In the world of propagation, success doesn’t begin in the retail market or even at the greenhouse where vegetables are grown to full size. According to Pieter van Dijk, Chief Technology and Innovations Officer at Ontario Plants, “We are the start of our customers' success.” And he means it, both literally and strategically.
Pieter van Dijk, Chief Technology and Innovations Officer at Ontario Plants
Ontario Plants, based in Ontario, Canada, specializes in producing young vegetable plants including hydroponic, organic, grafted, and non-grafted tomato, pepper, cucumber, and eggplant seedlings. These baby plants are the first step in a grower’s journey toward a successful harvest. With over 14.5 hectares of production in St. Thomas and an additional 5 hectares at the newly constructed greenhouse in Glencoe (eventually expanding to 18 hectares), Ontario Plants is one of the largest propagation facilities in North America.
But it’s not just size that sets them apart. It’s innovation.
“At Ontario Plants, we don't just follow industry standards; we aim to set them,” says Mathieu van de Sande, President and CEO. “Whether it's climate systems, biosecurity, or pest control, we see innovation as a responsibility to our customers.”
A new standard in propagation
At the Glencoe site, van Dijk implemented a forward-thinking approach shaped by decades of experience in the Netherlands. “Glencoe is my brain dump,” he says with a laugh. “It’s everything I’ve seen done well over the years, all in one place.” One of the most significant changes is a shift in how people interact with plants.
Instead of the traditional approach where workers move through the greenhouse, increasing the risk of spreading pests and disease, Ontario Plants brings plants to processing stations for spacing, clipping, and shipping. “No people in the greenhouse,” van Dijk emphasizes. “That’s the biggest difference.”
Tackling thrips with a one-of-a-kind solution
Despite high biosecurity, pests remain a constant threat, especially thrips, which cause damage and disrupt the biological balance critical in young plant propagation. “We’ve never seen whitefly here,” van Dijk notes. “But thrips have been a persistent problem.”
To combat this, Ontario Plants adopted an unconventional solution: installing Svensson’s Xsect Xtreme insect screens in an overhead configuration, similar to how climate screens are used. This unique setup is rare in high-tech Venlo greenhouses, but the results have been impressive.
“In our 2020 trial at the St. Thomas location, we saw an 80% reduction in thrips pressure,” van Dijk says. “That woke me up. That’s when I knew this could be a game-changer.”
Ontario Plants is using Xsect Xtreme is an overhead application, which has lead to an 80% reduction in thrips.
Creating a climate for growth
Installed at the top of the truss in Glencoe, the Xsect screens serve multiple functions. “The tighter mesh keeps thrips out, lets us start our biological systems at the propagation stage, and gives us a more diffuse light and humid microclimate,” explains van Dijk. “That improves CO₂ uptake and photosynthesis, and we can open the screen in winter to maximize light. It gives us flexibility.”
Pieter van Dijk and Svensson's Dustin Mater examine crops at the Glencoe facility.
Innovation through partnership
Xsect screens are usually used in mid-tech structures as sidewalls or draped over hoop houses. Applying them in an overhead, automated system required collaboration. “Xsect wasn’t originally designed for a horizontal screen application, but Svensson’s R&D team in Sweden ran the trials and found a way to make it work. I had to push a bit, but I’m a believer,” says van Dijk.
Advice for fellow growers
When asked what he would say to growers struggling with pest control, van Dijk keeps it simple. “Most of the answers are on the floor. You have to ask five times why something’s going wrong. If you don’t ask, you’ll never get an answer.”
As Ontario Plants prepares for the next phases of greenhouse construction, the mission remains clear: improve, innovate, and raise the bar for what’s possible in propagation. “There’s always a new standard,” says van Dijk. “And we’ll keep finding it.”
