Vineland Research and Innovation Centre

• Vineland Research Station was created through a gift by Moses F. Rittenhouse in 1906

• Contributed to the emergence of competitive tender fruit, wine and greenhouse industries, in one of Canada’s most unique geographic regions

History

• In 2006, a panel was established by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to transform Vineland as a world-class research and innovation centre

• Comprehensive process to understand Vineland’s history, current operating environment and future stakeholder needs

History

• A results-based, independent, not-for-profit organization focused on horticultural science and innovation

2007: Rebirth of Vineland

• Results: something meaningful and real – acres in the field, shelf space in the store

• Horticulture: the whole value chain, from producers through to consumers and across all horticulture – fruit and vegetable, greenhouse, grape and wine, ornamental, landscape

• Not-for-profit: stakeholder focused

• Independent: policy-driven business board

Vineland

Vision, Mission and Core Values

MissionEnriching people’s lives

through science and discovery

in horticulture

VisionA vibrant, prosperous

and sustainable horticulture industry

working with innovation to fill our

world with fruits, vegetables, flowers

and plants

Core ValuesExcellence

IntegrityEntrepreneurial Spirit

OpennessCollaborative Approach

Results-Driven

Stakeholder Engagement

Project Management

Opportunity Analysis

Project developmentand evaluation

Formal and informal engagement

Execution, accountability and timelines

Results

Research Priorities

Strategy and idea generation

Impact

Industry Partnerships

Research and innovation at Vineland

Idea generation

Research Priorities

Grower Issues

Global Market Perspective

Private Sector Entrepreneurs

Scientific Invention

Research and innovation at Vineland

Opportunity Analysis

Stakeholder Engagement

Project evaluation

Opportunity Analysis

Consumer Concept

Business Partnerships

Scientific Approach

Research and innovation at Vineland

Research Priorities

Project Management

• The Lodge - space where horticultural businesses work side by side with Vineland researchers

• Labs support research needs and expand research capabilities

• New greenhouse technology centre

• Vineland infrastructure

Campus renewal

New greenhouse technology centre

A research and innovation hub – opening in 2015

Builds the technology base for a successful industry

Clusters technology providers

Leads job transformation

Drives more growth in a thriving industry

New greenhouse technology centre

• Will provide large pre-commercial spaces with enhanced environmental controls and a versatile layout, allowing to work in compartmentalized spaces ideally suited to research needs

• Overall size: 3,700 m2 – almost one full acre

• Vegetable breeding

• New plant varieties

• Applied genomics

• Ornamental breeding

• Plant pathology

• Biocontrol

• Environmental horticulture

New greenhouse technology centre

Growing Vineland’s research portfolio

Horticultural Production Applied Consumer Systems Genomics Insights

Research areas

The customer comes first

Putting consumer intelligence to work for horticulture

The customer comes first

Putting consumer intelligence to work for horticulture

• Multi-disciplinary research program integrates expertise in sensory and consumer sciences, horticultural and behavioural economics

• Develops consumer-driven strategies for fruit, vegetable and flower preferences reflecting diversity of Canadians and identifying new opportunities for horticultural product development and positioning

• Knowledge generated by Consumer Insights team applied to new product launches across the value chain

Feeding diversity

Bringing world crops to market

Feeding diversity

Bringing world crops to market

• Leading research on new local ethno-cultural vegetable varieties, production technologies, postharvest innovations, consumer insights and market development

• Multi-disciplinary research program grows competitiveness of Ontario fruit and vegetable sector through development of new world crops such as okra, Asian and Indian eggplants

• In partnership with Ontario commercial growers, Vineland assesses agronomic performance and disease resistance, while optimizing storage conditions to preserve quality of ethno-cultural vegetables

Putting technology to work

Process control and automation engineering

Putting technology to work

Process control and automation engineering

• Research program was initiated in response to industry cost of production data showing labour as the number one expense for grower operations

• In partnership with greenhouse growers, Vineland designs automation technology for the greenhouse sector including planting and packaging systems

• Automation program will be further enhanced when Vineland’s new greenhouse opens in 2015, creating a large pre-commercial setting for constant collaboration and teamwork

Opening new markets

Driving growth with new plant varieties

Opening new markets

Driving growth with new plant varieties

• Developing innovative varieties that offset imported products and open new markets is essential to building a strong Canadian horticulture sector

• Vineland researchers evaluate, develop and scout new apple cultivars, tender fruits and edible ornamentals with desirable production traits and consumer appeal

• Vineland has released new peach and nectarine varieties through licensing agreement with Adams County Nursery and an exciting portfolio of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and University of Guelph tender fruit varieties

Breeding vegetables

For Canadian production and global markets

Breeding vegetables

For Canadian production and global markets

• Research program encompasses breeding new vegetable varieties adapted to Canadian growing conditions and meeting consumer demands

• Sweet potato breeding program focuses on developing locally-grown high yielding early varieties by 2018 that are frost and cold tolerant for both fresh and processing markets

• Program also focuses on breeding peppers and cucumbers adapted for Canadian production

Canadian hardy rose

The breeding program

Canadian hardy rose

The breeding program

• Research program focuses on development of black spot resistance screening techniques, breeding cold hardy roses for global markets and understanding consumer preference and markets for Canadian roses

• In collaboration with Canadian Nursery Landscape Association, Vineland is developing a commercialization plan for North American markets

• Commercialization of new roses will provide competitive edge to Canadian nursery industry while creating pipeline into international markets

Improved traits

For horticultural crops

Improved traits

For horticultural crops

• Researchers at Vineland utilize bioinformatics and genomics technologies to develop new traits in plants

• Leads to varieties better-adapted to local growing conditions, with enhanced pest resistance and increased production efficiencies

Enhancing quality and production

Canadian greenhouse tomatoes

Enhancing quality and production

Canadian greenhouse tomatoes

• Research program produces greenhouse tomatoes with improved flavour, disease resistance and low light tolerance suited to Canadian greenhouse growing conditions

• Work is underway to build consumer preference maps, biochemical profiles and bioinformatic resources that will lead to growth opportunities for commercial growers

Greening the Canadian landscape

Greening the Canadian landscape

• Establishment and survival of plants to improve resource efficiency, beautify Canadian landscape and increase competitiveness of the Canadian nursery landscape sector

• Current research focuses on soil remediation strategies to increase tree growth rates, nutrient management and validation of species selection in remediated sites

• Research program works with partners across Canada to test and improve tree longevity in challenging locations

The right tools

Integrating biological control systems

The right tools

Integrating biological control systems

• Research program goals are to develop effective biocontrolstrategies in greenhouse and nursery setting

• Results will provide greenhouse and nursery growers with best management practices, integrating conventional and novel approaches

• Research includes practical implementation of biologically-based thrips integrated pest management strategies, pest management of propagated plant material and use of biofungicides in greenhouse environments

• Today, Vineland employs over 100 research and support staff, leading horticultural science and innovation for the Canadian industry

Vineland