About

Four decades of research

Tunnel Tech grew out of a long run of agricultural research and development projects, many of them run with federal and provincial partners.

1. 1981

   Provincial R&D project testing the use of plastics for field vegetable crops.

2. 1982

   Federal R&D project commercializing the growing of cantaloupes on plastic for Canada.

3. 1984

   Provincial R&D project testing different colours of plastic for different vegetable crops and their responses.

   Provincial R&D project introducing drip irrigation and measuring the response of field crops.

4. 1987

   R&D project running fumigant trials for vegetable crops.

5. 1990

   Federal R&D project breeding eastern-type cantaloupe seed for the eastern seaboard of North America. Growing in Jamaica over the winter shortened a seven-season project to three and a half.

6. 1993

   R&D project developing infrared photography mapping and imaging to read nutrient levels in vegetable crops.

7. 1994

   R&D project developing new crops for tobacco farmers in transition.

   Plasti-tech, Quebec — developing and testing new plastic technology for field vegetables.

8. 1995

   Plasti-tech, Quebec and IVIS, France — testing and developing new plastic planting equipment for the Ontario market.

   Testing and developing aerial infrared photography mapping and imaging to read disease pressure in vegetable crops.

9. 1996

   Plasti-tech — testing and developing coloured low tunnels for temperature control on vegetable crops.

   IRAP R&D — response of field vegetable crops to coloured low tunnels.

10. 2000

    IRAP — improving yields of field crops grown on plastic.

11. 2001

    IRAP — developing, building and implementing a self-propelled cantaloupe harvest aid.

12. 2002

    Plasti-tech, Quebec — testing and trials on new plastics and equipment for Ontario.

    Hosted an international horticultural tour drawing growers from 40 countries.

13. 2003

    Can Adapt #673 — a six-year project adapting European high tunnels to the Canadian climate.

14. 2003–2006

    Implementation of a long-term Environmental Farm Plan.

15. 2004

    IRAP — developing tomato and other crops for high tunnels in Ontario.

    Hosted an international agricultural tour from Holland.

    Hosted an international labour tour from Jamaica.

    Began research and development in Jamaica on field vegetables imported to Canada over the winter, through a CIDA feasibility study of Jamaican agriculture.

16. 2005

    IRAP — introducing honeydew melons as a commercially viable Ontario crop.

    Federal project testing tomato varieties and methods under high tunnels for yield and quality.

17. 2006

    Tunnel Tech founded — the first high tunnel manufacturer in Canada.

18. 2007

    Won the Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence for Ontario, taking first place with the CAN GROW-08 project for Jamaica.

    Received regional and county awards for innovation in R&D from Agriculture Minister Leona Dombrowsky.

19. 2008

    IRAP project covering blueberries with high tunnels to raise yields and protect against wildlife.

    Strawberry project raising day-neutral yields under high tunnels in high heat using unconventional methods.

20. 2009

    Government high tunnel project with the University of Florida at Wimauma, USA.

21. 2010

    Government high tunnel project with the University of Guelph in New Liskeard, Ontario.

    Government high tunnel project with Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada in Bouctouche, New Brunswick.