NL
Tholen - Ten years ago, Hacienda North Farms began growing peppers in their first greenhouse. Since then, the Ontario-based grower has steadily expanded to 160 acres. Last year, the company was acquired by Mucci Farms. Despite crop failures, a common problem for Canadian growers, the company remains resilient. By investing in ozone technology and switching to coconut substrate, the company aims to grow healthier peppers without root problems.
The journey began in 2012 with a small greenhouse for peppers. Just two years later, the greenhouse was sold to make way for a larger 17-acre facility, which opened in February 2015. Expansions followed: an additional 17 acres in 2017, 36 acres in 2019 and an additional 90 acres in 2022.
First experience with ozone
Each expansion included investments in water disinfection, starting with UV technology. "We used UV from the beginning because it was the most common method at that time," explains Johnny Braun, general manager of Hacienda North Farms.
One team member, who had experience with alternative disinfection methods from a previous position with a Canadian greenhouse vegetable grower, came across ozone technology through Agrozone generators.
After joining the bell pepper grower in 2015, he continued to follow developments in ozone generators for water disinfection. "The results with Agrozone systems were promising and the generators were getting better and better," he notes.
Root problems
In recent years, Canadian bell pepper growers have struggled with root problems. The first signs surfaced in 2022, albeit limited, without it being fully clear that the problem differed from typical Pythium or Fusarium infections. The following year, the problems were more severe. "We tried everything from high UV levels for water disinfection, increased oxygen dosage in irrigation water to specific plant protection products for the root zone. Despite these efforts, we could not get the problem under control, realizing that this was a different type of root problem than we were used to."
Growers with ozone fall at
Last year, serious problems forced many growers to end their crops early. At Hacienda North Farms, they saw that a neighboring grower who used ozone to disinfect drain water had better control of the root problem in peppers. This led to further research into ozone technology in 2024. Analyses of water samples showed that higher ozone doses were effective in managing root problems. "This led us to rethink our approach to ozone," says Dr. K. K., who is the director of the company.
Ozone for drain water disinfection
In 2019, in addition to UV, Hacienda North Farms installed an Agrozone ozone system to treat water from Lake Erie used for greenhouse irrigation. In 2024, the focus shifted to using ozone to disinfect drain water in greenhouses with root problems. "Although it was too late to save the crop, we saw a positive effect on plants treated with drain water that had been disinfected with ozone."
High kill rate
The difference between using or not using the ozone generator was clear and convinced growers that they needed a stronger generator to achieve a redox potential (ORP) of 850 millivolts. This decision was based on water samples taken in 2024 in a 4.5-acre bell pepper greenhouse on coconut substrate, where a generator purchased in 2019 was in use. "Achieving an ORP of 800 showed a much higher kill rate compared to 750," said Dr. K. K., director of the company.
This greenhouse, which used coconut substrate and disinfected drain water with ozone, was the only greenhouse where cultivation did not have to be stopped early last year. With these findings, the growers chose to play it safe. "Coconut substrate adds more organic matter to your drain water, so you need more ozone for effective disinfection."
Smiling growers
By mid-January, planting is in full swing at Wheatley on the entire acreage, now fully converted to coconut substrate, with ozone generators running at full blast. For the first time, Hacienda North Farms is using ozone to treat all greenhouse drain water instead of UV.
Growers found the change easy. "Ozone is easy and has fewer problems compared to UV. Once we reach the right ORP with the generator, we are ready. Besides, growing on coconut substrate is easier than on rockwool, so our team is pretty satisfied at the moment."
Are bell bell pepper growers too hygienic?
Hacienda North Farms is not the only Canadian bell bell pepper grower switching to coconut substrate and ozone. Cees de Haan of Agrozone, which has operations in the Netherlands and Canada, says they are converting more than 200 acres of bell pepper crops from UV to ozone disinfection. "This winter we are installing more than 1,000 cubic meters per hour of ozone disinfection capacity just for greenhouses with peppers. Those are significant numbers."
The exact cause of bell pepper crop failures in Canada, which are also a problem in the Netherlands, remains unclear. The management of the Canadian cultivation company expects the problem to spread further and suspects that "too hygienic" cultivation practices may be contributing.
"In 2023 it mostly affected growers with newer greenhouses, but last year it spread much further. Not only high-tech greenhouses, but also polytunnels have problems. While we don't believe hygiene is the root cause, building a strong microbiology in the root zone is certainly important."
More clarity in May
In addition to switching to coconut substrate and ozone, Hacienda North Farms is not changing its growing methods this season. "We continue to use our usual biological means of crop protection," the growers say, adding that fewer than a thousand plants have been grafted onto rootstocks. "Our trials with rootstocks have shown no improvement for this problem."
The first harvest is expected in the third week of March, with the goal of finishing the season without root problems in late November or early December. "We will know in late April or early May if we have succeeded," they share confidently. "Nothing is more frustrating for our hard-working growers than losing a crop during cultivation. We believe the switch to coconut substrate and ozone will really make a difference, based on the results we've seen recently."
Overview photos greenhouse by Mucci Marketing Department.
