARDENING EASIER FOR CONSUMERS TO ENJOY SUCCESS
Gardening today has been “categorized, labeled and specified much more than ever before.
“As an example we can now find plants categorized according to cultural requirements, companions, xeriscape and drought tolerant, container specific, edible, ornamental and so on. Therefore attitudes have changed in my opinion, and for the better.
“Horticulture/gardening has been elevated to a level where it is socially expected that you will garden. The current association of gardening with lifestyle and healthy living has done wonders for the industry.”
Gardening is an “absolute passion,” he says, and can be “highly addictive. Garden centres and plant retailers should have warning signs or caution signs posted!”
People are motivated to garden for a variety of reasons, but most commonly because the accomplishments are tangible.
GARDENERS ENJOY BEING CONNECTED WITH NATURE
“In a world that is ever increasingly electronic and more distant from nature, the mere act of getting outside let alone in the garden is being regaled as a phenomenon.
“Those of us who garden understand that being physically tired after a day in the garden is considerably different than
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eight hours behind a desk in the office. The sheer joy of the first rose in bloom or the return of a butterfly, bird or garden creature does wonders for the psyche.
“What’s in it for them?… countless moments, memories and magic.”
The industry, he explains, has somewhat of a challenge in serving the millennial market. Communication is the key. Millenials have access to “massive amounts of information,” and retailers need to provide “specific, pertinent and locally germane information in a non-intimidating fashion.”
NEW GARDENERS APPRECIATE GUIDANCE AND ADVICE
Gardening can be a little scary for newcomers, Beattie explains. “What if I don’t do this correctly,” they’ll wonder. “That’s why gentle mentorship, strong leadership, a proven, accountable track record, and above all, engagement with the millennials is the way to proceed.”
Gardening has much deeper roots in Europe, due to its history. North Americans are relative newcomers to gardening. “Canada is only 150 years old,” notes Beattie.
“Gardening and the appreciation of landscape and the importance of its societal role is inherent in the European culture. Passion is difficult to measure, therefore comparing North American emotion with European emotion may not be appropriate.
“We as North Americans are doing well as a younger culture, learning still from our European roots. It’s commonplace in many European cities for folks to purchase flowers weekly from the market or grocery store along with planting seasonal perennials, trees and shrubs. Availability of plant material and the inherent desire to “naturalize” the urban-scape play a huge roll as well.”
THE EARTH’S GARDEN
“The Earth’s Garden” is a 13-part award-winning documentary series, that has been broadcast to global audiences. The series aired in North America for one season and just recently has been acquired by Hortus TV for streaming via the Internet.
Its key message? “To understand plants is to understand life,” says Beattie. “The connections that we have spiritually, economically, physically, health-wise with plants. We as humans have much more in common than not.”
Beattie has also devoted considerable time and expertise to urban habitat development initiatives.
“Urban habitat is where most Canadian live, as such it is important that a natural component is ever present. I have developed programs to educate and encourage Canadians of all ages to ‘Grow Healthy Lifestyles,’ as well as to develop wildlife friendly habitats.”
The programs have been developed for a wide
CGC'16: Taking your retailing to the next level of sales success
By Dave Harrison
One of the industry’s leading retailing consultants will be especially busy at CGC’16.
John Stanley is one of the world’s most sought-after garden centre specialists and is frequently asked to speak at workshops, study tours and conferences throughout the year.
As a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), he is one of the world’s top 10 per cent of professional speakers.
Stanley is part of the Wednesday (Oct. 5) afternoon Garden Centre program, and will discuss “Passport to Excellence: 10 Tips from Garden Centres Around the World.”
ABOVE
John Stanley
On Thursday (Oct. 6) he will lead a two-part Garden Centre workshop entitled, “Passport to Excellence: Make Sure You Own Your Market.”
Stanley began his career teaching nursery management and retailing at a college in the U.K. He had a knack for helping stores improve sales, and that prompted the formation of his global consultancy firm – John Stanley Associates – that is celebrating 40 years of service this year.
‘ONLY THE INNOVATORS AND THE BEST CAN SURVIVE’
The industry has changed a great deal in that time, he says.
“We have moved from nursery gate sales to independent garden centres, to the arrival of the ‘box’ store retailers, and then to online retailing in those 40 years. Only the innovators and the best can survive that.”
High-tech lifestyles have changed the needs of customers and businesses must create solutions for them and provide new experiences.
“Baby boomers loved gardening and millennials love being in the garden,” says Stanley. “Plant knowledge is greater with the baby boomers. Lifestyle and food plants are what the millennials are looking for.”
As for common mistakes garden centres make with merchandising, he said they often make things too complicated for consumers. “We’re making it too difficult for customers to shop easily.”
SOCIAL MEDIA CRITICALLY IMPORTANT IN MARKETING
Social media is critically important to any marketing program, and “Facebook is the major marketing tool used by leading retailers.”
The key for independent retailers is to create in-store retail excitement. The challenge is how to develop that using cost-effective techniques. The real keys are:
• Consumer engagement.
• Theatrical displays.
• Effective merchandising.
The Passport To Excellence workshops, he explains, involve adopting low-cost ideas “and then making them work for your business.”
It’s important to make sure you own your market. Thursday’s workshops (Oct. 6) “will look at the practical ways of owning the garden market in your catchment area. It will look at what you do to stand out from the crowd in the consumer’s mind.”
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THE ROLE OF PERENNIALS
Perennials have a special place in any garden or yard.
“They form the foundation or framework of a landscape/garden in my opinion. Reliable, consistent and of course ‘divisible,’ these workhorses of the garden are the backbone of the industry. Many gardeners consider perennial plants less maintenance than their annual counterparts. This may be true in some cases, but nevertheless the consumer seems to share this opinion.”
Perennials provide a longer season for the most part as well as a habitat for many beneficial insects. “This alone should be encouragement enough to fill your garden with perennial plants.”
Succulents and thematic garden design are among the recent trends in the perennial market.
Succulents, perhaps a short-lived trend, appeal to the novice gardener as they are rather low maintenance. “The media has done much to support incorporating succulents in designs as far reaching as vertical and roof gardens to balcony enclaves.”
THEMED GARDENS IN A COLOUR RANGE
Thematic design is very popular with urban gardeners and in particular those with smaller properties. Themed gardens in a colour range, a geographic sense such as Mediterranean or containerized are getting significant media attention these days. “Creative growers and retailers are wise to develop and market selections or ‘kits’ of plants that are tailored to a specific theme,” notes Beattie. “The sky is the limit.”
His CGC’16 topic is titled, “Fall Forward – The Final Act.”
“I would hope that growers and retailers alike will come away from my presentation with some enthusiasm to think outside of the box and be bold to create themed collections and/or kits of plants for fall planting.
“Additionally, I would be thrilled to learn that the industry is providing accurate, practical and of course valid information for our discerning and learned consumers.
“We are growing and should be sustaining new generations of gardeners,” says Beattie. “It is our responsibility as professionals to set the bar higher each and every season.”
Registration opens 8:00 am
Trade Show hours 8:30 am – 4:00 pm
HEADING FOR SUCCESS VIA PASSPORT TO EXCELLENCE
By Allan van Staalduinen
I would like to take the opportunity to welcome you to the 2016 edition of the Canadian Greenhouse Conference.
Once again, we are excited to be hosting our event in Niagara Falls – an international destination where the beauty of the falls, hotels, restaurants and entertainment make it the perfect setting for the largest industry trade show and conference of its type in Canada.
The event begins with the ever-popular pre-conference bus tour, where attendees will be inspired with new ideas as they visit local Ontario growers and businesses that are innovative and successful.
Our theme this year is “Passport to Excellence,” and this is reflected strongly in the speaker program as we have searched the world to find you the experts willing to share experience, research and tips to make your business grow in sales and profits.
FLOWER AND GARDEN CENTRES ON UPPER FLOOR
Please note that we have moved the flower and garden centre sessions to the upper floor to meeting rooms that are more intimate. This will allow you to lean in closer to take in the information you need and get answers to those questions as we learn together!
The vegetable sessions and the keynote address remain in the ballrooms near the trade show.
Increased demand to be an exhibitor at the Canadian Greenhouse Conference has allowed us to expand exhibitor space and modify the trade show floor plan. Please check your programs for the floor map that will guide you to connect with industry suppliers and colleagues as we see, touch and interact with new technology, products and people that will generate ideas that will make your business thrive.
Join us on the trade show floor Wednesday afternoon around the Garden Oasis for the reception and then join us for The Gathering as we enjoy dinner and entertainment in a relaxed setting that allows you to connect with old friends and make new ones as well.
Lucky Draws Wednesday and Thursday give you a chance of taking home a new iPhone so make sure you enter your tickets to win! There will be a separate exhibitor draw as well.
I would like to thank our sponsors who invest in our event and help us make it better for our attendees and exhibitors.
And to the team of industry volunteers that serve on our board and committees, thank you for your ideas, enthusiasm, logic, advice, experience and commitment towards making the CGC the best it can be.
Finally, this event would not happen without Carol Pupo and Glenna Cairnie, who work tirelessly to make the CGC a success. You are very much appreciated!
