While orchids are commonly grown in bark-based substrates, New Pao Tau is taking an innovative approach by using newer substrates with better water holding and release capacity than the typical bark-based substrates. Vineland Research and Innovation was able to take on this research project to help Michael and the New Pao Tau team identify the substrate best suited for the consumer market and find a solution that would result in increased customer satisfaction.
Greenhouse technologies support untapped local food source and crop improvements
Fiddleheads are a nutritious and delicious spring delicacy in Ontario, but they are only available for a few weeks each year. The young leaves of the ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris L. Todaro), fiddleheads are harvested from wild populations of ostrich ferns which limits availability, market growth, and research opportunities. Norcliff Farms Inc. turned to Controlled Environment Systems Research Facility (CESRF) to investigate.
New vermichar technology top performer when compared against soluble chemical fertilizer
Terra Optima Labs Inc. (Terra Optima) has created a circular system which can divert food wastes from landfills and process it into natural soil amendments, fertilizers, and food, using natural organisms. They turned to the Horticultural & Environmental Sciences Innovation (HESIC) team to help them run reliable growth trials.
Phytotoxicity assessment of sodium for lettuce grown in NEREA®-based hydroponics
Niagara College’s (NC) Horticultural & Environmental Science Innovation Centre (HESIC) ran parallel crops of lettuce that were grown in a hydroponic Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) system in NEREA® and standard Oasis® rockwool at the NC greenhouse located in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, with the goal being to determine sodium concentration in both hydroponic solutions and the edible portion of lettuce.
Evaluation of the effects of the weight of zeolite in peat moss-based media and the corresponding shipping logistics of potted plant products
IZC looked to Niagara College’s Horticultural & Environmental Sciences Innovation Centre (HESIC) team to determine if a new soil amendment was going to impact international shipping and handling of plants. The HESIC team created multiple zeolite-peat moss blend ratios and determined dry and wet weights of plants potted in several different pots with zeolite-containing media.
Preliminary evaluation of the performance of zeolite-based NEREA® as a hydroponic media substitute for commercial production of leafy greens in Canada
A small-scale trial on leafy greens, specifically lettuce, in Niagara College’s greenhouse hydroponic system, was performed using NEREA® as substrate embedded with nutrients. NEREA® acted as a hydroponic substrate substitution for rockwool media.
Evaluation of leachate over time from selected rates of NEREA® blended with peat moss
IZ approached Niagara College’s Horticultural & Environmental Sciences Innovation Centre (HESIC) team to create multiple NEREA® and peat moss blend ratios to examine the nutrient content of leachate over time. They wanted to understand whether nutrient content within the leachate was affected by the presence of peat moss.
Evaluation of the Performance of Zeolite-based NEREA® as a Media Amendment for Commercial Production of Basil in Canada
IZ reached out to Niagara College’s Horticultural & Environmental Sciences Innovation Centre (HESIC) team to work together to assess the performance of NEREA® as a provider of a short-term crop’s complete nutritional requirements. A small-scale trial was performed at the NC Teaching Greenhouse comparing germination and performance of Ocimum basilicum (basil) across a range of percentages of NEREA® blended with sphagnum peat moss.
NC helps Quick Plug identify formulation of plug media to successfully encourage faster rooting of cannabis cuttings
Quick Plug wanted to produce a novel formulation of solid plug media applicable to several different crops, which would effectively reduce time to root emergence, ‘rooting’, without compromising plant health. Quick Plug turned to Niagara College’s Horticultural & Environmental Sciences Innovation Centre (HESIC) to conduct growing trials to evaluate two of their novel formulations.
Biostimulant allows local farmers to increase yields and lower production costs
MetaFLO Technologies (“MetaFLO”) is a Mississauga-based company that markets and distributes chemical reagents with application potential in a variety of industries, including the agricultural sector. The company is in the process of expanding its portfolio to include a new reagent: an algae-based, organic polymer formulated for use as a biostimulant.