Vineland’s horticulture research and Innovation centre is located in Ontario’s Niagara region.  It’s been supporting horticulture for just over a decade, and its newly released report provides a glimpse of some of the advancements provided to Canadian growers. 

The centre takes a business approach to research, targeting industry-identified issues and opportunities, then mobilizing research results quickly for maximum commercial success. 

The numbers speak for themselves:  22 plant varieties protected by Plant Breeders Rights &/or U.S. plant patents, 37 technologies commercialized, and 90 per cent of protected new knowledge (intellectual property) out-licenced and/or under further R&D with business partners.   

Success like that is widely recognized. Over the last five-year funding cycle, Vineland has collaborated with 122 partners (92 of whom were industry), in eight Canadian provinces and 13 countries around the world.

And then there are the research benefits that are difficult to quantify, but important none-the-less. Like horticulture colleague Mark Cullen’s work with Vineland on behalf of the ‘Highway of Heroes - Living Tribute Campaign’ to establish trees that will grow tall and majestic, without succumbing to winter salt, as most plantings do.

From sweet potatoes to greenhouse tomatoes, and consumer insights to automation technologies, the Vineland report is definitely worth a read. Watch for more coverage and your copy of the report in the November print issue of The Grower.  

Sources: http://vinelandresearch.com/sites/default/files/publications/vineland_innovation_report_2018-2019.pdf

https://hohtribute.ca/