Allan van Staalduinen is the 2016 trade show chair.
WORKING DILIGENTLY BEHIND THE SCENES TO PLAN THE SHOW
Once again, it’s showtime at the Scotiabank Convention Centre for the Canadian Greenhouse Conference, with a spotlight on great educational sessions and an expansive trade show.
Out of the limelight are the many volunteers who work throughout the year to plan and coordinate each year’s conference.
The CGC is one of the premier horticulture shows in North America and Canada’s marketplace for greenhouse technology.
With roots back to 1979, the CGC has been committed to providing a high quality conference experience for the sharing of leading edge information from speakers, workshops and exhibits.
Members of the 2016 Canadian Greenhouse Conference trade fair committee are:
Chair: Allan van Staalduinen, Ball Horticultural Inc.
Nashelle Barsky, Greenhouse Canada.
Dr. Theo Blom, University of Guelph, retired.
Nancy Boekestyn, Berger.
Wayne Brown, private consultant
Glenna Cairnie, Marketing & Events Coordinator
Dr. Chevonne Carlow, Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs
Nathalie Dreifelds, Vineland Research & Innovation Centre
Steve Droog, Kam’s Growers Supplies
Rob Fluit, JVK
John Gardner, Durward Jones Barkwell &Company
Todd Graham, Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers
Dave Harrison, Greenhouse Canada magazine
Shalin Khosla, Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs
Lorne King, Plant Products
Andrew Morse, Flowers Canada Growers
Carol Pupo, Executive Coordinator
Terry Talsma, Syngenta
Rodger Tschanz, University of Guelph
Hein Vanderkamp, Woodenshoe Greenhouses
Felicia Vandervelde, Florist B.V.
YOUR PASSPORT TO EXCELLENCE
From the trade show to the speaker sessions, CGC’16 is home to a world of great ideas
By Glenna Cairnie
Canadian growers – leave your passports at home and travel to Niagara Falls, October 5-6, where the 2016 Canadian Greenhouse Conference will be your Passport to Excellence bringing expertise from around the world to inform and inspire.
In step with global trends towards renewable energy, energy conservation and organics, the greenhouse industry is an innovation giant.
Canadian growers in particular are leaders in adapting new technologies and the CGC is here to support that drive by introducing new concepts and technologies through the speaker program and exhibit hall.
GROW YOUR BUSINESS AND YOUR NETWORK
The CGC’s casual, friendly atmosphere will allow you to build a network of resources with internationally renowned speakers, researchers, retailers and allied trades. The comprehensive speakers program, designed to attract attendees from every level of operations, addresses issues growers face daily. Visiting the trade show is like a world tour. Here you will find companies from as far away as the Netherlands, China and Spain eager to connect. CGC exhibitors are set up to work with Canadian growers; avoiding issues with regulations, payments and shipping and ready to partner with you in building a successful business.
NEW THIS YEAR
We are growing! A redesigned trade show floor plan accommodates the increased exhibitor interest. The CGC welcomes nurseries and landscapers to our expanded show.
Discounted parking rates! It’s only $4 to park on Wednesday and, thanks to BASF and Niagara Region, FREE parking on Thursday.
Two days of Garden Centre/Retailing sessions! Plan now to attend both days of the conference. Renowned retail guru, John Stanley hosts a full day of workshops on Thursday.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
The targets for energy saving in Dutch horticulture are high and Canadian growers are likely to find that energy costs and government regulations will soon be as stringent as those experienced by our European counterparts. Keynote speaker Dr. Silke Hemming explains the newest developments in coverings, the use of sensors and decision support systems. Don’t miss this opportunity for a glimpse into the future.
VEGETABLE PRODUCTION
Leading the industry in product quality and efficiency, Canadian vegetable growers will find great value in attending this year’s conference. With support and research from government and industry, growers are meeting the challenge of feeding the world in a sustainable, economically viable way with pioneering techniques.
LIGHTING
Dr. Silke Hemming, Wageningen University & Research Centre, provides insight into future technologies discussing research that has shown improved production under diffuse light conditions and innovative materials now under development.
Dr. Xiuming Hao reports the latest findings from his research on various lighting strategies and climate control to increase yield and quality and improve the response of greenhouse vegetables to long photoperiod of lighting in year-round production.
Details of a study conducted at seven commercial greenhouses looking at various HPD/LED lighting configurations on different greenhouse vegetable crops will be presented by Todd Graham of the OGVG.
VERTICAL FARMING
What are vertical farms and what is all the hype about? There has been a rapid increase in the number of vertical farming operations and technology companies around the
Registration opens 8:00 am
Trade Show hours 8:30 am – 4:00 pm
world. Henry Gordon Smith explores technical examples of vertical farms and business models. Will vertical farming be the answer to a space-challenged society?
IPM
OMAFRA specialist Cara McCreary will talk about the increased use of non-traditional pest management techniques such as beneficial microbials and bio-inoculants to improve plant health.
ORGANIC GREENHOUSE PRODUCTION
Herbs, vegetables and edible ornamentals are clearly the hottest segment of commercial growing and retail action anywhere, increasing by double digit percentages annually. Lloyd Traven, owner of Peace Tree Farms, will look at techniques, terms, protocols, advantages and downsides of organic farming. Norm Hansen shares what he has learned and unlearned when it comes to organic production and certification. If you choose to go the route of certification, retired OMAFRA specialist Hugh Martin provides helpful information.
FLOWER PRODUCTION
Three separate production sessions cover new varieties, poinsettia production, lighting and substrates.
Popular speaker and consultant Melhem Sawaya shares his expertise on bedding plants and reveals the winners and losers from the 2016 season. Poinsettia-whisperer Wayne Brown will cover the finer points of growing that tricky Christmas staple.
Fixed incandescent and fluorescent lamps have been traditionally used in greenhouses to deliver long-day lighting but there are now several other lighting options to create long days and regulate flowering. Michigan State professor Dr. Erik Runkle will discuss different kinds and colours of LEDs as well as alternative lighting techniques.
Starting at the bottom: Dr. Bill Fonteno, Professor of Floriculture in the North Carolina State University Substrates Lab, speaks about the importance of managing your substrate before it even gets to the pot.
SANITATION
Good sanitation practices are the key to preventing disease inside your greenhouse but can be timeconsuming. Dr. Warren Copes, USDA ARS, will help you determine where to put your efforts in both tasks and training.
Learn how two well-established operations have made bio-security and greenhouse hygiene a priority. Steve Vanderkooy from Ontario Plants Propagation Ltd. and Lloyd Traven from Peace Tree Farm in Pennsylvania will share their challenges and successes.
ENVIRONMENT
Light and humidity defines a greenhouse environment. There are plenty of options but finding what works best for your operation and balancing the return on investment is the challenge.
Dr. Youbin Zheng, University of Guelph, will help growers determine which lighting technologies will work best for their operation while Dr. Abhay Thosar from Philips Lighting clarifies the economics of LEDs. Dr. Erik Runkle explains the science behind the technology and how it can be used to influence the morphology of young plants.
Humidity control is considered by many to be the largest challenge in commercial greenhouse cultivation. Dr. Theo Blom begins the session by explaining common terms. Kurt Parbst, director of Business Development for Envirotech Cultivation Solutions in Richmond, California, is keen on the importance of efficient and environmentally sensitive growing environment and will discuss the benefits of capturing latent heat while removing moisture. Albert Grimm, head grower at Jeffery’s Greenhouses in St. Catharines, Ontario, explains how proper humidity control can result in improved crop quality, reduced plant losses and increased profits.
PEST MANAGEMENT
Pest management is perhaps the most frustrating problem for growers as the game keeps changing. New pests appear, old ones evolve and develop resistance, while customers and retailers make demands in regard to environmental sensitivity. Staying current on all things IPM is critical. Sessions on both Wednesday and Thursday deal with different facets of pest management including strategies to extend the effectiveness of insecticides and the economics of biocontrol. OMAFRA specialist Dr. Sarah Jandricic updates the mealybug situation and Dr. Rose Buitenhuis from Vineland Research & Innovation Centre discusses controlling whitefly at the beginning of the production cycle.
RESEARCH UPDATES
Nine 10-minute presentations update growers with progress reports and outcomes of current research. The varied topics will interest and inform while providing an excellent overview of what is happening in the industry. Visit the CGC website for full details.
GARDEN CENTRES
Large operation or small, if you are retailing you will want to attend both days of the conference this year as retail guru John Stanley provides inspiration and information to help you attract customers and increase sales. On Wednesday, Stanley shares 10 Tips from Garden Centres Around the World and a full day of marketing workshops follow on Thursday. Len Ferragine from one of Ontario’s premier garden centre establishments, Bradford Greenhouses, draws on his experience to share the elements of marketing and how to find what will be effective for your business.
The CGC brings you industry professionals from across Canada helping you prepare for next season with great advice on trends and plants for the Canadian gardener. Indigenous plants can withstand our tough Canadian climate. Bob Osborne, Corn Hill Nurseries, N.B., shares his favourites from over 30 years of retail and cultivation. Learn how to market an urban habitat that is both beautiful and beneficial to pollinators with Ken Beattie in Fall Forward –the Final Act.
