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europeanseedVOLUME 2 ISSUE 3 PRODUCE PROTECT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY IS KEY TO INVESTMENT AND INNOVATION IN THE SEED SECTOR europeanseedVOLUME 2 ISSUE 3 PRODUCE PROTECT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY IS KEY TO INVESTMENT AND INNOVATION IN THE SEED SECTOR EUROPEAN-SEED.COM SPEAK UP FOR SEEDS COMMUNICATION IS CRITICAL TO BUILD CREDIBILITY WITH CONSUMERS FIGHTING DIABROTICA IN AUSTRIA BATTLING THE BEETLE MODERNISING FENNEL we work both with and for the breeders to promote and protect plant innovation and RD. - Martin Ekvad The rst non-sprayed barley fungicide to optimise farm management. Systiva optimises your farm management Protects barley with long lasting efcacy against the key foliar diseases Enhances crop vigour due to AgCelence benets above and beyond normal crop protection Independency from unfavourable weather conditions during the season EUROPEAN-SEED.COM I EUROPEAN SEED I 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS FEATURES Breeders Trust ......................................................................................................06 Protecting Intellectual Property ..........................................................................10 Connected to Customers ...................................................................................14 Modernising Fennel .............................................................................................20 How to Stop a Pest in Austria .............................................................................24 Neonicotinoids and Bees Separating Fact from Fiction ..................................30 We Cannot Turn Our Back on Communication ................................................34 DLF Rebrands.......................................................................................................36 OAPI Working to Facilitate Seed Industry Development in Africa ...................38 Plants for the Future.............................................................................................40 Fascination of Plants Day 2015...........................................................................44 DEPARTMENTS Spotlight Italy......................................................................................................46 Global Seed Watch..............................................................................................50 Corportate Prole Dupont Pioneer Europe ......................................................52 Regulatory ............................................................................................................54 Industry News ......................................................................................................58 Extras....................................................................................................................62 Calendar of Events ..............................................................................................63 Giant Views...........................................................................................................64 40 34 20 30 europeanseed VOLUME 2 ISSUE 3 ON THE COVER Martin Ekvad is the president of the Community Plant Variety Ofce. The CPVO is celebrating their 20th anniversary in 2015. 2 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM europeanseed EUROPEAN-SEED.COM VOLUME 2 ISSUE 3 Suite 34 67-68 Hatton Garden London EC1N 8JY United Kingdom PUBLISHER Shawn Brook sbrookissuesink.com EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Marcel Bruins mbruinsissuesink.com MANAGING EDITOR Lindsay Hoffman lhoffmanissuesink.com STAFF WRITERS Julie Deering Mark Halsall Shannon Schindle Marc Zienkiewicz ADVERTISING SALES Craig Armstrong carmstrongissuesink.com Fabien Castel f.castelbreizywood.com Hiten Shah hshahissuesink.com DIGITAL MEDIA SALES Jill Hollosi jhollosiissuesink.com MARKETING Lynne Roy CREATIVE Theresa Kurjewicz Lesley Nakonechny DIGITAL MEDIA CREATIVE Nick Buhr Kyle Dratowany Caleb MacDonald CIRCULATION Dean French dfrenchissuesink.com CONTRIBUTORS DLF European Plant Science Organisation Were Regine Gazaro Georg Goeres Jan Jacobi Marco Nardi Claire Planche Marion Seiter Silvia Travella ADVISORY BOARD Eric Devron Union Franaise des Semenciers Anton van Doornmalen Rijk Zwaan Stephanie Franck Plfanzenzucht Oberlimpurg Chris Green Green Resources Ltd. Martin Gruss Bayer CropScience Nigel Moore KWS UK Ltd. Jonathan Ramsay Monsanto Ruthner Szabolcs International Seed Federation Ana Silva European Seed Association Antonio Villaroel Asociacin Nacional de Obtentores Vegetales www.facebook.comEuropeanSeed twitter.comEuropeanSeed SUBSCRIPTIONS European Seed is published four times a year. European subscription rates are one year 20. International one year 75. To subscribe please email subscribeissuesink.com. Please recycle where facilities exist. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. Printed in England Dont engage in infringements and counter- feiting WWW.BREEDERSTRUST.EU Need to add Contributors 4 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM EDITORS MESSAGE PRODUCE AND PROTECT PROTECTING INVESTMENT IN INNOVATION IS CRITICAL TO THE FUTURE SUCCESS OF THE SEED INDUSTRY. Marcel Bruins t is already one year ago since the first launch of the magazine at the European Seed Association Annual Meeting in Lisbon. As the saying goes Time flies when you are having fun. The four issues that were published have been jam-packed with inter- esting content and on top of that we have received nothing but good feedback. I would like to add that this would not have been pos- sible without your continuous support. Do con- tinue to support us and let us know what you would like to read about I look forward to all your contributions. Europe is the king of seed exports and its seed export value is set to increase to almost 9 billion by 2019. The seed market in Europe contains well over 7000 seed companies and has in total more than 50000 employees. France Netherlands and Germany are three of the top four seed exporters in the world and will play a key role in sustaining Europes seed market growth. A recent Technavio report indicates that the seeds market in Europe is predicted to increase at a growth rate of 10 to 11 per cent during the period 2015 to 2019 and expects the market to reach a value of 22 billion about 9 billion more than its current 13 billion value. Increased demand for good quality high performing seeds by farmers and rising demand for biofuels in Europe are two of the key drivers for the forecast period. Europe recorded the availability of nearly 2 million hectares of area for seed production in 2014 which is likely to grow consistently and boost the growth of the market. Grain seeds and oilseeds are the largest product segments with a market share of over 75 per cent in 2014 however the fruit and vegetable seeds segment is expected to gain traction. Many more plant varieties are also likely to be developed in the future as an aver- age of 12 to 15 per cent of the total revenue is invested in RD. Despite the traction gained from the fruits and vegetables sector and the future development of seed varieties grain seeds and oilseeds will continue to dominate Europes seeds market through this period. France was the worlds largest seed exporting country in 2014 followed by Netherlands the United States and Germany. Hungary Italy and Denmark are all in the top 10 giving Europe six of the top 10 seed export- ing countries in the world. I With all this innovation and fabulous genetics coming out of the European seed sector it is important to ensure there are measures in place to secure a decent return on investment. Surveys indicate that the creation of a conventional plant variety costs about 1 to 2 million Euro and depending on the crop it takes about seven to 12 years. Therefore it is only logical that any company making these substantial long-term upfront and high-risk investments is looking for ways to earn back some part of the investment and use it for fur- ther innovation. Anyone with a salaried job will understand this basic principle if you make an investment in this case time spent on a job you expect to be rewarded for that in the form of a salary. This is one of the incentives to continue making that investment. It is none different for a seed company. If it decided to spend millions of Euros into the creation of a new plant variety it is only logical that it is rewarded for that in some way. Often this is done through the use of intellectual property by which a temporary monopoly is granted to the innovators in this case the breeders. The seed industry is united in its view that a strong and effective intellectual property protection is crucial as it ensures an acceptable return on the research investment. IP is a prerequisite to encourage further research efforts and the motor for innovation. And more importantly it is essential to meet the challenges mankind has to face finite soil and water increasing food and energy demands a growing popula- tion and climate change. Unfortunately as with most forms of innovation there are free riders that wish to benefit from the arduous efforts of the inno- vators without making any effort themselves. Holders of IP rights will need to enforce their rights against such infringements which is not an easy job. Luckily we are seeing more and more initiatives that are helping breeders in their efforts to protect themselves against such infringements. It is vital that all players in and around the seed value chain choose the moral high ground otherwise we may lose this important lifeline for humanity. Marcel Bruins editorial director European Seed mbruinsissuesink.com CIMBRIA WORLD WIDE GRAIN PROCESSING Cimbria world leader in grain processing technology Cimbria delivers efficient and controlled technology processes equipment and plants for handling and storing crops while focusing on increasing quality and energy efficiency and improving cost effectiveness. We design develop manufacture and install custom- built solutions whether these are single machines complete processing lines or large turnkey projects with highly advanced automation and management information systems. We master all disciplines and expertise within research and development crop knowledge engineering and manufacturing as well as in professional project management consulting service and construction. Cimbrias total project competence provides our customers with a high level of safety comfort and attentiveness to their project ensuring qualified performance in every aspect and complete integration and coordination of functions and components. We are a one-stop company and our client has only one contact who is responsible for the entire CIMBRIA.COM CIMBRIA HEID GMBH Heid-Werkstrasse 4 A-2000 Stockerau AUSTRIA Phone 43 22 66 699 E-mail heidcimbria.com Web www.cimbria.com CONVEYING DRYING SEED PROCESSING ELECTRONIC SORTING STORAGE TURNKEY SERVICE 6 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM lant Breeders Rights PBR are rights granted to the breeder of a new variety of plant that give that breeder exclusive control over the resulting plant material including seed cuttings divisions tissue culture and harvested material cut flowers fruit foliage of that variety for a number of years. Unfortunately these rights are infringed upon on almost a daily basis. Breeders can sue to enforce their rights and can recover dam- ages for infringement but this is a compli- cated task and is hugely expensive. Breeders Trust was founded in 2008 out of a desire to change the fact that around the world seed is reproduced and marketed illegally and breeders rights are violated. It fights intellectual property infringement in the potato and grass seed sector. Its formation was initiated by nine lead- ing seed potato breeding companies Agrico C. Meijer Danespo Europlant Germicopa HZPC KWS Potato Norika and Solana. Together these companies account for over 80 per