Overview
Tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers generate more than $1 billion in annual sales for the Canadian greenhouse vegetable industry. These plants are susceptible to a number of diseases, which threaten crops and decrease profits for producers. In order to maintain a competitive edge, create growth and ensure future success, Canada’s greenhouse vegetable industry needs plant varieties that are resistant to disease. To address this challenge, Vineland Research and Innovation Centre will partner with Dr. Keiko Yoshioka, a leading academic from the University of Toronto, who has discovered a key gene involved in plant disease resistance. By using proven gene technologies to enhance disease resistance in greenhouse vegetables, this project aims to develop new commercial traits and varieties for Canada’s vegetable industry. These technologies will benefit Canada’s greenhouse vegetable industry by adding value to Canadian greenhouse vegetables, and fostering economic growth, increased exports, reducing competition from imports.