Dr. Bridget Behe, Michigan State University, reports on a study funded by Flowers Canada Ontario that sheds new light on what younger (and our future) customers are seeking from our industry, our retailers and our products. Come away with a better understanding and practical strategies to approach boomers, Gen X and Gen Y. But relax! There is fun too – it can’t all be about work. Take a well-deserved break from the day-to-day routine. In addition to the fun and nightlife that the city of Niagara Falls offers, the CGC provides plenty of opportunities to socialize with friends and colleagues.
• The popular pre-conference bus tour scheduled for the 4th of October is a unique opportunity to tour some of the area’s premier vegetable and flower growing facilities.
• Don’t miss Happy Hour on Wednesday afternoon where food, drink and music create an ideal end to the first day of the conference.
• Enjoy The Gathering on Wednesday night where you can feel the thunder of the Niagara River as you walk behind the falls and enjoy dinner overlooking the cataract. Celebrate with Greenhouse Canada magazine as the Top 10 Under 40 award recipients are announced.
• Stay at our headquarter hotel, the Marriott Gateway, and find yourself sharing a breakfast table with one of the many speakers who have come from around the world.
Grow your business and your network; time invested at the conference will pay dividends throughout the year. Register in advance to take advantage of discount pricing. Complete conference information is available at www.CanadianGreenhouseConference.com.
Glenna Cairnie is the Marketing and Events Coordinator with the Canadian Greenhouse Conference.
CONFERENCE BUS TOUR
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4th
The annual CGC bus tour is a unique opportunity to tour Ontario’s premier vegetable and flower growing operations in the company of OMAFRA specialists, colleagues and CGC speakers. The full day tour will visit operations from Niagara to Simcoe on Tuesday, Oct. 4. The itinerary had not yet been finalized by press time but visit the CGC website for complete details at www.CanadianGreenhouseConference.com.
$145+hst – per person
Advance purchase only.
Buses leave from the Marriott Gateway-onthe-Falls hotel. Pre-registration is required. Tours usually sell out — don’t delay, register today!
THE GATHERING
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5th, 6:30 pm
Elements on the Falls Restaurant
Enjoy great food and great fun on the brink of the falls. Elements on the Falls is one of Niagara’s most iconic restaurants and a new location for this year’s event. Feel the thunder when you take in the famed “Journey Behind the Falls.”
Celebrate the future of the industry as Greenhouse Canada introduces the recipients of their 2016 Top 10 Under 40 award. Shuttle service will be provided between the restaurant, the Marriott and the SCC. Tickets available in advance only.
$75+hst – per person
$65+hst – 8 or more persons
Advance purchase only.
The power of spectrum control.
Registration opens 8:00 am
Trade Show hours 8:30 am – 4:00 pm
SCHEDULE
ROOM 201/202
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5TH
9:30 AM-11:00 AM SANITATION
Sessions sponsored by:
Treatment Options for Disinfesting Irrigation Water Warren Copes, USDA-ARS, Poplarville, MS
Greenhouse Biosecurity: More than a clean sweep Steve Vanderkooy, Ontario Plants Propagation Ltd., St Thomas, ON
Maintaining a CLEAN Greenhouse Lloyd Traven , Peace Tree Farm, Kintnersville, PA ROOM 204
9:30 AM-10:30 AM PRODUCTION
Producing Long Lasting Bedding Plants
10:45 AM Sanitation Practices for Plant Disease Control
Mel Sawaya, Focus Greenhouse Management, Simcoe, ON
Warren Copes, USDA-ARS, Poplarville, MS ROOM 207/208
9:30 AM-11:00 AM GARDEN CENTRES/RETAILING
Session sponsored by:
Boomers or Bust: Why we need a different approach to get Gen X and Gen Y to buy plants
In Search of Great Native Plants
Marketing – Pros and Cons
Sponsored by:
Bridget Behe, Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
Bob Osborne, Corn Hill Nursery, Corn Hill, NB
Len Ferragine, Bradford Greenhouses, Bradford, ON BALLROOM D
9:30 AM-11:00 AM VEGETABLE PRODUCTION 1
Light Transmission & Distribution in Vegetable Greenhouses
Sessions sponsored by:
Light strategies using LEDs and HID
Lighting in Commercial Greenhouse Vegetables: Grower Experience
11:45 AM KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Session sponsored by:
ROOM 201/202
The Future of Greenhouse Industry – from energy consumer to energy supplier
2:00 PM-3:00 PM IPM 1
Sessions sponsored by:
Mealybugs: A Pest on the Rise?
The Skinny on Dipping (Poinsettia Cuttings)
3:15 PM-4:15 PM PRODUCTION 2
Poinsettia Ins and Outs
New Varieties – 2016 Winners and Losers
Silke Hemming, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Wageningen, The Netherlands
Xiuming Hao, AAFC, Harrow Research & Development Centre, Harrow, ON
Todd Graham, Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers, Leamington, ON
Silke Hemming, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Wageningen, The Netherlands
Sarah Jandricic, OMAFRA Vineland
Rose Buitenhuis, Vineland Research & Innovation Centre, ON
Wayne Brown, OMAFRA (ret’d), Grimsby, ON
Mel Sawaya, Focus Greenhouse Management, Simcoe, ON ROOM 204
2:00 PM-3:30 PM ENVIRONMENT – LIGHT
LED vs HPS Lighting
LED Lighting – A Commercial Possibility: Myth or Reality?
Sessions sponsored by:
ROOM 207/208
The Use of LED’s to Manipulate Plant Growth Characteristics
2:00 PM-3:30 PM GARDEN CENTRES/RETAILING
Session sponsored by:
BALLROOM D
Passport to Excellence: 10 Tips from Garden Centres Around the World
Great Bedding Plants for the Homeowner
Fall Forward – The Final Act
Youbin Zheng, University of Guelph, ON
Abhay Thosar, Philips Lighting; Rosemont, IL
Erik Runkle, Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
John Stanley, John Stanley Associates, Nannup, West Australia
Rodger Tschanz, University of Guelph
Ken Beattie, K.A Beattie Horticultural Consultants, Winnipeg, MB
2:00 PM-3:30 PM VEGETABLE PRODUCTION 2 – Organic Greenhouse Production
Sessions sponsored by:
Organic Certification: A Grower Perspective Norm Hansen, Erieview Acres, Kingsville, ON
Organic & Sustainable Production of Herbs
Organic Certification: Ins and Outs – What and where is the latest information that helps with certification
Lloyd Traven, Peace Tree Farm, Kintnersville, PA
Hugh Martin, OMAFRA (ret’d), Guelph, ON
SCHEDULE THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6TH
ROOM 201/202
9:30 AM-11:00 AM IPM 2
Insecticide Resistance: Mechanism & Management
Economics of Biocontrol
Surfactants 2.0 – Understanding the Basics
ROOM 204
9:30 AM-11:00 AM PRODUCTION 3
Session sponsored by:
How to Manage Substrate Before it Goes to Pot
Technology Options for Photopedriodic Lighting
Cynthia Scott-Dupree, University of Guelph, ON
Graeme Murphy, bioLogical control solutions, Welland, ON
Stan Kostka, Aquatrols Corporation of America, Paulsboro, NJ
Bill Fonteno, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
Erik Runkle, Michigan State University East Lansing, MI ROOM 207/208
9:30 AM-11:00 AM GARDEN CENTRES/RETAILING
Session sponsored
BALLROOM D
Passport to Excellence – Make Sure You OWN Your Market
9:30 AM-11:00 AM VEGETABLE PRODUCTION 3
Water Treatment Strategies
The Lowdown on Vertical Farming
John Stanley, John Stanley Associates, Nannup, West Australia
Henry Gordon-Smith, AGRITECTURE, Brooklyn, NY
Breaking Patterns with Non-traditional IPM Cara McCreary, OMAFRA Harrow ROOM 201/202
2:00 PM-3:30 PM RESEARCH UPDATES
Sessions sponsored by:
Nine 10 minute presentations update growers with progress reports and outcomes of current research. The varied topics will interest and inform while providing an excellent overview of what is happening in the industry.
Visit the CGC website for full details. ROOM 204
2:00 PM-3:30 PM ENVIRONMENT – HUMIDITY
Humidity: First learn the lingo
Managing Humidity with AGAM Ventilated Heat Converter
Energy for your Crops: Managing greenhouse humidity
Theo Blom, Theo Blom Advisory Services, Beamsville, ON
Kurt Parbst, Envirotech Cultivation Solutions, Richmond, CA
Albert Grimm, Jeffery’s Greenhouses, St. Catharines, ON ROOM 207/208
2:00 PM-3:30 PM GARDEN CENTRES/RETAILING
Passport to Excellence – Make sure you OWN your market
John Stanley, John Stanley Associates, Nannup, West Australia
BALLROOM D
2:00 PM-3:30 PM WALK & TALK – Communicating with the Plant for Productions Optimization
Hosted by a knowledgeable facilitator, groups will visit pre-arranged exhibitors on the trade show floor for presentations then return to Ballroom D for follow-up questions and discussion. Informal and informative. Meet in Ballroom D at 2:00pm to break into groups.
