The 2016-2017 Innovation Report
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2016-2017 04 The dirt on healthy urban trees 10 Crafting a sustainable cider industry 20 Cold Snap™ spreading and that’s a good thing 22 A mite-y discovery 1 Collaboration – the one constant Vineland’s CEO Dr. Jim Brandle The days of scientists toiling alone in their For each of these conundrums, and others, Vineland laboratories are over. scientists and their collaborators have either come up with an answer or are working toward it. “By tapping Proof of that happens every day at Vineland into the knowledge and expertise of others around Research and Innovation Centre (Vineland) where the world, the results of our work can be brought collaboration with other scientists, growers, to consumers so they’ll be able to eat a flavourful businesses and consumers is the rule rather than caprese salad in the shade of a lush tree while the exception. enjoying the view of a stunning garden,” said Brandle. “We never work alone,” said Jim Brandle, Vineland’s “You need to work with the best people if you want CEO. “Our model focuses on increasing the number to achieve great things”, he noted. “The prevailing of acres in the field and shelf space in the grocery focus on individual achievements is not impactful store for Canadian horticulture products.” in the 21st century. It’s now all about relationship- building to bring great ideas to market.” And partnerships are key to getting that valuable space in farmers’ fields, orchards and greenhouses Now in its ninth year of operation, Vineland “is a to grow what will sell, or to create tools that enable growing concern,” he noted. More partnerships are the industry to work smarter not harder. on the horizon meaning more innovation to benefit us all. With about 75 of the best horticultural scientists in the world, Vineland has an impressive brain trust that’s made “We’ve got a good portfolio of projects already mightier by reaching out to others elsewhere. creating impact with more to come. We’re very bullish on working at the intersection points They use science to solve important problems and between engineering science, horticulture science to capitalize on the results. and social science, that’s where innovation happens. When those disparate research areas come Take the hunger for a greenhouse tomato that together, that’s where the big opportunities lie.” will appeal to consumers more than the versions currently available at the grocery store. Or the need for new tools in the nursery industry to help young trees survive and thrive in the urban canopy. Even the desire of Canadian gardeners to grow a rose ... more partnerships are on that can stand up to disease and a Prairie winter. the horizon meaning more innovation to benefit us all.” Editor TABLE OF CONTENTS Cheryl Lennox Director, Marketing & Communications [email protected] The dirt on healthy urban trees 04 Editorial Advisory Panel Daryl Somers Say what? Talking science with consumers 07 Research Director, Applied Genomics Appassimento chamber ups Ontario’s wine game 08 Michael Brownbridge Research Director, Horticultural Production Systems Crafting a sustainable cider industry 10 Gideon Avigad Research Program Leader, The scent of a tomato 12 Robotics & Automation Amy Bowen Patience and possibilities: 14 Research Program Leader, Vineland’s apple program takes root Consumer Insights Tania Humphrey Rose collection begins to bloom 18 Director, Strategic Planning & Research Management Cold Snap™ spreading and that’s a good thing 20 Lana Culley Director, Business Development A mite-y discovery 22 Vineland Research and Innovation Centre Innovative automation technologies around the corner 24 4890 Victoria Avenue North, Box 4000 Vineland Station Ontario, Canada L0R 2E0 When you see this icon, click for additional related content. 905.562.0320 Cover - Vineland’s Greening the Canadian Landscape Photo credits Luke Edwards, Richard Seck, Baird Sampson Neuert Architects vinelandresearch.com @vinelandrsrch VinelandResearch 03 The dirt on healthy urban trees It’s a tough life being a tree in the city. It’s a fast and inexpensive way to determine soil quality after construction has finished. Anyone, anywhere will But Darby McGrath, a nursery and landscape research also be able to use the tool, which was created using scientist at Vineland Research and Innovation Centre more than 1,000 soil samples collected by McGrath and (Vineland), is determined to make it easier for trees to her crew. thrive in the urban canopy. Users will also be linked to a species selection and She’s doing it by throwing dirt on the idea that if you recommendation tool based on soil results, preferred plant it, a tree will grow. maintenance plans, and the climate in the trees’ prospective