On February 25, the Leamington Greenhouse Grower Expo welcomed a record number of attendees and suppliers at its third show thanks to its move to the Nature Fresh Recreation Centre in Leamington, Ontario. By hosting the show on the doorstep of Ontario's greenhouse industry, the expo is overcoming the biggest challenge of greenhouse conferences: getting growers to attend.
Aside from the packed expo floor, the LGGE included a concise educational programme, with three sessions on crop protection and a session on the rise of artificial intelligence in the greenhouse sector. This round-table discussion included panelists from Blue Radix, Optimal Ag, Source Ag, ioCrops, IUNU and Fermata. And while the session was entitled the "Greenhouse AI Tech Showdown", the objective was certainly not for the panelists to duke it out. Rather, each company had five minutes to present their respective AI solutions before moving to a round-table discussion that addressed questions around getting started with AI, success stories, common pitfalls and their perspectives moving forward.
The panelists did a great job at presenting their solutions and responding to audience questions, but some important (and frequently asked) questions surrounding AI did not have straightforward responses.
For example, where does a greenhouse even begin with AI? How can growers differentiate between the available tools to decide which is best for their greenhouse? How will these tools integrate grower expertise and instinct (AKA, their green thumb) to truly make decisions like a grower? Do AI solutions only make sense for large-scale greenhouses, or are there solutions for small- and medium-sized facilities? These questions were top-of-mind with the attendees.
From left to right in the photo: Ranier Sandoval, Blue Radix, Dave Hunter, Optimal Ag, Tomas Geurts, Source.ag, Sohee Sim, ioCrops, Don Cronin, IUNU, Bri-Anna Jaksic, Fermata.
Digitize, standardize and centralize
A clear answer to the question about the starting point of greenhouse AI was short and sweet: digitize, standardize and centralize. To make the most of AI, growers need clean and accessible data. Ditch the loose papers and get the data into a spreadsheet, standardize how the data is collected and reported, and bring all the data to one central location or tool. While this can be a major undertaking if it is not already in place, it is essential to a properly functioning AI solution.
AI for the greenhouse: can you test it before buying?
When it comes to exploring artificial intelligence before taking the leap, one suggestion was to play around with various AI tools on your own time to begin to see the possibilities and limitations. While this is a good idea in principle, it would have been beneficial to specify what types of tools could provide a proxy experience for growers. Are there online simulation tools that are specific to CEA and free to use? Are there other tools that use similar models to those presented in the session, even if not specific to the greenhouse sector?
For most people, getting started with artificial intelligence looks like opening up ChatGPT and asking it a question, but mastering ChatGPT will not show growers how a yield prediction model or autonomous climate control will improve their operations, nor will it be the thing that gives growers the courage to take the plunge into AI. And as the panelists emphasized, their technologies run on completely different models than ChatGPT-like systems. So, the question remains – if a grower wants to explore the potential for AI in a low-risk and low-cost way, what are their options?
This question would likely have been answered had the clock not run out on the discussion that likely could have continued for another hour. Thankfully, most of the companies represented in the panel had a booth at the event and were available to answer growers' questions throughout the day.
The discussion did close on a very important note: the rise of AI in the greenhouse space makes critical thinking even more important. While artificial intelligence and AI-driven automation may replace certain positions in the greenhouse, it will also increase the value of positions that require critical thinking and result validation. An autonomous greenhouse may be the goal, but there will always be a human element.
Impressive results from Koidra, DC Farms for eggplant production
Noticeably absent from the session was Koidra, although the Washington-based company still grabbed growers' attention by publishing a business case on LinkedIn shortly after the session. The business case (published in HortiDaily a week earlier) highlighted Koidra's collaboration with DC Farms in Ruthven, Ontario and presented results from the farm's eggplant crop in 2025 using continuous autonomous climate and irrigation via KoPilot. The greenhouse reportedly saw a 6.8% increase in cumulative yield, a 4.84% reduction in steam energy use, more stable irrigation and climate conditions and a reduction in manual interventions.
Between Koidra's recently shared results, the success stories shared by the panelists at the Leamington Greenhouse Expo and the multiple questions from attendees, there is clearly a willingness in the industry to embrace AI solutions. The question remains how to do so in a cost-effective and low-risk manner, if possible, and which solution to choose. So, while the session was not the "showdown" that its title suggested, perhaps the real showdown is coming.
Artificial intelligence will continue to be a hot topic at upcoming greenhouse events in Canada, such as:
- Advancing Cultivation Technology (ACT) Grower Summits in Leamington, Ontario (March 31), Surrey, British Columbia (May 6) and Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec (September 9)
- Grower Days in Langley, British Columbia (June 2) and Saint Catharines, Ontario (June 16)
- Canadian Greenhouse Conference in Niagara Falls, ON (October 7-8)