Registration opens 8:00 am Trade Show hours 8:30 am – 4:00 pm
FROM ENERGY CONSUMER TO ENERGY SUPPLIER
‘The Future of the Greenhouse Industry’ will be a little clearer following this year’s keynote presentation by Dr. Silke Hemming of WUR.
By Dave Harrison
Any time greenhouse growers meet, the talk inevitably turns to energy costs. Natural gas prices are low, but for how long? And memories of high prices not that long ago remain fresh for most producers. For older growers, it’s been quite a roller-coaster ride of price changes over the years.
This year’s keynote presentation, then, will certainly be an attention-getter: “The Future of the Greenhouse Industry –From Energy Consumer to Energy Supplier.”
Leading the session is Dr. Silke Hemming, head of the greenhouse technology research team at Wageningen University and Research Centre in the Netherlands.
“The targets for energy saving in Dutch horticulture are high,” Hemming explains.
This presentation will describe some of the latest research from her group, including energy conservation by greenhouse system design, the new coverings being studied, and the use of sensors and decision-support systems.
The research is looking at maximum use of natural sunlight (free energy); maximum insulation to prevent energy losses; increased energy efficiency (mechanical dehumidification, diffuse light, optimum CO2, low temperature heating, etc.); and fossil fuel replacement by renewable sources (such as geothermal, biofuels, solar and wind energy).
VENLOWENERGY GREENHOUSE IS ALREADY ACHIEVING SAVINGS OF
50 TO 70 PER CENT
The VenlowEnergy Greenhouse, a highly insulated greenhouse with double glazing, for example, has achieved savings of between 50 and 70 per cent with tomato crops, compared to commercial growers. Comparable savings have been achieved with cucumbers, and current experiments are looking at sweet peppers.
Another concept is the Winterlight Greenhouse, which focuses on the maximum use of sunlight during low solar elevation. “With 3D ray-tracing models, the effect of greenhouse roof angle, orientation, shape and construction materials, as well as the effect of different diffuse coverings with anti-reflective coatings and hydrophilic condensation properties on light transmission during winter months has been quantified.”
The Winterlight Greenhouse is expected to gain 10 to 20 per cent more natural light during winter months and is currently under construction.
Combined Heat and Power systems are commonly used in the Netherlands. CHP generators are used on about 7,000 hectares, about 70 per cent of the total greenhouse area in the country. They supply 10 per cent of the electricity needs of Dutch households.
The research results are displayed at the Innovation and
Registration opens 8:00 am
Trade Show hours 8:30 am – 4:00 pm
Demonstration Centre in Bleiswijk (IDC Energy).
In another session, Hemming will discuss “Light Transmission and Distribution in Vegetable Greenhouses.”
Research with a variety of crops (tomato, cucumber, sweet pepper, roses, potted plants) over the last years has shown improved production under diffuse light conditions – expressed in growth rate or yield – of up to 10 per cent in the Netherlands.
Hemming will outline the effect of diffuse light on different crops. As well, she will also look at the potential effect of diffuse light in different climatic regions of the world.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Hemming studied horticultural sciences at the University of Hanover in Germany, receiving her PhD in 1998. Her thesis was on “The Effect of Photoselective Greenhouse Covering Materials on Ornamental Plants.”
She has been a researcher at WUR since 1999.
Hemming is a well-known expert on the field of novel greenhouse design concepts and modern greenhouse coverings. She conducts several international research projects on greenhouse systems in different climate zones worldwide.
She is obviously quite passionate about crop production!
“My parents were growers,” she explains, “so I grew up in a nursery. However, I was more interested in the research part of crop/horticultural engineering, rather than taking over the production business.”
Over the years she has seen many changes in the Dutch industry. For one thing, greenhouses have grown much larger while the number of growers has been decreasing. The Dutch horticultural supply sector has increasingly become a world leader and works in many international markets.
We asked about the importance of new lighting technologies.
“In general, light is one of the important growth factors for crops, next to CO2, temperature, humidity, water and nutrients,” says Hemming. “In order to grow in a sustainable
way, it is important to search for possibilities to use natural resources (sunlight, CO2 in the atmosphere, natural ventilation for cooling, etc.) as much as possible. Only if one of the factors is limited from natural resources (e.g., reduced light in winter in Canada), we should consider adding it from artificial resources (e.g., supplementary lighting).
“Lighting technologies are a possibility to increase production and increase benefits, but on the other hand they cause electricity use and increased costs.”
Whether lighting technologies are useful for growers depends on their local market and of course the exact technology used.
LEDs are entering the market. Some of them are already more efficient than HPS in terms of μmol per W. “They create new opportunities for crop control, since next to light intensity and duration, the light spectrum can also be changed to meet crop needs. A lot of knowledge still needs to be gained here.”
And with many CGC’16 attendees having smaller greenhouses and modest budgets, we asked about the “low hanging fruit” measures they should consider to reduce energy bills.
“Use the natural sunlight as much as possible for crop production,” says Hemming, and “use covering materials with high (hemispherical!) light transmission.
“Make use of diffuse light; it increases crop production. Consider the costs and benefits of double versus single inflated greenhouses in terms of energy use and crop production (available light).
"Use what we call New Growing Strategies, utilize temperature integration, grow at higher humidity levels and install double screens.”
Timely advice, indeed!
The keynote presentation is during the noon-hour on Wednesday (Oct. 5).
Hemmings’ “Light Transmission and Distribution in Vegetable Greenhouses” presentation is scheduled during the Vegetable Production session beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 5 (Ballroom D).
Conference’s renowned educational program includes wide variety of crop production and product marketing sessions
By Glenna Cairnie Ken Beattie
K.A.
Beattie Horticultural Consultants
Dr. Ken Beattie’s career path has taken him to the four corners of the Earth, fuelling his passion for people and all things green and growing. His professional activities, spanning over four decades, have positioned him as one of Canada’s most notable and approachable resources in the plant world. A particular passion for ethnobotany and ethnopharmacology enables him to weave scintillating lecture fabrics for educators and students at the college and university level as well as audiences on the global stage. At sea, he has been delighting cruise ship audiences for more than 20 years with literally hundreds of itinerary specific presentations.
As well as developing awardwinning television programs specific to the changing needs of Canadians, Beattie has reached out to the world’s communities becoming involved in many groundbreaking initiatives. Focused on improving the way people manage the Earth’s resources, he proves that the smallest changes can make a world of difference.
Beattie is affiliated internationally with the world-renowned International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Flora and Fauna International (FFI), and the Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) with personalities such as HRH Prince Charles, Sir David Attenborough and the actress Betty White. With over two decades in front of a camera as host, news anchor and correspondent, his award-winning international documentary series “The Earth’s Garden” continues to delight audiences globally.
Host of the exceptionally popular live, Canadian television series, “Get Growing,” originally on the W Network, his popularity has never waned. This stellar production garnered the largest viewing audience of all time within its genre in Canada.
Post retirement, Beattie continues to apply his vast and diverse experiences within initiatives of horticulture, food security, education, urban habitat development and practical environmental globally.
Fall Forward – The Final Act Wednesday, Rms 207/208, part of a three-speaker Garden Centre Retailing session from 2 to 3:30.
Sponsored by Fafard.
Dr. Bridget K. Behe
Michigan State University
Dr. Bridget Behe (pronounced bee-hee with two long e’s) is currently a professor of horticulture at Michigan State University. She teaches courses on marketing and management for horticulture majors. She has conducted over 100 consumer and market research projects on horticultural products, both edible and ornamental, and has written more than 500 publications in the trade press and peer-reviewed journals.
Behe joined Michigan State’s faculty in August 1997 after serving on the faculty at Auburn University (Alabama) for eight years.
She earned degrees from Penn State University (PhD horticulture, BS horticulture, BS agricultural education) and The Ohio State University (MS Horticulture). Each year, she speaks to professionals and industry groups nationally and internationally. Behe writes articles for several
other trade magazines to share the findings of her consumer research studies. She was co-chair of the AmericanHort (formerly OFA) garden centre committee for several years and now serves on its retail committee. This year, she was elected to chair a USDA regional project committee where horticulturists and agricultural economists work collaboratively on consumer and economic challenges facing the ornamental horticulture industry.
In 2013, she was awarded the National Service Award by the Michigan Floral Association and, in 2012, was named the Outstanding Established Teacher in the College of Agriculture.
Boomers of Bust: Why We Need a Different Approach to Get Gen X and Gen Y to Buy Plants Wednesday, Rms 207/208, part of a three-speaker Garden Centre Retailing session from 9:30 to 11.
Sponsored by Fafard
Dr. Theo Blom
University of Guelph (ret’d)
Dr. Theo Blom studied at Wageningen University in the Netherlands before emigrating to Canada in 1973, where he completed his PhD in soil physics at the University of Guelph. He has been a floricultural extension specialist for OMAFRA and research scientist at the Horticultural Research Institute of Ontario in Vineland. From 1998 until 2011, he was a faculty member in greenhouse floriculture at the University of Guelph. Since 2011, he has remained active in the greenhouse industry. In his spare time, he enjoys gardening, hiking, biking, reading, socializing, solving puzzles and cross-country skiing.