cent of the newly developed potato vari- eties within the EU. In 2012 seven prominent international grass seed breeding companies decided to join Breeders Trust as well Barenbrug DLF- Trifolium Euro Grass Germinal Holdings NPZ Lembke RAGT Semences and Saatzucht Steinach GmbH Co. Illegality breach of contract and infringement on breeders rights can occur throughout the whole chain not just with farmers but also with traders or processors says Geert Staring general manager for Breeders Trust. Therefore Breeders Trust works throughout the whole value chain. We noticed there is a lack of awareness of these intellec- tual property laws and regulations. By com- municating with stakeholders throughout the industry we try to educate and convince them that payment of licences is required and important. If needed Breeders Trust is not reluc- tant to bring extreme infringers to court. Internationally it builds on a network that benefits from relationships with inspection services farm-saved seed collecting agencies fraud authorities and food safety authorities. By bringing concrete cases to their attention it helps law enforcement and ensures PBR remains on their agenda. STRUCTURE Breeders Trust is a small organisation based in Brussels. With a general director at the top a project manager is appointed and lawyers all over Europe are brought into the fold to help it in its work. The purpose of Breeders Trust is to contribute to an undisturbed development for newly bred varieties and in this context it ensures a level playing field for all players in the whole chain be it seed potato or grass seed. In view of enforcement of rules and leg- islation the seed potato and grass seed indus- tries are different. In the seed potato sector we primarily focus on infringements of PBR. We take strong action against illegalities and violation of PBR laws. It not only creates an unfair playing field but it can even be a threat to the entire potato production chain because of the risk of contamination from phytosani- tary diseases says Staring. In the grass seed sector the focus tends to be more on preventing illegal activities such as sales of seed of unregistered varieties mixing cheap uncertified seed into certified seed lots and mixtures misuse of trade names or use of forged certificates. Furthermore the challenge here is to put a hold on illegal impor- tation of lots of grass seed and grass seed mixtures in the EU. In this respect there are major infringements in particular in south- ern European countries which strongly dis- rupt the market and which need to be stopped. There are several other national organ- isations active in the field of IP enforcement in the EU but Staring says Breeders Trust is a unique one that sets itself apart from the others. National organisations do have more expertise in the local market but usually have many different crops in their portfolio. Breeders Trust only focuses on seed potatoes and grass seed and specialises in those prod- ucts and enforcement activities. Infringements and illegal trade doesnt stop at the border. In the global seed industry you have to act glob- ally and work together with many authorities in order to stop illegal cross-border activities. BREEDERS TRUST FIGHTING TO PROTECT EUS POTATO AND GRASS SEED SECTOR Ensuring breeders rights are defended is key for a whealthy European seed industry. By Marcel Bruins and Marc Zienkiewicz 6 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM EUROPEAN-SEED.COM I EUROPEAN SEED I 7 LEGALITIES Within Breeders Trust the decision to begin legal action is made only if it is in the benefit of all members says Staring. Probability of winning is often not of the utmost impor- tance sometimes jurisdiction and chal- lenging interpretation of legislation is the goal. Twice a year Breeders Trust organises a membersstakeholders meeting where cases are evaluated. In the past few years Breeders Trust frequently became front page news when it won court cases against intellectual property infringers and of course we continue with that. Frankly up to now we have never lost a single court case. But I am most proud of work- ing to improve the legal system surrounding intellectual property in general says Staring. One recent example occurred in Belgium where Breeders Trust sued the Belgian government to hand over farm-saved seed administration records. In the interests of food safety all farmers in Belgium are asked to supply the government with infor- mation on how many acres of farm-saved seed they plant. Initially the Belgian government hid behind privacy laws and refused to supply those records to us. After a lengthy lawsuit the judge ruled in favour of the affiliated breeding companies. Breeders Trust has a legal right to receive this essential information in order to enforce PBR says Staring. Since then in some other European countries Breeders Trust has successfully received information based on the Freedom of Information Act in that jurisdiction. Breeders Trust is presently active in the grass seed sector in among other countries France Poland Portugal Hungary and Italy. Moreover Breeders Trust also focuses on major European ports to identify lots of uncertified grass seed arriving from overseas which are subsequently transported to various European member states where they are given a new identity. The grass seed industry has often been aware of illegal activities in certain markets and with certain products but in the past only a very few companies had the courage or the time to fight these illegal activities on their own says Jos van der Wielen man- aging director at Barenbrug Holland and chairman of the Breeders Trust grass seed technical council. However when the major grass seed com- panies got together and joined breeders trust in 2012 things improved dramatically he says. Now when illegal activities are found or sus- pected Breeders Trust immediately takes the lead in investigating and ultimately exposing and prosecuting the perpetrators. The market environment is now improv- ing and companies are no longer standing on the sidelines when illegal things happen. The companies that are caught selling illegal seed are named and shamed and people in the industry are taking notice. We already see signs of fewer instances of illegal seed being offered in the marketplace. Breeders Trust has made good progress in Italy over the last several years according to Staring. Together with the Belgium-based Anti-Infringement Bureau for Intellectual Property Rights on Plant Material an agree- ment was signed with Italian authorities to combat intellectual property infringements. We want to make sure that we remain on top of these illegal activities and therefore we continue to carefully monitor the global flow of grass seed. By doing so you see that illegal flows of seed are being interrupted and there is a tendency based on importexport figures that these activities are being slowed down or moved to other places says Staring. TRENDS Some countries are more developed than others with respect to plant breeders rights legislation implementation and enforcement. According to Staring this produces a variety of different trends with regard to global intel- lectual property infringement. Even within Europe there are large differences in enforcement. The good news is that slowly but surely things are moving in the right direction. For example in France potato growers last year finally reached an agreement with farmers unions on the collection of farm- saved seed royalties. On the other hand the French legislature doesnt aid seed breeders since penalties are too often insufficient to stop infringement by notorious offenders says Staring. What you often see is that in many countries authorities consider PBR enforce- ment as a stepchild. In some countries even judges dont understand the legislation and the importance of PBR. There still is a lot of work to do. Public and private cooperation is the key to achieve in a long-term strategy. Nevertheless Staring is optimistic that through intensive communication and occa- sionally litigation infringement damage will be minimized enough so breeders can focus fully on their job. We clearly see that just being present in the industry has a deterrent effect and pre- vents people from profiting off PBR infringe- ment. In the potato sector the number of court cases concerning intellectual property violations have actually decreased over the past few years. For us potato breeders it really is important that Breeders Trust supports us to enable ongoing development of modern varieties to the benefit of farmers and con- sumers says Jrg Renatus managing direc- tor for Europlant who serves as chairman of Breeders Trust. Breeders Trust defends the rights of those who respect the rules. According to Staring its encouraging to see that the current generation of farmers is also very much aware of the role they can play in protecting PBR. They form a vital link in the food chain. They also realize that without breed- ers farming is pointless. In a successful modern chain one is dependent on the other but one also helps strengthen the other. Short-term thinking does not fit in there. Of course there will always remain out- laws who only listen when they are treated harshly. Breeders Trust takes firm action against them in the interests of the whole sector says Staring. And because of Breeders Trust end users can be more confident that the seed they buy is the genuine product and not a fake alternative adds van der Wielen. Staring notes than in a perfect world PBR legislation would not be necessary everyone would understand that intellec- tual property must be respected and that infringement and illegal sales are unaccept- able. In the real world in addition to good communication with the agricultural sector sufficient enforcement will be required to protect PBR. Breeders Trust cannot do its job work- ing by itself adds Staring. Anyone with information on PBR infringement is asked to report it either anon- ymously or through www.breederstrust.eu. Geert Staring general manager Breeders Trust www.seedgrowth.bayer.com YOU NEVER WORK ALONE ESA 2015 IN VIENNA MEET US ON THE GROUND FLOOR At Bayer CropScience we take product stewardship very seriously. We supply high-quality seed-applied solutions in combination with the best management practices around the world. We believe that focusing on risk mitigation innovation and partnerships is crucial for sustainable agriculture to maximize yield and avoid negative impact on human health and the environment. Our fully integrated system with fourfold competence Bayer SeedGrowth allows a stewardship approach that offers you support in whatever part you play in the seed treatment business. So you never work alone. Products We want seed treatment to be safe for the seed the operator and the environment. So were continually working on new solutions and concrete recommendations for safe use e.g. optimized loading and dosage with our partners and customers. Coatings Our coatings limit dust-off through improved formulations tailor-made film coatings and increased customer usage. Services Before during and after application we support our customers in assuming responsibility for themselves bystanders and the environment e.g. through guidance personal protective equipment PPE training measures the best handling storage seed cleaning equipment treatment and transport practices waste management advice and certification. Equipment Since our expertise in equipment design is a key factor in correct treatment practices we consider this in our own models and we also collaborate with other machine manufacturers who share our passion for providing the best tools. 