Text on: VegetableNews.com/
Tholen - Ten years ago, Hacienda North Farms began growing peppers in their first greenhouse. Since then, the Ontario-based grower has steadily expanded to 160 acres. Last year, the company was acquired by Mucci Farms. Despite crop failures, a common problem for Canadian growers, the company remains resilient. By investing in ozone technology and switching to coconut substrate, the company aims to grow healthier peppers without root problems.
The journey began in 2012 with a small greenhouse for peppers. Just two years later, the greenhouse was sold to make way for a larger 17-acre facility, which opened in February 2015. Expansions followed: an additional 17 acres in 2017, 36 acres in 2019 and an additional 90 acres in 2022.
First experience with ozone
Each expansion included investments in water disinfection, starting with UV technology. "We used UV from the beginning because it was the most common method at that time," explains Johnny Braun, general manager of Hacienda North Farms.
One team member, who had experience with alternative disinfection methods from a previous position with a Canadian greenhouse vegetable grower, came across ozone technology through Agrozone generators.
After joining the bell pepper grower in 2015, he continued to follow developments in ozone generators for water disinfection. "The results with Agrozone systems were promising and the generators were getting better and better," he notes.
Root problems
In recent years, Canadian bell pepper growers have struggled with root problems. The first signs surfaced in 2022, albeit limited, without it being fully clear that the problem differed from typical Pythium or Fusarium infections. The following year, the problems were more severe. "We tried everything from high UV levels for water disinfection, increased oxygen dosage in irrigation water to specific plant protection products for the root zone. Despite these efforts, we could not get the problem under control, realizing that this was a different type of root problem than we were used to."
Growers with ozone fall at
Last year, serious problems forced many growers to end their crops early. At Hacienda North Farms, they saw that a neighboring grower who used ozone to disinfect drain water had better control of the root problem in peppers. This led to further research into ozone technology in 2024. Analyses of water samples showed that higher ozone doses were effective in managing root problems. "This led us to rethink our approach to ozone," says Dr. K. K., who is the director of the company.
Ozone for drain water disinfection
In 2019, in addition to UV, Hacienda North Farms installed an Agrozone ozone system to treat water from Lake Erie used for greenhouse irrigation. In 2024, the focus shifted to using ozone to disinfect drain water in greenhouses with root problems. "Although it was too late to save the crop, we saw a positive effect on plants treated with drain water that had been disinfected with ozone."
High kill rate
The difference between using or not using the ozone generator was clear and convinced growers that they needed a stronger generator to achieve a redox potential (ORP) of 850 millivolts. This decision was based on water samples taken in 2024 in a 4.5-acre bell pepper greenhouse on coconut substrate, where a generator purchased in 2019 was in use. "Achieving an ORP of 800 showed a much higher kill rate compared to 750," said Dr. K. K., director of the company.
This greenhouse, which used coconut substrate and disinfected drain water with ozone, was the only greenhouse where cultivation did not have to be stopped early last year. With these findings, the growers chose to play it safe. "Coconut substrate adds more organic matter to your drain water, so you need more ozone for effective disinfection."
Smiling growers
By mid-January, planting is in full swing at Wheatley on the entire acreage, now fully converted to coconut substrate, with ozone generators running at full blast. For the first time, Hacienda North Farms is using ozone to treat all greenhouse drain water instead of UV.
Growers found the change easy. "Ozone is easy and has fewer problems compared to UV. Once we reach the right ORP with the generator, we are ready. Besides, growing on coconut substrate is easier than on rockwool, so our team is pretty satisfied at the moment."
Are bell bell pepper growers too hygienic?
Hacienda North Farms is not the only Canadian bell bell pepper grower switching to coconut substrate and ozone. Cees de Haan of Agrozone, which has operations in the Netherlands and Canada, says they are converting more than 200 acres of bell pepper crops from UV to ozone disinfection. "This winter we are installing more than 1,000 cubic meters per hour of ozone disinfection capacity just for greenhouses with peppers. Those are significant numbers."
The exact cause of bell pepper crop failures in Canada, which are also a problem in the Netherlands, remains unclear. The management of the Canadian cultivation company expects the problem to spread further and suspects that "too hygienic" cultivation practices may be contributing.
"In 2023 it mostly affected growers with newer greenhouses, but last year it spread much further. Not only high-tech greenhouses, but also polytunnels have problems. While we don't believe hygiene is the root cause, building a strong microbiology in the root zone is certainly important."
More clarity in May
In addition to switching to coconut substrate and ozone, Hacienda North Farms is not changing its growing methods this season. "We continue to use our usual biological means of crop protection," the growers say, adding that fewer than a thousand plants have been grafted onto rootstocks. "Our trials with rootstocks have shown no improvement for this problem."
The first harvest is expected in the third week of March, with the goal of finishing the season without root problems in late November or early December. "We will know in late April or early May if we have succeeded," they share confidently. "Nothing is more frustrating for our hard-working growers than losing a crop during cultivation. We believe the switch to coconut substrate and ozone will really make a difference, based on the results we've seen recently."
Overview photos greenhouse by Mucci Marketing Department.
Text on: VegetableNews.com/
What to do before 2023 & 2027?
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