Registration opens 8:00 am Trade
hours 8:30 am – 4:00 pm
Humidity: First Learn the Lingo, Thursday, Room 204 part of a three-speaker Environment –Humidity session from 2 to 3:30.
Wayne Brown retired after more than 30 years with OMAFRA. He continues to be an active resource for the industry with his annual poinsettia trials. Brown is a charter member of the Canadian Greenhouse Conference and currently serves as president of the CGC board of directors.
Poinsettia Ins and Outs
Wednesday, Rms 201/202, part of a two-speaker Production Two session from 3:15 to 4:15.
Dr. Rose Buitenhuis
Vineland Research and Innovation Centre
Dr. Rose Buitenhuis has been a research scientist in biological control at the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre since 2010. She is responsible for the development and implementation of biological control technologies for management of arthropod pests, supporting sustainable crop management practices for ornamental and production horticulture.
She received her M.Sc. in biology at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands in 1997 and her PhD in entomology at Laval University, Québec in 2003. She worked as a post-doctoral fellow at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Harrow (2004-2007) and at the University of Guelph (2007-2009) on biological and
cultural control of western flower thrips in greenhouse flower crops. Current projects include integrated pest management of thrips, whiteflies, aphids and spider mites in greenhouse ornamentals and vegetables, spotted wing drosophila in berry crops and pests of ethnic vegetables, all with a focus on biological control.
The Skinny on Dipping (Poinsettia Cuttings)
Wednesday, Rms 201/202, part of a two-speaker IPM One session from 2 to 3. Sponsored by Vineland Research and Innovation Centre
Dr. Chevonne Carlow
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs
Dr. Chevonne Carlow is the greenhouse floriculture specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). Her background includes many years of working with different plant species, most notably while studying the effects of light on young plant development and the effects of temperature on plant stress responses. She works to connect growers with up-to-date information on floriculture crop production, nutrition and related issues. In addition, she is involved in a wide variety of collaborative research and demonstration projects related to the floriculture sector.
Producing High Quality Bedding Plants with Less Inputs
Thursday, Rms 201/202, part of a nine-speaker (10 minutes each) Research Updates session from 2 to 3:30. Sponsored by Vineland Research and Innovation Centre
Dr. Warren Copes
USDA ARS
Dr. Warren Copes is an ornamental plant pathologist and lead scientist of the National Program 305 Crop Production projects at the USDA
ARS Thad Cochran Southern Horticultural Laboratory in Poplarville, Mississippi. His advanced degrees were received from the University of Georgia. He specializes in integrated disease control applying cultural and sanitation practices, with selective timing of fungicides. Recent areas of research include control of Rhizoctonia web blight on azaleas, investigations into timing of disinfestants to control Phytophthora species in irrigation water, and adjusting disinfestant rates depending on water quality characteristics of water sources used for irrigation.
Treatment Options for Disinfesting Irrigation Water
Wednesday, Rms 201/202, part of a three-speaker Sanitation session from 9:30 to 11. Sponsored by Vetoquinol.
Sanitation for Plant Disease Control
Wednesday, Rm 204, at 10:45. Sponsored by Fafard
Travis Cranmer
Vineland Research & Innovation Centre
Travis Cranmer spent his undergrad studying plant biology at the University of Guelph before completing his master’s degree in plant production systems specializing in plant pathology. He is specifically interested in improving greenhouse vegetable production and greenhouse design in Canada by identifying methods in which we can increase yield, lower costs and decrease energy input. He now works as a plant pathology research technician at Vineland Research and Innovation Centre and after hours he enjoys woodworking, gardening and kayaking.
Effect of Substrate on the Efficacy of Biopesticides Against Root Diseases in Hydroponic Vegetables
Thursday, Rms 201/202, part of a nine-speaker (10 minutes each) Research Updates session from 2 to 3:30. Session sponsored by Vineland Research and Innovation Centre.
Len
Ferragine
Bradford Greenhouses Garden Gallery
The Ferragine legacy began with Francis Ferragine working in the greenhouse industry in the 1950s in England. In 1961, he started his own family business with their first greenhouse in their new hometown of Bradford, Ontario. Born and raised in Bradford, Ferragine has been involved in the family business his entire life – first working after school, then full-time while learning all aspects of the business. During his tenure, the company has seen tremendous growth. His high level of commitment to the family’s business has grown into his current professional success in the industry. Bradford Greenhouses Ltd. has two locations and is one of the largest greenhouse growers and retailers in central Ontario.
Marketing Pros and Cons
Wednesday, Rms 207/208; part of a three-speaker Garden Centre/ Retailing session from 9:30 to 11. Sponsored by Fafard
Dr. Todd Graham
Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers
Dr. Todd Graham is the science coordinator at Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers (OGVG). He obtained a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Alberta and has years of experience working for a range of technology and sciencebased companies. He has worked closely with government and non-government stakeholders and has extensive project management and administrative experience.
Registration opens 8:00 am
Trade Show hours 8:30 am – 4:00 pm
Lighting in Commercial Greenhouse Vegetables: Grower Experience
Wednesday, Ballroom D; part of a three-speaker Vegetable Production session from 9:30 to 11.
Dr. David Gholami
Vineland Research & Innovation Centre
Dr. David Gholami received his PhD in mechanical engineering at the University of Calgary with a specialization in wireless sensor networks and distributed control. After graduation, he worked as a researcher with the distributed sensing and control lab at the University of Calgary, developing a distributed platform to track and navigate mobile robots in noisy and congested industrial environments. He currently works as a research scientist at Vineland Research and Innovation Centre. His current projects involve wireless smart irrigation systems and disease detection systems. In both projects, he deploys hyperspectral and multispectral imaging to monitor greenhouse crops to detect water stress and diseases before their visual manifestation. He is a frequently invited keynote speaker in international scientific symposia and teaches advanced intensive courses on greenhouse production, crop physiology and crop modelling all over the world.
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Robotics and Automation in Horticulture: Current and Future Technologies
Thursday, Rms 201/202, part of a nine-speaker (10 minutes each) Research Updates session from 2 to 3:30. Sponsored by Vineland Research and Innovation Centre.
Henry Gordon-Smith AGRITECTURE
Henry Gordon-Smith is a sustainability strategist focused on urban agriculture, water issues and emerging technologies. He was born in Hong Kong and has lived in Japan, Germany, the Czech Republic, Russia, Canada, Spain, Austria and the United States. His international upbringing contributes to a global perspective and a unique ability to adapt to change. He earned his BA in political science from the University of British Columbia, a certificate in food security and urban agriculture from Ryerson University in Toronto, and a M.Sc. in sustainability management from Columbia University. GordonSmith is also founder of the popular blog Agritecture.com and director of business development at Blue Planet Consulting, an urban agriculture consulting firm based in Brooklyn, N.Y. He serves on the board of the Association for Vertical Farming and Common Health Action.
The Lowdown on Vertical Farming Thursday, Ballroom D; part of a three-speaker Vegetable Production session from 9:30 to 11.
Albert Grimm
Jeffrey’s Greenhouses Inc.
Albert Grimm is a horticulturist by trade and passion. He graduated from an apprenticeship in Germany, and worked in most sectors of horticulture production (ornamentals, vegetables and nursery). He moved to Canada in the late 1980s and spent several years in greenhouse production in Québec, before settling in southern Ontario.
His perspective on horticulture stems from his interest in science. Unable to afford university, he began to work in greenhouses merely as a bridge until more interesting career options would become available. With years of practice, however, came fascination with plants, interest in advancing the profession, and the realization that greenhouse production is an almost limitless concourse for applied science. More than 30 years later this passion for horticulture is still alive.
Grimm believes that excellent plant quality is a crucial requirement for increased sales of ornamental plants in our markets, and that the key to better quality is a detailed understanding of plant interaction with the greenhouse environment. Motivated by this perspective, he actively participates in the education of professional horticulturists with guest lectures and training sessions on various aspects of greenhouse plant production.
Since 1998, Grimm has been working as head grower for Jeffery’s Greenhouses Inc., a major producer of bedding plants and holiday crops in St. Catharines, Ontario, and was recently awarded “Head Grower of the Year” and recognized for “Excellence in Outreach and Leadership” by Greenhouse Grower magazine.
Sponsored by:
Energy for Your Crops: Managing Greenhouse Humidity Thursday, Rm 204; part of a threespeaker Environment – Humidity session from 2 to 3:30.
Norm Hansen
Erieview Acres
Norm Hansen is a cum laude graduate of The Ohio State University, and a graduate of the University of Windsor. He has spent his years since graduating teaching, growing cut flowers, and most recently, growing organic greenhouse vegetables. He is the director of research and development for Erieview Acres and likes to pontificate about the benefits of organics.
Erieview Acres is the premier Leamington area grower of certified organic greenhouse vegetables and is currently growing in 19 acres of greenhouses at three locations. It has collaborated with the Harrow Research Centre, the Vineland Research Centre, the University of Guelph, and the University of Windsor on various research projects and is passionate about growing organic vegetables.