10 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM ntellectual property is crucial for the seed industry as it provides the necessary tools for return on the high risk and upfront investments that are needed to create a new plant variety. Unfortunately infringements of IP rights are as old as IP itself. Incorporated in Belgium in 2009 the Anti-Infringement Bureau AIB has seen many successes in combatting IP infringements in the vegetable industry. AIBs mission is to protect breeders rights to vegetable seeds AIB assists its members to prevent piracy and to pursue seed piracy cases. In doing this AIB helps to maintain the integrity of the plant breeders IP protection process in fairness to the tens of thousands of growers who are using protected seeds and who abide by respecting breeders rights trademarks and copyrights. The initial focus of the AIB has been on Greater Europe consisting of the EU and the Mediterranean Basin says Casper van Kempen managing director of AIB. At present AIB has 11 members although Limagrain who counts as one member has three companies enrolled. All members have an equal vote in the General Assembly which normally meets twice a year. Enforcement Decisions AIB has the ability to file complaints with enforcement agencies regarding any observed and verified infringements after consultation with the rights holder concerned. This action has been taken many times in recent years in Italy and Spain where very good relationships have been developed with enforcement agencies says van Kempen. When a request is received from a member for AIB to take civil legal action it is submitted to the board of directors. The board then decides to accept or reject the mandate request in accordance with Protecting Intellectual PropertyThe Anti-Infringement Bureau is protecting plant breeders rights in the vegetable seed industry. its internal rules. The main criteria for this decision are a Is the case linked to a generally occurring industry infringement problem Specific examples of this category are vegetative re-propagation of protected tomato varieties and other grafted crops re-propagation of protected OP varieties like lettuce and beans re-propagation of protected F1 crops onions. b Is there a reasonable expectation for a successful outcome of the case in the jurisdictions concerned c Is a mandate of AIB valid under the jurisdictions concerned The decision to mandate AIB for legal action is an option for AIB members but AIB is under no obligation to accept the mandate. In Italy and Spain AIB raised awareness among plant raisers and growers by filing over 40 legal complaints with authorities. In all cases the enforcement agencies fully cooperated and made inspections of the suspected companies. In Italy AIB has a formal cooperation agreement with the anti-fraud unit of the Ministry of Agriculture. This agreement results in periodic exchanges of information and statistics on infringement and piracy. In Sicily the Guardia di Finanza inspected over 40 greenhouses after AIB submitted a report on the substantial losses in tomato seed sales due to vegetative propagation. In cases where infringement was proven by the test results of the sampled material the enforcement agencies submitted their files with conclusions to the local courts for further follow-up by the prosecutors. Another very important milestone is the incorporation of seed traceability and IP compliance of starting material in the new GlobalGAP version 5.0. This is seen as a major step forward for our industry says van Kempen. It also provides a concrete and cost-effective instrument for retailers and processors to check the integrity of their vegetable sourcing. Casper van Kempen AIB managing director. By Marcel Bruins EUROPEAN-SEED.COM I EUROPEAN SEED I 11 Companies can do it alone but it is complicated. Seven years after noticing the first signs of infringement Dutch seed company Rijk Zwaan won a long-running infringement case against Italian company Agriseeds. After illegally reproducing the lettuce variety Ballerina RZ the court of Milan ordered Agriseeds to pay Rijk Zwaan 205701 plus legal costs. On behalf of Rijk Zwaan company lawyer Marian Suelmann says she is happy with the result especially since the number of illegal reproductions of vegetable crops seems to be on the rise. Cases like this are undoubtedly complicated and time- consuming but this example shows that fighting infringement in court can indeed be successful says Suelmann. Unsuccessful Cases Despite its successes at moving ahead with legal action AIB has faced situations where it has decided not to pursue suspected cases of IP infringement. In cases where the exposure in the market is judged to be detrimental to the commercial interest of the individual rights holder it often decides not to pursue the matter. Therefore companies have a strong preference to act jointly in addressing infringement cases van Kempen says. Other reasons for abandoning a case have been the safety of staff. There is a strict rule never to release the name of informants in any procedure. However in certain cases there is fear that the suspected infringer may draw his own and wrong conclusions and react. In case of any doubt on personal safety it is a no-go for AIB says van Kempen. The major factor preventing these cases from being successful according to van Kempen is the lack of an ability to mobilise field staff to report any suspicious activity. The statistics show that only a very small percentage of the total of observed cases are reported. Many industries are fighting piracy and counterfeiting but van Kempen says the vegetable industry is unique in terms of the challenges it faces. There are fundamental differences making our fight more complicated. In most other industries the pirates are third parties which produce the illegal product and sell it as genuine product. The counterfeits are often of inferior quality so the buyer and user of the counterfeit is often victim of the piracy he says. Examples he gives are pesticides spare parts for vehicles and pharmaceutical products. In our sector it is our own customers who are either the infringers in cases of vegetative propagation and seed reproduction or main beneficiaries as buyers and users of the illegal starting material. From the documents found during a recent seizure at a company involved in lettuce seed piracy it emerged that the financial benefit reaped by the lettuce growers who had bought the illegal seed at very low prices amounted to a very significant 900hectare per production cycle. The evolution of the EU protection ratio per species 2013 vs 2012 2009 30th edition CC2012 Additionsto 31st CC2013 Comparison Comparison pending granted Number of PVPrights Ratio No. listed varieties applications PVPtitles Ratio var. added applications Ratio 2014 - 2009 2014 - 2013 Artichoke 16 41 6 27 80 8 3 38 22 -43 Asparagus 27 76 5 37 55 5 3 60 33 5 Aubergine Egg plant 290 3 16 7 24 2 8 2 Broccoli 1 171 14 34 28 17 1 6 4 -22 Cabbage white 1 705 8 95 15 39 0 0 -1 -15 Carrot 1 584 4 50 9 21 2 10 9 0 Cauliflower 1 712 12 93 15 38 6 16 15 1 Chicory 1 212 11 27 18 13 0 0 -1 -18 Corn salad Lambs lettuce 23 62 2 18 32 2 1 50 27 18 Courgette 593 10 26 6 61 2 3 -3 Cucumber Gherkin 2 1292 38 104 11 74 23 31 29 20 Endive 17 255 5 51 22 14 12 86 69 64 Fennel 2 86 4 26 35 3 1 33 31 -2 French bean 15 1329 23 219 18 70 29 41 27 23 Garlic 114 2 12 12 4 0 0 -12 Leek 2 237 9 71 34 15 4 27 24 -7 Lettuce 21 2081 159 653 39 143 92 64 43 25 Melon 4 928 39 83 13 75 11 15 10 2 Onion 3 975 19 76 10 39 3 8 5 -2 Parsley 99 2 11 13 6 2 33 20 Pea 19 732 52 250 41 31 14 45 26 4 Pepper 2 2142 62 158 10 186 24 13 11 3 Spinach 3 340 27 61 26 30 4 13 10 -13 Tomato 2 3537 119 276 11 264 42 16 14 5 TOTAL 7 17593 635 2474 18 1182 281 24 17 6 EUROSEEDS.EU3 PVP EVOLUTION 15102014 HOW HAS THE TOMATO PROTECTION DEVELOPED SINCE 1 OCT 2010 Period 1 October 2010 and 1 October 2014 Total AIB members Other cos New varieties listed 1647 750 897 of which PVP 355 21 333 44 22 2 94 of the new PVP titles went to AIB companies EUROSEEDS.EU4 PVP EVOLUTION 15102014 HOW HAS THE LETTUCE PROTECTION DEVELOPED SINCE 1 OCT 2010 Period 1 October 2010 and 1 October 2014 Total AIB members Other cos New varieties listed 925 722 203 of which PVP 422 46 408 57 14 7 97 of the new PVP titles went to AIB companies The fact that infringers are among our own customers often creates a loyalty dilemma for the sales reps. They are facing a situation whereby a person with whom they often built a relationship over many years is infringing the IP rights of his or her company. In these cases it takes courage to confront the customer with this wrongdoing van Kempen adds. Whereas in general IP rights holders can rely on enforcement agencies like customs agencies to detect piracy our industry has to rely much more on its own people for its detection. The other factor working against the vegetable industry according to van Kempen is that it can detect infringement only during the growing stage. Once the harvested product has left the growers 12 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM facility it is impossible to determine if it originates from an illegal source as its physical characteristics and DNA are exactly identical to the legally obtained products. Therefore inspections of the final product as can be done in most industries is not helpful in the vegetable sector. It is also quite common that sales reps observe infringements of the PVP rights of other companies. Once this happens it is important that these cases are reported as well van Kempen adds. He notes that th is requ i res the infringement issue to be a fixed agenda item at sales meetings and periodic personnel review meetings. It is important to overcome uncomfortable feelings about this subject which often make people pretend it does not exist. To help AIB address this theme within its member organisations Interpol offered its assistance in developing an e-learning module on IP rights in the vegetable seed sector targeted at companies field staff and their interactions with growers and plant breeders like sales reps trial officers customer service staff and product managers. This e-learning module will be initially available in English Italian and Spanish takes about 30 minutes to go through and includes items like why IP rights are important the various forms of IP infringements in the vegetable seeds sector what to look out for when conducting your daily activities and how to act when you see something suspicious. Four past infringement cases are given as illustrations. At the end of the module a quiz has to be taken and the results are automatically sent to the designated companys sales directormanager for evaluation. In short in the vegetable seed industry infringement and piracy can only be overcome with the full support and mobilisation of the seed companies themselves van Kempen says. They have the eyes and ears on the ground. Without this even setting up a dozen more AIBs would not have much impact. Future Trends When it comes to addressing the issue of IP infringement van Kempen sees a number of challenges on the horizon. In countries that have more experience cracking down on it we have the feeling that at least we put a hold on further growth of infringement. In Spain with the help of Geslive we have had a positive impact on the scale of illegal vegetative propagation of tomatoes. In Italy the actions by the Guardia di Finanza and ICQRF in recent last years have at least made any potential infringer aware of the risks and therefore much more careful. This seems to have at least contained the problem says van Kempen. In less-experienced countries with rapidly growing production infringement is on the rise. This can be partly explained by a shift towards higher-value genetics. Also the general level of technical skills is rising opening the door to vegetative propagation. However the paradox in these countries is that PVP is often a relatively young phenomenon with very few varieties with PVP titles. Another driving factor behind the infringement level is the level of protection he notes. It is striking to see that a very high majority of PVP titles in the EU is held by AIB members. The other companies hardly protect any of their varieties see analysis made on evolution of PVP in tomato and lettuce. Other countries from outside Europe are learning from