Supporting Ontario's Horticulture Sector
Supporting a productive, profitable and sustainable horticulture industry
The Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance works for Ontario farmers growing fruits, vegetables, nuts, herbs, turf and more.
By investing in research, laboratory services and training, we help farmers grow healthy plants that produce well and innovate for a prosperous future and a safe, healthy, Ontario food supply.
Partners: Working together for a strong, sustainable sector
The Alliance brings together government, academia and industry for a strong, sustainable horticulture sector. Partners include:
Growers’ associations and organizations, such as the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association
Agricultural and ag-tech companies
Agribusinesses, such as seed companies
Making an impact
Breeding better tomatoes
Dr. Steve Loewen
Loewen develops lines of tomatoes for seed companies to further breed, develop and release. The Ridgetown Campus researcher breeds 800 to 1,000 different lines every year, and more than 200 of the lines are under active license.
Shortcuts to new peach varieties
Dr. Jay Subramanian
The prolific U of G peach breeder and U of G professor has released six new peach varieties since 2003, including Vee Blush, which accounts for 20 per cent of the early market peaches grown in Ontario.
More honey bees dying, even as antibiotic use halves
Dr. Brendan Daisley
Despite tighter restrictions on antibiotics used in Canadian beekeeping, honey bee death rates are still rising. In a 2026 study, U of G researchers found the withdrawal of antibiotics was one of the top predictors of honey bee overwintering mortality.
U of G invention kills food pathogens in seconds
Dr. Keith Warriner
Ontario apple grower Paul Moyer sought out the U of G food scientist in 2015, then commercialized the food safety technology that is credited with saving candy apples. The technology is still undergoing testing for new applications, like decontaminating low-growing crops like spinach and broccoli and treating wine grapes affected by powdery mildew.
Robots with potential to transform farming
Dr. Mary Ruth McDonald
Robots that seed and weed are being tested at the Ontario Crops Research Centre in Bradford to provide feedback to the manufacturers and improve the designs. The machines can be used to seed, cultivate and weed crops like onions, beets, carrots and more.
Apple trial as a blueprint for real-world results
Owen Rowland
The Plant Agriculture MSc candidate and a multidisciplinary team of researchers are determining how apple growers can incorporate new thinning compounds to manage labour costs and produce better fruit.
"Smart" robot for greenhouses and harvesting
Dr. Medhat Moussa
Researchers at The Robotics Institute @ Guelph are advancing a harvesting solution that could help tackle labour shortages. Their robot is trained to pick tomatoes, but could be trained to pick peppers or cucumbers, or to pick up on early signs of disease.
Clean seed garlic boosts yield potential and cultivar resistance
University of Guelph staff
Clean garlic seed lines developed at the Ontario Crops Research Centre - New Liskeard SPUD Unit showed a consistent yield advantage in trials led by OMAFA vegetable crops specialist Travis Cranmer. Access to clean seed can boost yield potential, economic sustainability, and cultivar resistance.
Ontario Crops Research Centre
Agricultural Research and Innovation Ontario (ARIO) provides the places and spaces where research thrives.
The network of sites provides cutting-edge research that prevents disease and keeps Ontario's food systems safe—from farm to table—and hosts events for producers, including field days and ag-robotics demo days.
Explore the Ontario Crops Research Centre sites in:
Additional services and resources
Dependable diagnostic and analytical services
The Agriculture & Food Laboratory (AFL) at the U of G offers the latest and most accurate methodologies for testing soil, water, plants, agrochemicals, food and beverages and milk.
AFL delivers accurate results for the agriculture, food and beverage, corporate and research sectors.
Extensive, state-of-the-art growth facilities in two locations.
The Research Innovation Office supports the commercialization of U of G crop varieties that come from the plant breeding programs and related research work.
The SPUD Unit consists of a tissue culture laboratory, greenhouses and cold storage facilities.
In the news
The Grower: Outside-the-box science delivers inside the spray box (Jan. 2026)
The Grower: New University of Guelph president calls horticulture the “vanguard” of innovation (Sept. 2025)
Farmtario: Robots, Lasers, and AI, Oh My! (Sept. 2025)
CBC Fresh Air: A New Study Looks at Honeybee Mortality and Antibiotics (Aug. 2025)
Ontario Federation of Agriculture: Spring Into Local: Ontario’s Fresh Food Season Kicks Off With Asparagus (May 2025)
Farmtario: New Chipping Varieties Catch the Eyes of Producers (Sept. 2024)
Farmtario: FarmDroid Provides Scalable Horticultural Seeding and Weeding (Aug. 2024)
Prince Albert Daily Herald: A Robot That Can Harvest Asparagus Part of the ‘Next Phase’ of Farming (July 2024)
Hortidaily: Pitch Competition Highlights Ontario’s Agri-Tech Talent (July 2024)
The Grower: Field Strawberry Season Kicks Off Early (June 2024)
The Grower: Lavender Bloom is a Week Ahead of Schedule (June 2024)
CBC News: Ontario Winery Testing New Green Canadian Technology to Fight Age-Old Threat to Grape Crop (May 2024)
Norfolk Farms News: Introducing … Torin Boyle, The New Manager of the Ontario Crops Research Centre – Simcoe (Mar. 2024)
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