Organic Grower Certification: A Grower Perspective
Wednesday, Ballroom D; part of a three-speaker Vegetable Production – Organic Greenhouse Production program from 2 to 3:30. Sponsored by Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers.
Dr. Xiuming Hao
Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada
Dr. Xiuming Hao is a research scientist with AAFC at the Greenhouse and Processing Crops Research Centre (GPCRC) in Harrow, Ontario. He holds a PhD in plant physiology from the University of Guelph and an M.Sc. in computer control systems from Wayne State University. He has been involved in greenhouse research at the GPCRC since 1995. The focus of his research program is on greenhouse environmental physiology and energy conservation.
In the last 12 years, he has conducted numerous projects on
greenhouse crop management, climate control, and energy conservation, including high-wire cucumber production systems, new greenhouse insulation technology, heat placement in greenhouse vegetable production on raisedtroughs, and dynamic temperature, CO2, humidity and fertigation control strategies, and new greenhouse cover materials. Hao has led the AAFC national research project on dynamic plant-based environment control to improve energy use efficiency in greenhouse vegetable production. He has conducted extensive research to improve the light, energy and nutrient use efficiencies in year-round greenhouse vegetable production with the use of high-pressure sodium lamps, LEDs and other new light sources.
Light Strategies using LEDs and HID Wednesday, Ballroom D; part of a three-speaker Vegetable Production program from 9:30 to 11. Sponsored by Illumitex.
Dr. Silke Hemming
Wageningen University and Research Centre
Dr. Silke Hemming studied horticultural sciences at the University of Hanover, Germany. She got her PhD at the University of Hanover in 1998, completing a thesis with the title, “The effect of photoselective greenhouse covering materials on ornamental plants.” Since 1999 she has worked at Wageningen University and Research Centre at different institutes in various positions. She has been the head of the greenhouse technology research team within Wageningen UR since 2007.
Hemming is a well-known expert in the field of novel greenhouse design concepts and modern greenhouse coverings. She is the leader of the ISHS (International Society of Horticultural Sciences) scientific working group “Light in Horticulture.” She conducts several international research projects on greenhouse systems in different climate zones worldwide, has designed greenhouse concepts for
FOCUSING ON THE LATEST RESEARCH
“Research Updates” is one of the most popular sessions each year. This year’s lineup offers something for every grower, from IPM to supplementary lighting to robotics/ automation. Check it out Thursday in Rooms 201-202 from 2 to 3:30.
“Producing high quality bedding plants with less fertilizer,” by Dr. Chevonne Carlow, OMAFRA Vineland.
“Effects of LED spectral quality on carbon export and sugar partitioning in vegetative tomatoes,” by Jason Lanoue, University of Guelph.
“Comparing HPS and LED supplementary lighting systems for chrysanthemums and lisianthus,” by Xiao Ma, University of Guelph.
“Effect of substrate on the efficacy of biopesticides against root diseases in hydroponic vegetables,” by Travis Cranmer, Vineland Research & Innovation Centre.
“It’s raining aphids, hallelujah(?),” by Dr. Michelangelo La Spina, Vineland Research & Innovation Centre.
Asian eggplant – the greenhouse experience,” by Dr. Viliam Zvalo, Vineland Research & Innovation Centre.
“How to turn on a tomato: bioinoculants and their implications for pest management,” by Ashley Summerfield, Vineland Research & Innovation Centre.
“Robotics and automation: Current and future technologies,” by Dr. David Gholami, Vineland Research & Innovation Centre.
“Optimal supplemental LED lighting level for greenhouse cut gerbera production,” by Dr. Youbin. Zheng, University of Guelph.
“On-farm research update: whitefly control in winter,” by Dr. Sarah Jandricic, OMAFRA Vineland.
This session is sponsored by Vineland Research and Innovation Centre.
Registration opens 8:00 am
Trade Show hours 8:30 am – 4:00 pm
tropical lowland areas in Indonesia, the sub-tropical climate of Taiwan, sustainable greenhouses for semiarid climates in Turkey, net-covered structures for Mediterranean areas, and several energy-saving greenhouse concepts in The Netherlands.
Wageningen UR Greenhouse Horticulture hosts the Innovation and Demonstration Centre of Energy (IDC Energy) with research on new energysaving greenhouse crop production systems at their location in Bleiswijk, where every year new concepts are developed together with industrial partners and demonstrated.
Light Transmission & Distribution in Vegetable Greenhouses
Wednesday, Ballroom D; part of a three-speaker Vegetable Production program from 9:30 to 11. Sessions sponsored by Illumitex
KEYNOTE ADDRESS: The Future of the Greenhouse Industry – From Energy Consumer to Energy Supplier
Wednesday, Ballroom D, at 11:45. Sponsored by Svensson
Dr. Sarah Jandricic
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs
Dr. Sarah Jandricic started as the new greenhouse floriculture IPM specialist for OMAFRA in 2015. She has over 12 years experience in greenhouse integrated pest management, including extensive research experience in Canada, New York State and North Carolina, and two years with a greenhouse IPM consulting company. She has published numerous trade articles and run a variety of grower workshops relating to biological control of greenhouse pests. She is responsible for both IPM of insects and plant diseases.
Mealybugs: A Pest on the Rise?”
Wednesday, Rms 201/202, part of a two-speaker IPM program from 2 to 3. Sponsored by Vineland Research and Innovation Centre.
On-farm Research Update: Whitefly control in winter
Thursday, Rms 201/202, part of a nine-speaker (10 minutes each) Research Updates session from 2 to 3:30. Sponsored by Vineland Research and Innovation Centre
Dr. Stanley “Stan” Kostka Aquatrols
Dr. Stan Kostka is director of biology and field development at Aquatrols. He has spent over 20 years working in the area of understanding how surfactants manage soil water repellency and their application to sustainable improvement of crop water productivity in turfgrass, ornamentals and agricultural crops. He has been an invited speaker at numerous technical meetings in the fields of turfgrass and soil sciences in North America and globally. He holds 15 patents relating to novel surfactant technologies and agrichemical formulations.
Kostka received his PhD in plant pathology from the University of Massachusetts, an MS in plant science from the University of Connecticut, and a BA in biology from the College of the Holy Cross (Worcester, Massachusetts).
Surfactants 2.0 – Understanding the Basics
Thursday, Rms 201/202; part of a three-speaker IPM program from to 9:30 to 11.
Dr. Michelangelo La Spina Vineland Research & Innovation Centre
Dr. Michelangelo La Spina studied agriculture engineering at the Polytechnic University of Valéncia and completed his PhD at IMIDA (both in Spain). His research focuses on the biological control of agricultural pests, mainly aphids. After working for two years in the European Biological Control
Laboratory of the USDA in Montpellier (France), Michelangelo joined the team at Vineland Research & Innovation Centre working to find a biological solution for the foxglove aphid in ornamental greenhouse production systems.
It’s Raining Aphids, Hallelujah?
Thursday, Rms 201-2/02, part of a nine-speaker (10 minutes each) Research Updates program from 2 to 3:30. Sponsored by Vineland Research and Innovation Centre.
Xiao Ma
University of Guelph
After receiving his degree in China, Xiao Ma came to Canada to complete his master of science degree at the University of Guelph. Under the supervision of Professor Bernard Grodzinski, Ma is studying the use of novel supplemental lighting systems in Canadian greenhouse production.
Comparing HPS & LED Supplementary Lighting Systems for Chrysanthemums and Lisianthus
Thursday, Rms 201/202, part of a nine-speaker (10 minutes each) Research Updates session from 2 to 3:30. Sponsored by Vineland Research and Innovation Centre.
Hugh Martin
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs (ret’d)
Hugh Martin is a consultant and organic inspector and has been working with organic farms for over 30 years. He is the chair of the Canadian General Standards Board Technical Committee on Organic Agriculture that has recently revised the Canadian Organic Standards. Previously, he worked with OMAFRA for 34 years. Martin is a graduate of the University of Guelph (M.Sc., B.Sc. [Agr]) and grew up on a family farm near Harrow, Ontario.
Organic Certification: Ins and Outs – What and Where is the Latest Information that Helps with Certification
Wednesday, Ballroom D; part of a three-speaker Organic Greenhouse Vegetable Production program from 2 to 3:30. Sponsored by Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers.
Cara McCreary
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs
Cara McCreary is the greenhouse vegetable IPM specialist with OMAFRA working out of the Harrow Research Centre. McCreary joined OMAFRA in January 2015 from a position as a research associate in the edible bean program at the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown campus. Prior to joining the University of Guelph, she spent six months as the acting field crop entomologist in the Agriculture Development Branch. She also has several years of experience as a greenhouse scout and supervisor and as a horticultural advisor.
McCreary has a master of science degree in environmental biology from the University of Guelph, a bachelor of commerce degree in business administration from the University of Windsor, and an associate diploma in horticulture from the University of Guelph. During her master’s degree, she studied the lifecycle, temperaturedependent development and economic impact of an agricultural pest, the bean leaf beetle. Pest management has been her focus and passion through both work experience and education.
