Travis Banks who oversees Vineland’s program to enhance flavour and production traits in greenhouse tomatoes is feeling the pressure of a deadline as the target date nears to bring a new, tastier hybrid tomato-on-the-vine (TOV) to market by 2022.

The produce industry relies on exceptional people to advance the processes of growing food, improving it and getting it to consumers’ plates. In this month’s cover story, meet Vineland’s Dr. Amy Bowen one of seven leading People in Produce.

Specially bred hardy roses for the Canadian climate, Vineland’s 49th Parallel collection features Chinook (above), which will be released next year, and Canadian Shield (right), which is already available.

According to Whole Foods Market, edible flowers are the No. 1 consumer food trend for 2018. Researcher Alexandra Grygorczyk, at Vineland is studying the consumer preferences behind this trend.

Four years ago, Vineland’s researchers started to look at bioinoculants. “We’re only just beginning to understand how to reduce the susceptibility of plants to pests and disease,” says Vineland’s Dr. Michael Brownbridge. “That requires a total change of thinking in terms of how to integrate these biological materials into IPM systems.”

Federal Minister of Science and Sport Kirsty Duncan announces $6.7 million in federal funding for seven genomic research studies including a joint project between Vineland Research and Innovation Centre and the University of Toronto.

Marc Zienkiewicz reports live at Vineland Research and Innovation Centre during the National Association of Plant Breeders Annual Meeting.

The annual ‘What’s Growing On?’ open house showcased two Vineland innovations that will be hitting the market in 2019: Radiance, a made-for-Canada sweet potato variety, and Chinook Sunrise, a new rose that will be part of the 49th Parallel Canadian rose collection.

Vineland Research and Innovation Centre opened the doors to its award-winning greenhouse technology centre in May, sharing a glimpse of their research on tomatoes. This comprehensive research program aims to develop a high-yielding, yet flavourful tomato for Ontario.

Beamsville’s Freeman Herbs is gearing up to supply grocery stores with edible flowers similar to their potted herbs that are fixtures in produce sections. The greenhouse grower recently enlisted the help of the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre to determine the power of edible flowers with consumers.

Vineland’s second article in a four-part series discusses an early intervention technique to enhance biocontrol success for poinsettias.

Despite the best efforts of the Royal Botanical Gardens, in recent years the roses in the Centennial Rose Garden were suffering. The complete rose garden had to go. Then it was time for 3,300 new hardy roses to be planted. One in particular, Vineland’s 49th Parallel Collection Canadian Shield, is prominently displayed and deservedly so.