AIB. In America Seed Innovation and Protection Alliance SIPA was created a year ago. They are a joint venture between the vegetable seed industry and the field crop industry. SIPA does not copy the AIB model and is more focused on educational outreach and not enforcement. According to van Kempen in order for an organisation like SIPA to be successful an important qualifier is the commonly shared value about the importance of respecting IP rights. A strong feeling of common interest and collaboration will naturally result in the funding of enforcement action. It is a mistake to think that it is the legal department who has the main role in enforcing IP rights rather than the sales force. IP protection should be embedded in a companys entire organisation with all departments and employees involved van Kempen says. Rijk Zwaan hopes that the positive outcome of its case against Agriseeds will motivate other seed companies to pursue infringement cases too. We have a common goal in protecting plant breeders rights to ensure that seed companies are rewarded for their investments which in turn are necessary in order to continue developing new and improved plant varieties says Suelmann. Vegetable seed industry infringement and piracy can only be overcome with the full support and mobilisation of the seed companies themselves Casper van Kempen 14 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM CONNECTED TO CUSTOMERS ENSURING THAT PLANT BREEDERS CAN DO THEIR JOBS THE COMMUNITY PLANT VARIETY OFFICE SHARES ITS REASONS FOR 20 YEARS OF SUCCESS. European Seed Could you please provide an overview of the Community Plant Variety Office CPVO when was it started what was the reason why it was set up Martin Ekvad The CPVO was established in 1995 to promote and facilitate the single market and plant breeding. The system was welcomed by the industry amongst other reasons because it reduces the administrative burden on breeders and streamlines market access for new varieties. With just one application to the CPVO in any of the official EU languages breeders can obtain an EU-wide enforceable right which protects their creation. This also eliminates the requirement to lodge sep- arate applications in each Member State a procedure that was both expensive and time consuming. One of the primary reasons for the creation of the CPVO was to encourage plant diversification and innovation. This was to be done by granting breeders the possibility to make a return on their investment through the single market. In its headquarters in Angers the CPVO manages the EU system of PVR applications. We do so by ensuring that applications are dealt with efficiently and that decisions delivered are well founded. When the CPVO was established it was decided to utilise the existing national infrastructure of vari- ety testing. Using national examination offices to execute the distinctness uniformity and stability DUS testing required for the integrity of the PVR system allowed the CPVO to benefit from and build upon the expertise already accrued at the national level while revising EU standards. Today the CPVO is working with an effective and efficient network of Examination Offices EO spread across the Member States. The enhanced cooperation between EO initiated after the creation of the EU Plant Variety Protection PVP system has led to an increased harmonisation of technical and practical methods of DUS testing in the EU. Based in Angers France the Community Plant Variety Office CPVO manages the EU system of plant variety rights PVR the largest such system in the world. The CPVO is entirely self- financed something that drives both their client focused mentality and ensures a high level of connectivity with the plant industry. This year marks the 20th anniversary of this highly successful organisation. European Seed sat down with Martin Ekvad president of the CPVO to find out more about the secrets behind the success of the CPVO. EUROPEAN-SEED.COM I EUROPEAN SEED I 15 The EO must be entrusted by the Administrative Council of the CPVO CPVO AC based on recommendations from the CPVOs Quality Audit Service QAS. Entrustment of EO is an ongoing procedure the CPVOs QAS regularly visits inspects and offers constructive feedback to all EOs. The QAS system ensures the continuous harmonisation protec- tion and promotion of the EU standard for DUS testing and plant varieties. To complete the overview of the CPVO one must stress the importance of the CPVO AC which is the governing body composed of one member from each EU Member State and one member from the European Commission. The industry participates in these meetings as observer associations which represent breeders. In addition the UPOV Office is an observer to the CPVO AC. The CPVO AC also acts as the budgetary authority for the CPVO an important task for a self-financed agency. ES What would you say is the main aim of the CPVO ME Plant breeding requires a substantial time up to 20 years to create a new variety and monetary investment. Without the potential revenue stream of royalties there would be no incentive for breeders to develop new and improved varieties. At the CPVO we work both with and for the breeders to promote and protect plant innovation and RD. The CPVO continuously strives to be more efficient in process- ing applications and assessing candidate varieties in order to reduce costs to clients and increase the quality of the service provided. To date advancement in crop yields have allowed farmers to consistently pro- duce more with less. For example UPOV estimates that improved varieties have accounted for more than 50 per cent of overall yield increases for important crops in Europe benefitting both breeders and society. Our mission statement best sums up the CPVOs role To foster innovation in plant varieties by high quality processing of applications for Community plant variety rights at affordable costs while providing policy guidance and assis- tance in the exercise of these rights for the benefit of stakeholders. Simply put it is our job to ensure that plant breeders can do theirs getting new and improved plants onto the market as soon as possible. ES Could you provide a brief description of the organisational structure and explain how the seed sector is involved in the decision making process of the CPVO ME As one of only two fully self-financed EU agencies the CPVOs budget depends on fees paid by the seed sector. Similarly the seed sector depends on the CPVO to provide PVR services at EU level. This interdependence fosters understanding cooperation and open dialogue between the CPVO and the seed industry. We pride ourselves on our thorough understanding of the seed sector which ensures that our deci- sions on the running of the system are based on the sectors real needs. The CPVO works closely with the Commission the initiator of EU legislation and the Member States who form part of the CPVO AC. The industry is represented in the CPVO AC by the European Seed Association ESA the International Community of Breeders of Asexually Reproduced Ornamental and Fruit Plants Ciopora and Plantum who participate in the CPVO AC meetings as observers. This means that the industry can have its say on almost all aspects of how the office is run. It is nevertheless important to emphasize that the agency is an independent body. This is why an independent committee composed entirely of CPVO staff members makes decisions on individual applications. Representatives of the seed sector also participate in the CPVOs technical meetings where technical protocols are developed. Technical protocols outline and describe how varieties are tested and described they are the backbone of the PVR system. The involvement of the seed sector as regards the development of DUS testing ensures that the CPVO makes informed decisions. Observers are also regularly invited to ad hoc working groups of the CPVO. ES What regulatory and other changes have been made since its inception 20 years ago ME Due to the success of the current system it was not deemed nec- essary to drastically reform EU PVP. A statement supported by the 2011 independent evaluation report carried out on the functioning of the CPVO. This report informed us that the system functions well and that stake- holders are generally happy with it and wish to retain the system in its current form. That said the report did suggest certain changes which we welcomed. It will be up to the EU legislator to decide if and when the founding regulation governing the EU PVP system should be amended. An important component for excellent customer service is trans- parency. The Offices transparency policy was formalised in 1999. It was subsequently updated in 2003 to include specific rules on public access to documents. In 2003 the CPVO created a new financial regulation which aligned the CPVOs financial regulation to that of other EU institutions making the CPVO more finan- cially transparent. The CPVO ensures that its work has a high level of visibility. This concern is all the more important as the CPVO seeks above all to act in the interests of the citizens of Europe the seed sector and the breeders. An important procedural change was the opening up of the CPVO application system in 2008. This allowed the CPVO to accept applications from any natural or legal person. Previously applications were limited to persons from EU Member States or UPOV members. The system for online applications was intro- duced in March 2010 this has proven hugely popular among clients last year 78 per cent of all CPVO applica- tions were submitted online. The increase in online applications has allowed the CPVO to reduce processing times for applications. The decline in paper applications has also allowed the CPVO to streamline some administrative work instead focusing on improving our client service. We have used technology to strengthen the EU PVR system by developing publically accessible tools such as Variety Finder and the PVR Caselaw Database. These tools allow people to easily see which varieties are protected and to find the case law which develops the EU PVR system. ES Which special events have you organised to celebrate your 20th anniversary in 2015 ME Our efforts to mark this special occasion allow the CPVO to reflect on accomplishments none of which would have been possible without the constant cooperation and support of the seed sector. Indeed 2015 is the ideal opportunity for the CPVO to extend our most sincere thanks to the sector. It is also an excellent occasion to thank the staff of the CPVO for their diligence and their outstanding contributions to the CPVO. The CPVO will mark the occasion by hosting a seminar with partici- pants from across the field of seeds and plant variety protection including Commissioner Andriukaitis Secretary General of UPOV Francis Gurry and Chair of the European Parliaments Agriculture Committee MEP Siekierski. This seminar will provide a valuable opportunity to reflect on past achievements and the future of the sector and the agency. IT IS OUR JOB TO ENSURE THAT PLANT BREEDERS CAN DO THEIRS GETTING NEW AND IMPROVED PLANTS ONTO THE MARKET AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Stanton Minnesota US 20 million investment We believe in constant innovation. Mid-August Syngenta broke ground on expansion of THE SEEECARE INSTITUTE in Stanton Minnesota USA one of the premier seed treatment research facilities in the world. The new structure will house high-tech laboratories for research development RD treating plantability dust-off and quality assurance a scale-up treating area a treating equipment performance area to simulate real-life experiences for customers state-of-the-art training facility seed warehouse as well as office and meeting spaces. It comes as a natural response to farmers challenges which are becoming increasingly complex. The North American Regional Director Ponsi Trivisvavet present at the event said that We are committed to our customers success and that begins with innovation. Syngenta invested more than 1.3 billion