Breaking Patterns with Nontraditional IPM
Thursday, Ballroom D, part of a three-speaker Vegetable Production program from to 9:30 to 11.
Graeme Murphy
greenhouse IPM specialist with BioLogical Control Solutions
Graeme Murphy completed his undergraduate degree in biological sciences and his masters in agricultural science in Melbourne,
Australia and worked for eight years with the Victoria state government in Australia, initially as an entomologist with the Department of Agriculture, and for two years as a research scientist with the Department of Natural Resources.
In 1988, he moved to Canada and from then until the end of 2014, he worked as the greenhouse floriculture
Growing takes energy
Registration opens 8:00 am
Trade Show hours 8:30 am – 4:00 pm
IPM specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food. During that time, he worked closely with the industry on pest management issues generally, including new and invasive pests, registration of new pesticides, research into new control strategies, and development of educational programs and publications for Ontario growers. He also worked with individual growers in developing crop-specific IPM programs with an emphasis on biological control.
He has written widely in grower trade publications in Canada and the U.S. and has been an invited speaker at many conferences and grower meetings both locally and internationally.
Since his retirement at the end of 2014, Murphy has been working as a consultant with greenhouse growers to help refine their pest management programs, focusing on in-house research projects, developing a better understanding of pest management economics, and developing staff training sessions geared to the crops and pests of individual greenhouses.
Economics of Biocontrol
Thursday, Rms 201/202; part of a three-speaker IPM program from to 9:30 to 11.
Bob Osborne
Corn Hill Nurseries, Corn Hill, New Brunswick
Bob Osborne began his working life as a cabinetmaker but a passion for growing and developing nursery stock that could withstand the challenging Atlantic climate called him into the horticultural world. Beginning with apples and moving on to roses, grapes and perennials, he developed hardy varieties that are exclusive to Corn Hill Nurseries.
In business since 1980, Corn Hill Nurseries offers the largest selection of trees, shrubs, small fruits, vines and perennials in the Maritimes, 98 per cent of which are propagated on site. Since 1993, Osborne has hosted a garden show on CBC Moncton radio. He is the
author of countless books, a member of several trade associations, and has received numerous awards including the Canadian Society for Horticultural Science Special Recognition Award.
In Search of Great Native Plants
Wednesday, Rms 207/208; part of a three-speaker Garden Centre/ Retailing program from to 9:30 to 11. Sponsored by Fafard.
Kurt Parbst
Envirotech Cultivation Solutions
Kurt Parbst holds a MS in biological and agricultural engineering from NC State University and is the director of business development for Envirotech Cultivation Solutions of Richmond, Calif., the exclusive North American distributor for Agam Greenhouses Energy Systems Ltd. of of Israel.
He served as president of Ludvig Svensson, Inc., the North American subsidiary for over 12 years. He regularly writes and speaks about the importance that the growing environment has on greenhouse crop production and about technologies that allow us to grow food and ornamental plants with efficient and environmentally sensitive methods.
Managing Humidity with AGAM
Thursday, Rm 204, part of a threespeaker Environment/Humidity session from 2 to 3:30.
Dr. Erik Runkle
Michigan State University
Dr. Erik Runkle is a professor and floriculture extension specialist in the Department of Horticulture at Michigan State University. Since joining the faculty in 2001, he and his graduate research team have performed numerous practical studies on ornamental and leafy green crops to determine the effects of light, temperature and plant growth regulators on growth and
development. Experiments have been performed on a wide range of crops including annual garden plants, herbs and lettuces, and herbaceous perennials. He has published over 200 articles in trade magazines and 80 papers in scientific journals, many of which are on horticultural lighting. He also writes a monthly column entitled “Technically Speaking” in GPN magazine.
The Use of LEDs to Manipulate Plant Growth Characteristics
Wednesday, Rm 204; part of a three-speaker Environment/Light program from 2 to 3:30. Sponsored by Philips
Technology Options for Photoperiodic Lighting
Thursday, Rm 204; part of an Environment/Light program from to 9:30 to 11. Sponsored by Fafard
Melhem Sawaya
Focus Greenhouse Management
Melhem Sawaya graduated from the American University of Beirut with a B.Sc. degree in horticulture plus a supplemental degree in agricultural engineering. Since 1990, Sawaya’s consulting company, Focus Greenhouse Management Inc., has worked with many progressive greenhouse growers in the areas of management and production. He is a frequent speaker at industry conventions, a contributor to Greenhouse Canada magazine and an active Canadian Greenhouse Conference volunteer. Sawaya Gardens, a division of Focus Greenhouse Management, conducts container field trials on about 2,000 cultivars, representing most of the breeders in the industry.
Producing Long Lasting Bedding Plants
Wednesday, Rm 204; part of a Production program, 9:30 to 10:15.
New Varieties – 2016 Winners and Losers
Wednesday, Rms 201/202; part of a Production program from 3:15 to 4:15.
Dr. Cynthia Scott-Dupree University of Guelph – Bayer CropScience Chair in Sustainable Pest Management
Dr. Cynthia ScottDupree is a professor and Bayer CropScience chair in sustainable pest management (2014-2019) in the School of Environmental Sciences – University of Guelph and has been a faculty member there since 1986. Her current research interests include sustainable management (IPM) of insect crop pests using efficacious, environmentally compatible and economical strategies; the survey and management of invasive alien insect species; and studying the impact of agro-ecosystems on beneficial insects. Since the early 1990s, she has been involved with the supervision of large-scale GLP and other field studies
in Ontario – looking at the impact of insecticides on honeybees and bumblebees. She is keenly aware of the importance of IPM, entomology/apiculture, eco-toxicology and agriculture to the Canadian economy, and endeavours to relay this to others through her research, teaching and outreach activities.
Insecticide Resistance: Mechanism & Management
Thursday, Rms 201/202; part of a three-speaker IPM program from to 9:30 to 11.
John Stanley
John Stanley Associates
John Stanley, a world-renowned retail consultant, speaker and author, started his career teaching perishable retail management at Merristwood College in the U.K. That skill of creating rapid stock turn launched his global consultancy and made him highly
sought after in all retail industries. Today, he sees that high-tech lifestyles have changed the focus and needs of customers and businesses must focus on creating solutions for customers and providing new experiences.
As a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), Stanley is one of the world’s top 10 per cent of speakers. His retail ideas and charismatic presentations make him one of the most highly sought after horticultural retail speakers globally.
Passport to Excellence: 10 Tips from Garden Centres Around The World
Wednesday, Rms 207/208; part of a three-speaker Garden Centre/ Retailing program from 2 to 3:30.
Sponsored by Fafard
Passport to Excellence: “MAKE SURE YOU OWN YOUR MARKET” Thursday, Rms 207-208; Morning and afternoon Garden Centre/ Retailing workshops. Sponsored by Farm Credit Canada
Registration opens 8:00 am
Trade Show hours 8:30 am – 4:00 pm
Ashley Summerfield
Vineland Research & Innovation Centre
Ashley Summerfield has a B.Sc. in zoology from the University of Western Ontario, and studied community ecology of insects at the University of Windsor. She joined the biological control lab at Vineland Research & Innovation Centre as a research technician in 2014. She is currently managing projects involving pest resistance in tomato, including induced pest resistance and breeding for resistance.
How to Turn on a Tomato: Bio-innoculants & their implications for pest management
Thursday, Rms 201/202, part of a nine-speaker (10 minutes each)
Research Updates session from 2 to 3:30. Sponsored by Vineland Research and Innovation Centre.
Dr. Abhay Thosar
Philips Lighting
Dr. Abhay Thosar has a PhD in plant physiology and is a certified professional agrologist with the Ontario Institute of Agrologists. He has 15 years of experience in nutrition management and application of plant growth regulators to enhance crop productivity, as well as quality of the greenhouse crops and plant tissue culture protocol development. He has effectively designed, conducted and analyzed trials in greenhouse and open field conditions as a part of the plant nutrition trials in order to optimize yields for cut flowers, floriculture crops and greenhouse production.
Presently living in Chicago, Thosar is working as a senior plant specialist with Philips Horticulture and is the resource person involved in setting up trials, application support, and analyzing and interpreting the results for the use of LEDs in various applications ranging from high wire crops, pot plants, plant tissue culture, bedding
plants, perennials and Phalaenopsis. He is actively working on city farming with the focus on multilayer farming with the use of LEDs for optimizing productivity as well as the quality of the produce.
LED Lighting – A Commercial Possibility: Myth or Reality
Wednesday, Rm 204; part of a three-speaker Environment/ Light program from to 2 to 3:30.
Sponsored by Philips
Lloyd Traven
Peace Tree Farm LLC
Friends and fellow horticulturalists have called Lloyd a “mad scientist” and “plant geek” due to his passion for growing quality plants matched only by his commitment to using advanced technology combined with sustainable and organic growing techniques.
Traven graduated summa cum laude from Delaware Valley College of Science & Agriculture in 1979 and attended Cornell University Graduate School in floriculture and ornamental horticulture. In the 1980s he worked in market research and special projects at Ball Seed Company developing Spark Plug, pelleted seed products and worked on the Genesis Seed project.
