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Description

This course is offered by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA). It has been an annual tradition since 1997. It includes 5 days of lectures and workshops organized by OMAFA’s greenhouse vegetable specialists, in collaboration with researchers at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Harrow Research and Development Centre. It provides an overview of greenhouse fruit and vegetable production and integrated pest management (IPM) in Ontario for new entrants into the greenhouse sector, and up-to-date scientific information for more experienced members of Ontario’s greenhouse sector. Registrants typically include growers, scouts and staff from greenhouses and vertical farms, technical and sales representatives from industry, researchers and government.

Topics

Plant Physiology
Lighting in Greenhouses and Vertical Farms
Nutrition, Abiotic Stresses and Developmental Disorders
Water, Recirculation, Filtration and Disinfection
Carbon Dioxide Enrichment
Greenhouse Energy and Microclimates
Greenhouse Energy Modelling and Microclimate Mapping Workshops
Annual Greenhouse Energy Efficiency Challenge
Sanitation: Cleaning, Disinfecting and Sterilizing
IPM: Concepts, Implementation and Resistance Management
Insect and Mite Pests
Fungal, Oomycetal, Bacterial and Viral Pathogens
Insect and Disease Identification Workshops
New Guest Lecturers Every Year

2026 Guest Lecturers

Dr. Beatrice Amyotte, Research Scientist, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

“Strawberries in the Greenhouse: Cultivars and Breeding”

Prof. Marc Habash, University of Guelph

“Fighting Biofilm in Greenhouse Irrigation Systems”

Format

Three days of online lectures via Zoom and two days of in-person workshops.

Online Lectures: (Monday – Wednesday, 9:00 am-4:30 pm) Two lectures in the morning and two lectures in the afternoon with a one-hour break for lunch.

In-Person Workshops: IPM workshop on Thursday in Leamington, Ontario. Production workshop on Friday in Harrow, Ontario.

Date

Monday, November 23 to Friday, November 27, 2026

Fee

$150 CAN ($132.74 + 13% HST)

$50 CAN ($44.25 + 13% HST) for members of Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers (OGVG)

Registration fee includes a copy of the Greenhouse Fruit and Vegetable Course notebook, OMAFA Publication 836 Growing Greenhouse Vegetables in Ontario, OMAFA Publication 836A Integrated Pest Management for Greenhouse Fruits and Vegetables, OMAFA Publication 836B Guide to Production of Greenhouse Fruits and Vegetables, OMAFA’s Managing Nighttime Greenhouse Light Emissions Best Management Practices, and lunches and snacks during in-person workshops.

Eligibility

This course is open to everyone, but space is limited. Priority will be given to Ontario greenhouses and vertical farms.

Registration and Payment

If you are not a Canadian citizen, please register by Wednesday, November 11th to allow sufficient time for security clearance to enter AAFC’s Harrow Research and Development Centre for the in-person workshop in Harrow. If you are not attending the Harrow workshop, security clearance will not be necessary.

Canadian citizens, please register by Thursday, November 19.

Registration guarantees a spot for the online lectures, but not for the in-person workshops. Attendance for the in-person workshops will be limited and priority will be given to growers, industry, and researchers. You will be notified the week before the course begins of your status for the in-person workshops.

The same registration fee applies for online and in-person attendance and payment options will be communicated to you in a confirmation email.

Contact

Dr. Fadi Al-Daoud, Greenhouse Vegetable Specialist, OMAFA, email: fadi.al-daoud@ontario.ca

Cara McCreary, Greenhouse Vegetable IPM Specialist, OMAFA, email: cara.mccreary@ontario.ca

Greenhouse Fruits and Vegetables Course