U of G Researchers Enter Final Phase of Agri-Food Challenge

A University of Guelph research team has made it to the third and final Scaling Phase of the Weston Family Foundation’s $33-million Homegrown Innovation Challenge. 

Dr. Youbin Zheng, professor in the School of Environmental Sciences, Ontario Agricultural College, and his team are receiving nearly $5 million to scale a hybrid greenhouse-vertical farming system powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and smart sensor technology that can grow strawberries year-round.  

“Our technologies are designed to optimize growing conditions in greenhouses,” says Zheng. “They will allow us to produce strawberries out of season, use less energy, save resources and increase production and efficiency with a lower environmental impact.”  

Read the story on U of G News: U of G Researchers Enter Final Phase of Agri-Food Challenge