new homes. That’s often not the case, particularly for trees planted along highways, in new subdivisions or commercial “We all want green space but budgets are often areas, or anywhere else soil has been disturbed by tight so we had to come up with something that had major construction. economic and ecological feasibility. This is trying to find that sweet spot.” They languish in their new digs. The reason is clear, McGrath said. “The soil is the problem. The way that McGrath put her findings to the test when the soil sites are finished after construction is the issue,” she quality tool was used to help plant some of the 117,000 explained. “The equipment used to prepare these trees that will take root along a stretch of Highway 401 sites can destroy in 30 minutes soil profiles which took in Ontario known as the Highway of Heroes, between millennia to build. It’s pretty dramatic.” CFB Trenton and the Coroner’s Office in Toronto. It’s the road travelled by all funeral convoys of fallen Canadian As machinery backfills and moves over earth to cover Forces men and women, and one tree will be planted newly planted greenery, it presses it down, making soil along the route to honour each who has died throughout denser. Roots have a tougher time spreading through our country’s history. this compacted soil as a result, lowering the odds of tree survival even more. “It’s like growing in concrete.” “It’s important that the trees planted in honour of fallen Canadian soldiers survive because they’re a tribute to So McGrath, who’s working with both the nursery and the sacrifice they have made and we are really proud landscape sectors to improve tree survival, has come to be a part of that,” McGrath said. “Right now, we’re up with a way that makes it easier to be green and promoting the importance of soil quality on tree health leafy: reduce compaction by adding organic matter to and ultimately our urban canopy. In agriculture, soil the soil when planting trees. is the first thing that comes to mind but it’s often not the case with landscaping at the end of a construction Of course, the question is how much. To help answer project. We’re trying to take a bit of the guess work out it, McGrath and her team have developed a tool that of it.” will predict compaction at construction sites. All that’s needed are a few quick soil samples sent off to the lab to analyze existing organic matter. Those values can then be punched into McGrath’s simple calculation tool on a user-friendly website, which will generate a report indicating the amount of organic matter required to reduce bulk density and bring soil up to snuff for tree survival. The website will also feature videos showing how to take proper samples and how to remediate a site. 05 Dr. Darby McGrath, Vineland’s research scientist, nursery & landscape Rooting for propagation perfection Darby McGrath knows that all good trees start from minimizing contact between the substrate and the tray. the ground up — below ground, actually — and even In the process, roots dry out and are forced to branch before they’re planted. out further, increasing their area and ability to absorb more water. That makes for more stable, healthier trees Problem is, the tools available to nurseries don’t always when they’re finally planted in their permanent homes. enable trees to take root in the best possible way. If anything, they can set trees up for serious defects right There are nine versions of the tray base being tested, from propagation because of flaws in the containers each with different inclines and sizes of openings, to used in those early stages of growth. find the best candidate to foster optimal root growth during propagation. They’re being tried on different The propagation trays commonly used in the industry species, as well, to account for different root systems. make it easy for tree roots to become problematic. The walled containers force roots to drive down deep into McGrath and A.M.A., which is one of the biggest the soil substrate, and when they reach the bottom propagation tray distributors in Canada and will be the of the pot, they start to circle around into a tangled licensee for the new containers, are also developing mess of deformities that prevent them from properly recipes for substrate to use in them. Most nursery absorbing water and nutrients when they’re planted. substrates are designed to drain moisture, but that won’t help seedlings and saplings growing in trays that But McGrath, a Vineland Research and Innovation don’t have sides to contain the water loss. Centre (Vineland) nursery and landscape research scientist, is trying to nip that in the bud, not just for the Together, they’ll test different mixes, measuring the sake of the trees, but for the people growing them.