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U of G greenhouse projects emerge victorious from the LAAIR

January 22, 2018  By Greenhouse Canada


University of Guelph

Jan. 19, 2018, Guelph, ON – Greenhouse research projects at the University of Guelph are about to get a little boost.

Winners of the Gryphon’s LAAIR (Leading to Accelerated Adoption of Innovative Research) program were announced at the institution’s innovation showcase.

Of the 15 winning proposals, two projects will target challenges faced by greenhouse growers with direct applications to greenhouse operations.

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Cynthia Scott-Dupree and her research team will explore the use of radiation as a way to sterilize male pepper weevils, an insect that has been difficult to irradicate using traditional insecticides thanks to its developmental lifecycle inside the pepper.

Manjusri Misra and her team will build on their success with compostable coffee pods, developing products that will help reduce manual labour in the greenhouse production of tomatoes and other crops.

Similar to the TV show Dragon’s Den, U of G researchers must pitch ideas to a panel of industry leaders. Funded by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs – U of G Partnership and Growing Forward 2, winners receive financial support of up to $125,000 plus assistance from leading collaborators of Ontario’s agri-food industry.

The university also announced “Accelerator Guelph” at the showcase, a new initiative that complements the LAAIR program, further helping U of G researchers commercialize their discoveries. The program will focus on four phases critical to the process: business planning, executive leadership training, finances and human resources.

For more, visit uoguelph.ca.


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