Lloyd and Candy Traven purchased the Peace Tree Farm property in Bucks County, Pennsylvania in 1983. They have grown Peace Tree Farm from “the little greenhouses up on the hill” to an established and respected operation within international horticulture. He is a technology guru and advocate for small growers, being among the first to successfully invest in sophisticated environmental control systems for their operation. He conducts seminars and makes presentations at growing industry conferences and conventions.
As an author, Lloyd has contributed to GMPro magazine, OFA Bulletin, Greenhouse Product News, Greenhouse Grower, and GrowerTalks He is a member of the council of advisors for GMPro and Greenhouse Product News.
Maintaining a CLEAN Greenhouse Wednesday, Rms 201/202, part of a three-speaker Sanitation session 9:30 to 11. Sponsored by Vetoquinol.
Organic & Sustainable Production of Herbs
Wednesday, Ballroom D; part of a three-speaker Vegetable Production – Organic Greenhouse Production program from 2 to 3:30. Sponsored by Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers.
Rodger Tschanz
University of Guelph
Rodger Tschanz has worked as a technician at the University of Guelph since 1989. In 2001, he was asked by the Department of Plant Agriculture to create and manage the University’s Ornamental Trial Garden program. The trial garden locations have expanded over the years to currently include ground bed trials in Guelph, Milton and the Royal Botanical Gardens as well as container trials in Guelph and at the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre.
At the Guelph site, Tschanz is a judge for the annual and perennial entries of the All-America Selections organization. In addition to the trial garden duties, Tschanz is a technician for the ornamental plant breeding program in Guelph, teaches ornamental plant uses and identification, assists with the management of Plant Agriculture’s growth facilities, and is part of the student liaison and undergraduate recruitment team for the Department of Plant Agriculture.
Great Bedding Plants for the Homeowner
Wednesday, Rms 207/208; part of a three-speaker Environment/ Light program from to 2 to 3:30. Sponsored by Fafard
OCTOBER 5-6 2016
www.CanadianGreenhouseConference.com
Steve Vanderkooy
Ontario Plants Propagation Ltd.
Steve Vanderkooy is the president of Ontario Plants Propagation Limited. He has an MBA in agri-business from the University of Guelph as well as accreditation in Six Sigma process improvement. He worked in business process improvement in both the telecom and management consulting industries prior to joining Ontario Plants in 2006. Ontario Plants is an 11-hectare greenhouse operation located near London, Ont., specializing in the propagation of greenhouse tomato, cucumber, eggplant and pepper plants. Its clients extend throughout the eastern half of North America.
Greenhouse Biosecurity: More Than a Clean Sweep
Wednesday, Rms 201-202; part of a three-speaker Sanitation program from 9:30 to 11. Sponsored by Vetoquinol
Dr. Youbin Zheng
University of Guelph
Dr. Youbin Zheng is an associate professor and environmental horticulture chair at the University of Guelph. He also has a research lab at the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre. Zheng specializes in plant nutrition and fertilization, irrigation and water treatment, soils and growing substrates, plant-environment interactions, greenhouse lighting, and CO2 enrichment. He has been serving the greenhouse industry for more than 20 years.
The objectives of his research program are to develop science and technologies for production of horticultural commodities in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner and to develop and use green infrastructure related technologies (ex. green roofs) for improving the environment and to help build a sustainable society.
LED vs HPS Lighting
Wednesday Rm 204; part of a three-speaker Environment/ Light program from to 2 to 3:30. Sponsored by Philips
Optimal Supplemental LED Lighting Level for Greenhouse Cut Gerbera Production
Thursday, Rms 201-202, part of a nine-speaker (10 minutes each) Research Updates session from 2 to 3:30. Sponsored by Vineland Research and Innovation Centre
Dr. Viliam Zvalo
Vineland Research and Innovation Centre
Dr. Viliam Zvalo joined Vineland Research and Innovation Centre in 2014. In his role at Vineland, he investigates field and greenhouse production of world crops and other new crop opportunities for Ontario growers. He brings a wealth of experience after spending 13 years at Perennia Food and Agriculture Inc. in Nova Scotia where he provided support to vegetable producers and managed numerous research projects in new vegetable crop development, cultivar testing, pest management and evaluation of different production systems and methods. While at Perennia, he was instrumental in the development of a commercial sweet potato industry in Nova Scotia, while also introducing other new crops to the region such as hops, brassica greens and oilseed pumpkin.
Zvalo holds a PhD in plant physiology/soil ecology from the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Slovakia, and an executive MBA from Saint Mary’s University in Halifax.
Asian Eggplant – The Greenhouse Experience
Thursday, Rms 201/202, part of a nine-speaker (10 minutes each)
Research Updates session from 2 to 3:30. Sponsored by Vineland Research and Innovation Centre
Glenna Cairnie is the Marketing and Events Coordinator with the Canadian
CANADA CLASSIFIEDS
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EMPLOYMENT
Greenhouse Grower – Beamsville, Ontario. Foliera Inc. is offering a diverse role in multiple areas of potted plant production including propagation, climate control, pest management, irrigation and nutritional applications. This role is integral in ensuring plant health and consistent production. Post Secondary education in horticulture or related experience is required. Applicant must be physically fit and able to work in a fast pace environment with good written and verbal communication skills. Computer literacy in Microsoft Excel, Word and Outlook is imperative. Must be available to work days and rotating weekends. Wage compensation based on experience. To apply, please send resume to lisakouwenberg@foliera.com. 09/1t/pd
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Do pests make growers invaluable?
Just recently, Dr. Tim O’Neil from ADAS in the U.K. spoke to Canadian growers on the topic of Root Mat Disorder (“Crazy Root,” as it’s called here). This has been seen on hydroponic cucumbers in the U.K. since 1993 and tomato crops throughout Europe (especially the Netherlands and France) a few years later.
Root mat has occurred in New Zealand, Japan and the U.S., and since 2013-14 in Russia1. It is now widespread in commercial vegetable greenhouses in Canada. Usual symptoms are an extreme proliferation of roots in the rockwool cube or slab (hence the name), potential to cause reduced fruit size and up to 15 per cent yield reduction. Probably more importantly, this disorder makes plants more susceptible to root rots such as Pythium. Infection is typically early in the life of plants (within the first four weeks), with a plateau of infection being reached later and further infections less likely. Fast-forward two weeks and an event of a very different kind. The team at CubicFarm Systems Corp.™ launched their new system for urban agriculture production of leafy vegetables.
including current and emerging/future pest threats (including consideration of climate change impacts)
• Bring producer organizations and relevant agencies together to confirm common objectives and next steps for co-operative action.
A couple of thoughts. Firstly, one Root Mat report states that “Increasing the biological activity/complexity may help suppress the disease.”3 So, perhaps when it comes to pest control we have two options: excluding all possible organisms such as in the CubicFarm system, or building resilience by looking at pest management from a complete ecosystem viewpoint, as exemplified by recent work of Dr. Dave Gillespie at PARC, Agassiz.
“More growers and more systems are probably going to benefit us all.”
According to the website, “Due to the efficiency of our Cubic Farming system, one person working only a few hours a day will be able to plant, harvest, and deliver over 1,250 heads of lettuce per week to local grocery stores, restaurants, hotels, or wholesalers. Each CubicFarm machine has 160 growing trays that can produce over 2,500 heads of lettuce every two weeks or 5,000 basil plants every three weeks. Microgreens are ready in as little as one week.”2
A third news item of interest this week came from the Lower Mainland Horticultural Improvement Association (LMHIA), announcing the Fraser Valley Agricultural Pest (activities, gaps & priorities) Assessment Project. The announcement said that the LMHIA has successfully applied to the Investment Agriculture Foundation of British Columbia (IAF) to fund the project, the purposes of which are to:
• Inventory recent and current activities, resources and projects (for both horticulture and livestock) devoted to pest surveillance, monitoring and management
• Identify and assess gaps and priorities
Secondly, conversations at the CubicFarm launch tackled claims that “anyone could now be a farmer.” Sure, such systems are relatively simple to operate and can attract engineers or entrepreneurs to be primary producers in the larger food supply system, especially if pest and disease organisms can be kept out of the production units in the first place. But discussions around topics such as Root Mat Disorder or pest inventories are complex and multi-disciplinary, benefiting from additional background knowledge or experience. Maybe it’s better to develop engineering in a grower’s skills portfolio than to add plant pathology skills to those of an engineer.
Either way, though, more growers and more systems are probably going to benefit us all.
1 Ignatov et al, “First Report of Rhizogenic Strains of Agrobacterium radiobacter Biovar 1 Causing Root Mat of Cucumber and Tomato in Russia”: ‘Plant Disease,’ 2016, apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/full/10.1094/PDIS-1115-1382-PDN
2 http://cubicfarms.com/
3 O’Neill et al, HDC Protected Crops Report 241 (2009), “Protected hydroponic tomato: investigating the potential for various novel non-chemical techniques for the suppression or control of root-mat disease.”
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.