in RD last year. And our commitment continues with the expansion of our North America Seedcare Institute. Committed to bringing excellence to seed producers THE SEEDCARE INSTITUTE network of Syngenta was created to enable our customers to access the best tools available to help them meet farmers needs and ultimately increase yields so vital to feed a constant growing population. At the heart of THE SEEDCARE INSTITUTE is a network of teams of highly-trained professionals committed to excellence in their pursuit of meeting our customers needs. We know that seeds underpin the essence of life on our planet and believe that our services go beyond seed protection. We use a combination of know-how customer insights seed science and biology to offer each customer the best tailored solution. Global expertise delivered locally Within the global network THE SEEDCARE INSTITUTE in Stein Switzerland is at the forefront of developing new products. The institute features state-of-the-art laboratory equipment and scale-up capabilities to support all stages of seed treatment development including selection and testing of formulations on application equipment and seeds design of customized application recipes assessment of compatibility with seeds application quality monitoring and identification of positive effects beyond disease and pest control. ARGENTINA MEXICO USA GLOBAL EXPERTISE DELIVERED LOCALLY New SEEDCARE INSTITUTES around the world SWITZERLAND FRANCE GERMANY UKRAINE SINGAPORE CHINA SOUTH AFRICA BRAZIL CANADA Singapore joins THE SEEDCARE INSTITUTE network In the year of Singapores 50th anniversary Syngenta Seedcare opened its 11th institute. Supporting the business growth ambitions in ASEAN and South Asia the Seedcare team has internally opened the facility in Singapore. The facility in Singapore draws back on excellent lab facilities and can make close connections with Formulation Experts. It will focus on recipe customization quality management application support and training of internal and external customers. The external opening with customers is planned for early 2016 once the facility is fully staffed and operational. Mexico The new Latin America North hub September brought another reason of celebration in Guadalajara Jalisco Mexico Syngenta Seedcare inaugurated a new SEEDCARE INSTITUTE a center of high technology dedicated to the evaluation and implementation of seed protection products. This center is the first in Mexico and the third in Latin America after Brazil and Argentina. Its main services are supporting our customers in adopting value-adding seed treatment technologies by offering services in recipe development application and engineering support stewardship and training seed safety and general product support. Before the end of the year we will officially inaugurate the 12th institute of our global network the new Seedcare facility in Dnepropetrovsk in Ukraine. 18 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM ES The CPVO is one of the most successful organisations within the EU and had to decrease the fees from time to time. How do you explain the great success of the CPVO What aspects should other EU organisations copy to be as successful ME The success of the CPVO is due to a mixture of devoted staff and open dialogue with the seed sector and other stakeholders. I think that keeping focused on the core activities of the CPVO was a major contribu- tor to our success. Having said that I see various areas where the CPVO could in the future expand its remit to do important work in related fields without jeopardising the efficiency of the PVR system. We are ever conscious of the need to provide an excellent ser- vice at the lowest possible cost. Reduction of CPVO fees is a choice we proactively work towards. This policy has resulted in consistent fee reductions. The CPVO AC has also sought approval from the European Commission to reduce the online application fee next year a reduction which we expect to benefit more than 75 per cent of our clients and will encourage others to use our online service. However there is one area in which fees have not been reduced technical examination fees. I think that fees for technical examinations are fair but I am conscious of the need to keep them at a reasonable level. However costs vary depending on the species in question and it is important to reflect on how best to keep costs at reasonable levels for all species without jeopardising our standards. The use of bio molecular technology as sup- port tools in such examinations should be explored. The CPVO looks forward to working with stakeholders to find a solution that will benefit everyone and an open dialogue with the industry will be crucial in this respect. ES Have other organisations tried to copy the CPVO model Is CPVO providing support to such organisations ME The CPVO works with both the lOrganisation Africaine de la Proprit Intellectuelle OAPI and the Africa Regional Intellectual Property Organisation ARIPO. We are engaged in and enthusiastic about the work done by these organ- isations for the development and implementation of the plant variety rights system in their regions. The introduction of PVP in new regions is positive for the farmers of those regions who will profit from new better performing varieties. This is good news for local breeders as well as EU breeders who seek to trade on the global market. In particular we congratulate the recent accession of OAPI to UPOV a very important step for the West African region. We are cur- rently working with OAPI and other partners to assist OAPI to develop its regional system through training and exchange of expertise. We also congratulate ARIPO for the adoption of a Protocol for Protection of New Plant Varieties in ARIPO member states in July 2015. The CPVO actively participated in many ARIPO expert meetings which led to the adoption of this protocol in the years preceding. I witnessed the importance African politicians attach to improving agriculture and agricultural yields including the need to develop better performing varieties. The CPVO and the EO participate in workshops expert meetings and training sessions to assist the development of the ARIPO and OAPI regional systems. I relish the opportunity to share support and offer guidance to other regional PVP organisations that wish to follow in our steps. ES One can imagine that it would be good that other regions e.g. in Asia or South America would adopt a similar successful approach just like the CPVO. Are there any plans or attempts in this direction What would need to change to make this happen ME Many varieties protected under the EU system especially ornamentals have a strong demand outside the EU. It is in the interest of breeders that varieties protected under the umbrella of the EU system also have easy access to outside markets where their variety will be equally protected. Ultimately the development of PVP systems in other regions depends on the political will of governments stakeholders and civil society of those regions. The CPVO regularly participates in training courses organised by UPOV for South American countries as well as meetings and seminars organised by the East Asia PVP forum and the Asia and Pacific Seed Association APSA. The CPVO also welcomes visits from delegations from Asian countries interested in learning more about the EU regional system for PVP and has offered training for experts from South American countries. Where appropriate the CPVO highlights the advantages of the EU regional system enhanced cooperation amongst entrusted EO from different member states and the rele- vance of shared databases on which the CPVO has extensive experience. ES Besides Plant breeders rights applications the CPVO also engages in research projects. Why is this important and how is this to the benefit of the plant breeders ME Representing the largest PVP system in the world it is vital that the CPVO act as a leader by developing new and better tools to reduce the labour and costs associated with DUS tests. At the CPVO we balance a system based on the assessment of morphological characteristics with the ability to innovate and to adapt to technological advances. The projects we fund focus on the following areas DUS test- ing identification of varieties or organisation and management of reference collections. The CPVO selects projects which will have a concrete impact on the quality of DUS testing. In 2014 the CPVO AC revised the CPVOs RD strategy. The following were consid- ered as RD priorities The setup of shared online databases of reference collections available to CPVO entrusted EO. Use of bio molecular techniques for the management of refer- ence collections identification of reference materials enforce- ment and support of DUS assessment. Improvement and harmonization of methodologies and proce- dures included in the CPVO technical protocols. The CPVO would like to promote the use of molecular markers in DUS testing within the network of EO as well as shared databases of variety descriptions and administrative data. We hope that by supporting research on the use of new tools for testing we can ensure future cost reductions and improved DUS testing. We must seek support and embrace new developments in the field of PVP testing. Investment in viable RD projects is imperative for the future of the EU PVR system. THE INTRODUCTION OF PVP IN NEW REGIONS IS POSITIVE FOR THE FARMERS OF THOSE REGIONS WHO WILL PROFIT FROM NEW BETTER PERFORMING VARIETIES. EUROPEAN-SEED.COM I EUROPEAN SEED I 19 CPVO BY THE NUMBERS Since the creation of the office the CPVO has processed over 53000 applications with approximately 24000 titles currently in force. Ornamental applications have consistently outperformed the agri- cultural vegetable and fruit sector applications representing over 30000 of the total CPVO applications. The most popular ornamental species is the Rosa L. with almost 4000 applications closely followed by Chrysanthemum L. with over 3000 applications. The countries who have submitted the greatest number of appli- cations since 1995 are The Netherlands Germany France USA Fig. 1 Evolution of CPVO applications from 1995 to August 2015 Fig. 2 Applications by crop sector since 1995 Fig. 3 Applications from EU member states since 1995 Fig. 4 Applications from non-EU member states since 1995 Fig. 5 Evolution of titles granted since 1995 20 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM20 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM20 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM20 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM MODERNISING FENNELFennel breeding companies share what is important in creating new varieties. BY MARCEL BRUINS Editors Note In each issue of European Seed we take a closer look at one of the many crops that our European plant breeders are working on. In this issue were taking a closer look at fennel originally very much an Italian crop thats now spreading its wings throughout the world. BEJO ZADEN VARIETY VIRGO F1 EUROPEAN-SEED.COM I EUROPEAN SEED I 21 n Europe fennel is grown for the bulb also called grumolo that is formed by the basal portion of the leaves the sheaths while in India and the Middle East they use the fennel seeds. Most breeding work in Europe is focused only on the bulb and not for seed production. Italy is by far the largest producer of fennel mainly producing the type called Florence fennel which is grown for its full whitish crispy bulb. European Seed asked several of the European breeding companies working on this crop what the main breeding targets are for fennel in Europe. BREEDING TARGETS Jean-Marie Boussac fennel breeder at HM.CLAUSE indicates that his company works targets are for fennel in Europe. HM.CLAUSE indicates that his company works primarily on selection specifically for this market. Our program began in the 1970s. In 1985 we were the first company to introduce a hybrid variety Carmo F1. Today we cover all market segments which requires trialling different varieties in different