Putting technology to work for horticulture

Vineland’s focus on applied engineering and commercialization opportunities accelerates the development of technology solutions for horticulture.

Labour makes up the single largest input cost for nearly every horticultural product, cutting into margins and making it difficult for Canadian products to compete in a global market. Vineland’s Horticultural Technology Solutions program aims to fill technology, knowledge and resource gaps that are hindering efficiency and opportunities when deploying technology in horticulture. 

 

Innovation Challenge and Opportunity

Our team evaluates, optimizes and integrates technology to improve efficiency for growers, help technology providers innovate faster and support a sustainable future for Canada’s horticultural ecosystem.

We work with companies looking to optimize opportunities in the fast-growing horticultural technology space using our network of growers and other collaborators to create real-world results and impact.

Vineland’s new horticultural automation services ranging from technology assessment and consultation to custom automation solutions ease labour challenges while improving yield quality and pesticide controls. Click here to learn more.

Looking for additional information, research publications and resources? Click here.


Technology validation: bridging the gap from research to
real-world 

This latest service offers comprehensive technology validation tailored to various horticultural crops from vegetables and fruits to flowers. We specialize in rigorously assessing and validating innovative technologies related to plant production and automation systems.  

Examples of validation projects to-date, include:

  • Smart irrigation for gerbera daisies
  • Commercial testing for robotic cucumber harvesting
  • On-farm artificial intelligence-driven mushroom production
  • Dedicated crops for technology validation

Research Services

Technology validation

Technology optimization

Technology integration

Expertise

Data Science

Robotics

Computer Vision

Systems Integration

Data Science

  • Computer-aided design
  • Interactive computer environments
  • Plant growth models
  • Robotic control testing and analysis

Robotics

  • Table-top laboratory experimentation
  • Greenhouse prototype testing
  • Mobile platform guidance and navigation
  • Intelligent automated harvesting
  • Customized harvesting tool design
  • Trajectory optimization for dense crops

Computer Vision

  • Plant image segmentation
  • Fruit detection and counting 
  • Fruit localization and tracking
  • Leaf health characterization

Systems Integration

  • Combined mobile and manipulator robotics
  • Postharvest automation
  • Customized camera systems 
  • Fruit and plant monitoring systems