SEF

Research

The Center for Horticultural Innovation, a division of South Essex Fabricating (SEF), is an advanced research facility dedicated to the study and development of horticultural practices, technologies, and innovations. Located in Leamington, Ontario, the Center brings together expertise from genetics, plant science, data science/AI, nutrition, and crop trials. Its mission is to drive advancements in horticultural sciences, improve crop productivity, enhance sustainability, and support the greenhouse industry with forward-looking solutions.

Recently, SEF adopted the PATS Trap-Eye™ system, an automated sticky trap monitoring solution that is revolutionizing the way growers track insect populations. The system captures high-resolution images of sticky traps, automatically identifying and counting pests, and delivering real-time reports to growers.

“By pinpointing pest hot spots, it enables more efficient, standardized monitoring, saving time and labour, while offering valuable insights into insect population trends.” 

Boosting Efficiency with Automation

Traditional sticky trap monitoring requires significant time and labor, with results often varying between individuals. With Trap-Eye™, SEF has been able to introduce a standardized approach that not only improves accuracy but also frees up valuable time for growers to focus on other tasks.

Graph: October pest activity visualized: the Trap-Eye™ dashboard tracks bios and whitefly counts per day. Trap-Eye™  is a collaboration between Biobest and PATS. 

“This automated system captures high-resolution images of sticky traps to identify and count pests, providing real-time reports directly to our growers.”

Supporting Growers with Real-Time Insights

By implementing Trap-Eye™, SEF is helping growers access critical information about pest pressures faster than ever before. Automated hotspot detection allows growers to respond quickly to pest outbreaks and track insect population trends over time.

The system has already delivered valuable reports, such as October counts for total bios and whitefly, providing SEF and its partners with actionable insights to support sustainable crop management.