growing condi- tions cycles from 65 days to 190 days and with or without tolerance to bolting as appropriate. Our main selection criteria are a physiological adaptation b quality of bulb scales c bulb shape and d yield. Alessandro Schiappa fennel breeder for Enza Zaden adds that in the past fennel was considered a vegetable for autumnwinter con- sumption but that recently things have rap- idly changed The consumer demand has now increased to 12 months a year a reason why seed companies have started very specialised research programs in order to respond to this new market need with a product that is able to face different types of weather conditions and which gives the grower a good yield all bearing in mind that the quality is what really counts at the end when the consumer decides to keep on buying this product or not. Klaus Zutt crop research manager for Bejo Zaden says the main breeding target for Florence fennel and other types of fennels is to develop an assortment that enables produc- tion of a high-quality fennel crop throughout the year. Bejo breeders are constantly work- ing to develop varieties for different seasons and specific areas. High resistance to diseases and high productivity are important criteria for the market introduction of a new variety. Other important characteristics are whiteness of colour round shape and bolting tolerance says Zutt. Luca Pallottini fennel breeder at Monsanto states that the main traits in their breeding work are yield bulb shape rusticity in Italy the main part of fennel is grown in the winter time so the variety needs to show a good health both for plant and bulb also after many months with low temperature and heavy rains sheaths overlapping the bulb needs to be well closed the overlapping of the sheaths has to be tight bulb colour white with small shades of green in the upper part cold tol- erance mainly for Italy bolting tolerance mainly for North Europe field holding abil- ity the ability to stay in field also after to have reached the commercial maturity stage some weeks keeping the marketable of the product and disease resistances. As with most crops yield and disease resistance are among the most important tar- gets. Arlindo Salvado product manager roots and bulbs at HM.CLAUSE confirms that perfor- mance is certainly an important criteria which has already progressed significantly with the arrival of hybrids. However they consider prod- uct quality to be just as important and their company has contributed significantly to pro- gress in this area. HM.CLAUSE redefined the concept of bulb quality with our variety Tiziano F1. This hybrid has very quickly become the leading variety for the Italian winter segment for its great tortoiseshell quality white smooth and firm it has a round shape with a small core and good adaptability for extended use. This success story was possible only with the effec- tive contribution of other services marketing communication production processing and quality control. Yield is an important breeding target in most crops and a certain percentage of yield increase is usually achieved over the years. On average yield increase in most crops has been around one per cent per year. Fennel seems to be somewhat different from that pattern. Over the past 20 years there has not actually been an increase in yields in terms of tons per hectare but rather an increase in terms of consistency and bulb quality says Boussac. With these improvements farmers have seen positive impacts upon harvesting and profitability. Pallottini adds that today 95 per cent of the cultivated fennel varieties are hybrids with an average production of 40 tons of rough bulb per hectare. After cleaning a good hybrid gives around 18 tons of net product per hectare. In the past the OP varieties were showing an aver- age production of only 35 tons of rough bulb per hectare. The main change caused by the introduction of hybrids has been the uniformity of the crop and less variation in maturity. The biggest improvement was the percentage of product classified as first and second choices which are the ones most required by the Italian market and better paid says Pallottini. Schiappa agrees. Since the late 1990s there has not been any significant change in the average weight of hybrid bulbs. However with OP varieties harvesting a field required two to three passes of manual harvesting while with todays hybrids the harvest can be done only once. This helps to increase business performance Schiappa continues. The breed- ing activity has tremendously improved over the years especially in terms of plant and bulb quality this has led to better yields. In Enza Zaden for example Preludio our leading vari- ety has brought a big quality change in spring and summer markets. Nowadays farmers can produce top-quality fennel in these difficult seasons as well. Roberto Zattoni breeding manager for Bejo Zaden in Italy paints a slightly different picture. High productivity and high disease resistance are among our most important tar- gets. An important step in yield improvement has been the switch from open pollinated vari- eties to F1 hybrids about 20 years ago. With our fennel breeding program we have been able to realise an average yield increase of two BEJO ZADEN BREEDING STATION 22 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM per cent annually since our introduction of hybrid varieties in the mid 90s. In the past 20 years Bejos breeding program has been able to keep up with the growing demand and market requirements through the constant introduction of newly improved varieties. And this could actually also be said for the market in general. The fennel seed market is a competitive market- place. There are quite a few companies that offer good fennel varieties. Besides yield and disease resistance there are several other goals that the breed- ers work on Zutt adds. Other breeding tar- gets are agronomic improvements such as bolting resistance in summer cultivation upright and strong leaves a healthy and strong root system standability together with a white smooth crispy and consist- ent bulb Zutt adds. Concerning the overwintering varieties one of the main goals besides winter hardiness is to have a smoother and crispy skin through decreased fibre content. REGIONAL DIFFERENCES In terms of growing regions there are regional differences but this seems to be mainly related to growing cycles. The longer the growing cycle the larger the bulbs get ranging from 350 to 800 grams each. In Italy the long production cycles for winter crops are in the south yielding larger bulbs while yields per hectare are greater in the north. Italy is currently the largest producer of fennel in the world. The Italian peninsula is characterised by a very mild weather in the south ideal for growing fennel in the winter but very hot in the summer. In terms of autumn and winter crops the south is the place where a very high-quality fennel is produced and with very high yields in comparison to the central and north-central regions. Besides yield and disease resistance there are several other goals that the breed- ers work on Zutt adds. Other breeding tar- gets are agronomic improvements such as bolting resistance in summer cultivation upright and strong leaves a healthy and strong root system standability together with a white smooth crispy and consist- ent bulb Zutt adds. Concerning the overwintering varieties one of the main goals besides winter hardiness is to have a smoother and crispy skin through decreased fibre content. REGIONAL DIFFERENCES mainly related to growing cycles. The longer The improvement in yield in specific areas actually correlates with the introduc- tion of new improved varieties. We have put special focus on the development of varieties for springtime and summer production Zutt adds. Consequently yield improvements are now relatively larger in areas that produce in springtime and summer. High priority has also been given to the breeding of varieties for winter and overwintering production to provide growers with high quality varieties that have good winter hardiness and perform reliably during cultivation. DIFFERENT TYPES OF FENNEL Also in terms of type there are some differences between countries and regions. In Europe Italy is known as the specialist and serves as the model for the desired product form. The market focuses on achieving uniformity 12 out of 12 months per year. For export to France or other Northern European markets the preference is for smaller bulbs of 300-400 grams per bulb. Elsewhere in California for example the desired product is a little different with an emphasis on trimmed elongated bulbs for easier shipping and stalks as much as three times longer says Salvado. In the Maghreb region fennel is sold by the kilo three to four pieces per kg trimmed and products of all calibre are valued. The different types of fennel really depend on the season says Schiappa. In the north of Italy they can only grow early or very early types due to the weather conditions. In other areas we can find all of the types. The main differences apart from the commercial cycle of these plants are the colour and the aroma. Early varieties have an extremely white bulb colour absence of fibre and a very mild taste. Winter and over- wintering varieties are surely more greenish and have more taste. Zattoni emphasises the differences in consumer preferences. In Italy the best quality is still a round white crispy fennel whereas in Northern Europe a more flat- shaped version has been the standard. This shape came with the introduction of the variety Zefa Fino bred in the 1970s in Switzerland which had the ability to grow reasonably flat bulbs due to the high level of bolting tolerance. Bolting tolerance is an important characteristic for cultivation of fennel in high latitude areas during summer. Fennel is very susceptible to day length in order to grow a decent bulb. During long day periods like the summer period in northern Europe the Italian Florence types have a tendency to bolt quickly even before they have started forming a bulb. For the north- ern regions the best combinations availa- ble in the market are crossings of the Zefa Fino lines with Florence-type lines that have strong bolting tolerance says Zattoni. According to him the aromatic prop- erties and contents of fennel can vary a lot. This is dependent on the period of growth and the method of cultivation. As the anise flavour fluctuates throughout the year the target would be to have varieties with a con- sistent anise flavour all year round more sweet than strong. ONE OF THE MAIN GOALS BESIDES WINTER HARDINESS IS TO HAVE A SMOOTHER AND CRISPY SKIN THROUGH DECREASED FIBRE CONTENT. ENZA ZADENS IDILLIO VARIETY EUROPEAN-SEED.COM I EUROPEAN SEED I 23 During the winter growing season mainly in southern Europe Italy and Spain varieties with a good level of tol- erance to cold temperature and disease resistance are required. During spring and summer growing periods varieties with a good bolting tolerance round shape and a good level of crispiness are required. Historically the type of Florence fennel that is grown for its bulbs was typically an Italian crop but has now spread to many other regions of the world. If fennel is being grown in California Australia or Argentina it is likely the influ- ence of Italians who have immigrated to those places. The increase in fennel consumption is undoubtedly related to its nutritional proper- ties and health benefits. Still this vegetable remains largely unknown with little or no consumption in Europe except Italy Asia and Africa. The production of fennel bulb in the Maghreb region is fairly recent especially in Algeria where it has been increasing since the 1950s and today covers several thousand hectares says Boussac. Bejo focuses its breeding on crop pro- duction to be used for fresh market and food industries like ready-to-use products and possibly increasing its use for the juicing industry all in conjunction with a healthier lifestyle according to Zutt. A HEALTHY CHOICE Fennel is considered a very healthy vegeta- ble high in vitamins and low in calories. It is very rich in water approximately 93 per cent and has a low energetic value 10-15 calories per 100 grams of the edible part. In the diet it brings fibre 0.5-0.7 per cent of the fresh weight but has also a high content of vitamins A and C. Additionally fennel can be prepared through different cooking methods. It can be eaten raw boiled grilled stir-fried and as such is easily adaptable to different tastes and cook- ing habits in worldwide cuisine. Increased popularity of the crop is due to the heightened attention by consumers to the health aspects of their diet. In particular to the fact that fennel is very poor in terms of calories is an excellent source of vitamin C and has a very good content of fibre and others nutrients folate potassium molybdenum manganese phosphorus cupper. In addi- tion over the past 15 years several scientific articles have come out linking fennel to anti- bacterial antioxidant and anticancer activity. Schiappa adds that the spreading of this crop at an international level is very much linked to healthier dietary trends. Now that fennel is becoming an ever more popular crop one may wonder whether fennel breeding has been able to keep up with this increased demand. According to Salvado Italys produc- tion of fennel is stable. The total tonnage has increased over the last 15 years with the introduction of hybrid varieties. Furthermore according to regional adaptation trials varie- ties made for Italy are also suitable for use in other countries with similar climates and lat- itudes. This indicates that current programs match demand. Schiappa agrees. By filling the past gaps of the market which were due to a lack of availability of suitable genetics todays breeders allow fennel to be grown 360 days a year and therefore the consumer demand is always satisfied. RESISTANCES TO PESTS AND DISEASES In terms of breeding for disease resistance it appears that fennel is a very hardy spe- cies with relatively few pathogens affecting it. We test our material in situ to eliminate all germplasm that might be vulnerable to disease Boussac adds. According to Schiappa one of the main problems in fennel is the susceptibility to winter conditions and to many pathogens that compromise many production hectares each year. The pathogens are different from bacteria to fungi and will remain a problem until farms pay the right attention to the rotation of the crops. Therefore even if we have resistant plants as a tool but we are not respecting the right agricultural practices we will always have problems. The most dangerous diseases for fennel are Sclerotinia sclerotiorum that attacks the basal part of the bulb and damages the product causing rotting and spots and the bacterium Erwinia carotovora for which it is hard to breed in resistance. Fennel is also impacted by Romularia foeniculi a type of leaf rust. A relative newcomer is fungus dis- ease Alternaria petroselini first reported in Italy in 2007 which can cause a significant reduction in quality. INVESTMENT NEEDED Fennel is a crop that is continually being improved. Salvado notes that HM.Clause has decided to launch a mini-fennel under the brand name Babyfino that delivers more flavour in a smaller package. Fennel can benefit from very advanced genetic techniques on par with major crops such as tomato or cauliflower says Schiappa. Many vegetable crops have been turned from self-pollinated or open-pollinated crops into hybrid crops. Fennel has recently undergone a similar process. At the end of the 1990s in Italy there were essentially only open pol- linated varieties. Today 90 to 95 per cent of the professional growers are using only F1 hybrids because of their better yield and quality. This is equally true in other European countries. If the breeding program is well devel- oped and one has a good number of almost fixed parental lines to obtain a new fennel variety it will require five to six years adds Pallottini. Instead if you have to start from zero you need some 10 to 15 years. Zutt says that the development of a new variety takes eight to 12 years and production of seed and introduction to the market another three years. In our breed- ing program we test and select thousands of lines annually and as such we are able to introduce new varieties every year world- wide. Virgo F1 and Pegaso F1 are examples of recent introductions. These early season varieties hold strong during low temper- atures and provide a healthy plant with a firm and round shaped bulb of an appealing white colour. It takes a lot of effort time and expertise before such new varieties can be introduced to the market. The majority of the work takes place in our dedicated research centre for fennel located in Italy where we have a specialised fennel breeding team. Pallottini adds that in fennel they have started to use molecular markers. They are a formidable tool that can speed up a lot the breeding work. We are using them for i checking the identity of varieties and parental lines ii assess the purity of vari- eties and parental lines iii speed up the reaching of a high level of homozygosity in the selection process of the parental lines. In the coming years very probably this tool can be used also for building of the heterotic groups also in fennel he says. In the last 20 to 30 years Monsanto with its brand Asgrow has given a great contribution to the history of the fennel breeding developing important varieties like Trevi Pontino Pitagora and more recently Aurelio. Also today Monsanto strongly believes in this crop and invests a lot of efforts in its breeding research pro- gram in order to fully satisfy the actual and future needs of all involved parties in the fennel chain growers dealers and final con- sumers. THE INCREASE IN FENNEL CONSUMPTION IS UNDOUBTEDLY RELATED TO ITS NUTRITIONAL PROPERTIES AND HEALTH BENEFITS. JEAN MARIE BOUSSAC FROM HM.CLAUSE INSPECTS FENNEL VARIETIES. 24 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM he crop that covers the largest area in Austria is maize. It has the highest productivity growth and is grown on about 23 per cent of fields which is about 308000 ha. However the pro- duction area is decreasing due to the beetle western corn rootworm WCR with its scientific name Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte. This insect has become economically the most significant pest in some parts of Austria. In 2002 10 years after its first appearance in Europe in Belgrade WCR crossed the eastern border into Austria. The beetle was first found along the Hungarian and Slovakian border in Burgenland and Lower Austria. In 2003 it had reached Styria by 2007 it was discovered in Upper Austria and then a year later in Carinthia. In 2013 the first indi- viduals were found in Salzburg and Tyrol. Maize is mainly grown in the provinces Styria Upper Austria and Lower Austria but it is also grown in Burgenland and Carinthia. Because of its close association with maize Zea mays L. as a larval and adult host WCR predominantly inhabits regions where maize is planted consecutively in large monocultures. HOW TO STOP A PEST IN The naturalisation of the alien Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte. BY MARION SEITER T At high rootworm densities root pruning from WCR may be severe enough to cause plant lodging and reduce yields EUROPEAN-SEED.COM I EUROPEAN SEED I 25 In some regions chiefly in Styria maize is the main source of income for farmers along with Styrian pumpkins grown for making pumpkin seed oil Cucurbita pepo var. styriaca. As Styria has the most favourable conditions for growing maize compared to the other province in Austria it is economically possible for farmers to produce maize full- time on the minimal amount of arable land. Most businesses in this region are involved in small-scale agricul- ture and 64 per cent of the farms are very small measuring just 10 ha or less. Thirty-five per cent of the Styrian famers have 67 to 100 per cent maize in their crop rotation often alternating with the Styrian pumpkin. These small farms and maize monocultures make it easy for WCR to colonize and hard to carry out crop rotation. In the other provinces WCR has also become naturalised but so far due to the economic background it has been possible to combat the pest with crop control. During the time when WCR was a quarantined pest 2003-2013 pest control was still required by law and everyone in the EU was con- fident of its extermination. There was no need for restructuring. There were special quarantine measures in infested zones that banned the movement of contaminated soil and fresh maize plants and forced crop rotation. By committing to these control measures we should have the- oretically eradicated the pest. Therefore crop rotation was enforced by law as early as 2004 in all Austrian provinces. According to this law maize must be planted at least three times in four years on the same field except for seed propagation. It was clear from the outset that simply complying with this law wouldnt be sufficient in combating the pest. Chemical solutions were particularly favoured in respect to seed treatments containing neonicotinoids. However the WCR popu- lation spread throughout Austria. The first damage was observed in Burgenland in 2007 and in Styria in 2011 where the damage is steadily getting worse. After the temporary restriction in Austria in 2013 until 2016 of seed treatments containing neonicotinoids imidacloprid clothianidin thiamethoxam a kind of rethinking began. Fortunately in the meantime considerable efforts have been made to continually keep up with developments taking place in science to find sustainable strategies to prevent the pest. Biological products based on nematodes Heterorhabditis bacteriophora Heterorhabditis megidis and entomopathogenic soil fungi were tested. It has been proven that THESE SMALL FARMS AND MAIZE MONOCULTURES MAKE IT EASY FOR WCR TO COLONIZE AND HARD TO CARRY OUT CROP ROTATION. FINELY CRAFTED SEEDS EXPERTS. Put your trust in our industry leading experts in wholesale seed and contract seed production. We are an open pollinated vegetable herb and flower seed company that offers you the knowledge resources and creativity to create quality beautiful and terrific tasting results. We serve the globe ask about our extensive inventory. Albany Oregon U.S.A. 541.928.7100 infowildwestseed.com wildwestseed.com WCR may cause severe damage to corn as both larvae and adults. 26 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM nematodes are highly effective but very expensive and their application is extremely costly. Entomopathogenic soil fungi such as Beauveria bas- siana and Metarrhizium anisopliae are cheaper and persistent in the soil but up to now their efficacy is behind classic insecticides. The efficacy of both nematodes and soil fungi depends on favour- able soil conditions requiring a certain amount of moisture to keep the biological agents alive. This is rarely the case and the biological agents fail in harming the WCR larvae. Successful research into the formula- tion of soil fungi will possibly lead to a biological control measure in the future but currently adequate tools are lacking. One insecticide based on nematodes is authorised in Austria however no fungal product against the larvae is on the market. In 2013 and 2014 the WCR population nearly doubled as was dis- covered when monitoring crops in Styria and as a result approximately 2000 ha three per cent of the fields planted with maize of maize was destroyed and nothing could be harvested. Farmers saw no way out. In the late summer of 2014 beetles migrated into fields where lettuce was growing. Farmers were unable to sell their produce due to countless beetles crawling on the lettuce leaves. This means WCR is no longer just a problem for maize producers but is now a threat to the entire agriculture industry in Styria. Politicians have taken particular notice of this problem and know that a solution has to be found. In 2014 the situation forced them to approve a stricter provision on crop rotation two times maize in three years. Consequently the small traditional farms which should have been protected are jeopardised. Small farms will face economic problems over the coming years as a result of lower incomes. Sowing alternative crops such as wheat Triticum aestivum and particularly sorghum Sorghum spp. is promoted. Sorghum is best able to utilize manure. This is an important feature for livestock farmers who are the majority in areas of Styria where WCR populations are largest. Farmers are cooperating. They realize that changing crop rota- tion is the only solution. In 2015 17 per cent less maize was sown than the previous year. However WCR populations continue to increase and at the moment they are so large that crop rotation is no longer effective. WCR is also being controlled with a seed granular active agent cypermethin and one out of two authorised commercial insecticides active agent thiacloprid acetamiprid. In addition a new insecticide has been temporarily authorised. It controls populations by disrupting mating. This new biotechnical insecticide is based on powdered zeolite volcanic rock blended with the sex pheromone 8-methyl-2-decyl propanoate of the western corn rootworm. Mixed with water it is spread with commercial plant spray- ers which is enormously advantageous for the user. It is the first time that a biotechnical insecticide has been used on arable land therefore there is little experience with the product. Due to its eco-friendliness and species-specific impact it has all the properties a modern insecticide requires. However essential issues remain unclear and have to be researched. There is no reliable evidence for duration of effectiveness waterproofness and impacts on beetles. Clarification is currently being worked on. The smartness of this product led regional politicians to propa- gate this insecticide through sponsorship. In Styria about 5000 ha 10 per cent of the entire maize production area of arable land planted with maize has been sprayed whereas in Upper Austria the insecticide has been employed only in seed propagation areas of about 850 ha. Unfortunately its effectiveness can only be evaluated in the following year when fewer beetles are swarming. To maintain maize production in Styria and to keep the rate of maize in crop rotation as high as possible the following strategy is propagated in addition to the use of the biotechnical pesticide. By sowing late ripening varieties of maize on 25 per cent of the fields WCR should be gathered to be combated by crop rotation in the following year. Avoiding volunteer grain weeds of the genus Setaria and flowering catch crops in the surrounding areas should guarantee that all individuals stay in maize and oviposit there. The following year a different crop has to be planted to make sure that no eggs survive. Fields where maize is rotated with maize should be kept free from WCR. To ensure this early ripening varieties should be grown so that fertilisation has finished before the majority of WCR swarm. As a result damage can be avoided. Different crops rather than maize should be planted the third rotation year in order to clean up infested fields. This strategy is just a theory. There is currently no empirical evidence of its effectiveness. Many strategies have been tried and tested to get rid of the pest notably seed granular with different active agents insecticides and genetically modified plants which is banned in Austria. However ultimately we have to accept that the initial idea of crop rotation is the cheapest and only way to live in harmony with the small swift beetle. Editors Note Dr. Marion Seiter is Crop Consultant with the Division of Plant Production of the Chamber of Upper Austria THIS MEANS WCR IS NO LONGER JUST A PROBLEM FOR MAIZE PRODUCERS BUT IS NOW A THREAT TO THE ENTIRE AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY IN STYRIA. WCR damage in maize. 28 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM The six-week tournament that began Sept. 18 is being held in 10 English cities as well as in Cardiff Wales. Thirteen match venues are playing host to the 48 games that will celebrate the sport and engage more than two million spectators including more than 400000 international travelling fans. On Oct. 31 the final of the Rugby World Cup will be played at Twickenham England in the largest stadium in the world devoted solely to the sport of rugby. All Natural Grass Pitches Its a positive statement about the development of natural grass pitches in that all of the matches at the Rugby World Cup will be played on nat- ural turf. Thanks to rigorous on-going global seed breeding programs together with advances in turf management techniques todays natural and hybrid turf pitches deliver outstanding wear and shade tolerance plus excellent tensile strength despite the additional challenges of modern super stadiums most of which now use a 100 per cent blend of perennial ryegrass. Theres no doubt the Rugby World Cup is a major competition. It is officially the worlds third biggest sporting event after the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup. By DLF Increase in Wear Tolerance According to research documenting the benefits of natural versus arti- ficial turf perennial ryegrass has increased its wear tolerance by one per cent year on year. This means that a pitch delivering 330 hours of play in 1975 would be yielding well over 450 hours today. In the case of a hybrid pitch this can be increased to more than 750 hours annually due in part to the strong rooting capacity of perennial ryegrass which enhances the inclusion of artificial fibres in the topsoil which in the Desso system are woven into the surface. Even though the artificial fibres only make up approximately four per cent of the surface a hybrid pitch system delivers a very strong and stable surface thats ideally suited to the challenge of hosting punishing World Cup rugby matches as well as a normal football schedule. Modern Sports Turf Varieties in Top Venues Todays renovation mixture will typically include three to four perennial ryegrass cultivars for optimal disease resistance. Cultivars are selected primarily based on their overall wear tolerance and visual appeal but colour disease resistance and recovery speed all come into play. The cul- tivar Columbine is a classic example of the modern sports turf perennial Preparing Pitches for the Rigours of Rugby The team from to left to right Callum Allsop Tyler Baker Simon Gibson John Ledwidge Paul Billington and Nathan Webb. EUROPEAN-SEED.COM I EUROPEAN SEED I 29 ryegrass being used at the majority of the tournament venues. Twenty years ago the cultivars used for football and rugby were hard-wearing but relatively broad and open in habit. Today Columbine not only has exceptional wear tolerance but also possesses a very fine leaf and excep- tional shoot density as well as the camera-friendly colour and disease resistance that the leading venues are looking for. Pitch Management Plan To allow the maximum time for the establishment of the new sur- face pitches typically will be stripped with the use of a fraize mower as soon as the previous season is over. As well as preparing a smooth and level surface for seeding this has the added benefit of removing excess organic matter and any poa annua that has built up over the year. Following any decompaction work and the application of any required topdressing the pitch will then be direct drilled typically at a seed rate of 50-75 grams per square metre. In trials the higher rate has proven to deliver the strongest surface in the shortest possible time while also reducing the chance of poa annua being reestablished. Hard-wearing Seeds for Rugby All of the venues selected for the Rugby World Cup tournament are exist- ing commercial developments so it was up to them to make their own seed selections. Preparing a pitch for a top world-class rugby event as well as keeping a focus on how their normal renovations were done saw groundskeepers considering such factors as nutrition light and irrigation when deciding which seed mix and cultivars to choose for rugby use as opposed to strictly football use. Many groundskeepers have turned to DLF for their seed selections. A grass seed supplier for the last two FIFA World Cups DLF is a major supplier again at the Rugby World Cup for those host clubs that decided to overseed their fields. DLF cultivars were a popular choice either in direct Johnsons Sports Seeds mixtures or via third party mixtures that contained them. This was the case with Leicester City FC of the British football Premier League whose home King Power Stadium was chosen to host matches for the Rugby World Cup. All of the pitch preparations had to be done on a tight schedule as the day before each rugby game a training session known as the Captains Run was held on the pitch resulting in a total of three Captains Runs and three games in just eight days John Ledwidge has been head groundskeeper for Leicester City FC since January 2014. He started in the groundskeeping field at the young age of 13 initially doing voluntary work and then moving into an apprenticeship at Coventry City FC. He became deputy head grounds- keeper there at the age of 19 and head groundskeeper at Coventry City at the age of 24 with a spell at Aston Villa in between. Currently Ledwidge has a staff of seven to support him at Leicester City. In addition to the main pitch Ledwidges team is responsible for maintaining seven and a half pitches at the training ground with Johnsons Sport Seed mixtures being involved in most of them. Ledwidge said hes used J Premier Pitch everywhere hes been noting its a seed that has achieved great results at a lot of high profile venues rugby and football alike. Its tried and tested Ledwidge said. I trust it to do what it says on the tin. Twinkle Toes or Brute Force Machine With the playing schedule weve been given explained Ledwidge the pitch will be subjected to a lot of wear from a completely different spe- cies of player from a twinkle toes footballer to an 18-stone brute force machine of a rugby player This means it is so important to use seed you can trust will deliver when it comes to it said Ledwidge. I have peace of mind that we will be able to turn the pitch around as nine days after the Rugby World Cup weve got our first football game back at the stadium. Its going to be hectic but the whole team is looking forward to the challenge. J Premier Pitch seed was sown in the summer across the major- ity of the pitches at the training ground as well as at the Leicester City FC stadium. Because the pitches use artificial lights sowing started about a month earlier than normal to ensure the grass surface was as strong as going into the schedule. It required a lot of hard work from Ledwidges team to make sure each field was cleaned up and well presented for the rugby matches the day after every Captains Run. Well Prepared and Equipped Prior the start of the Rugby World Cup Ledwidge said Im hoping the weather will be fair to us although with the pitch of a sand-based Desso construction it is well designed to cope with higher rainfall and heavy wear and does drain relatively freely. As were not used to maintaining a dual-use facility it is a challenge but the team are making the right preparations to ensure they are well prepared and well equipped to cope. Ledwidge adds that the main challenge will be to keep the plant strong healthy and maintaining grass cover. This is the aim for the tournament so that when its turned back around to be used for football it is at the standard they expect. With football it is essential to ensure that the grass cover is good but with rugby it is not quite so imperative because the ball isnt played on the ground.The pitch will be subjected to a lot of wear from a completely different species of player from a twinkle toes footballer to an 18-stone brute force machine of a rugby player SEEDING THE FUTURE SINCE 1856 KWS and me. Thats reliability. Trust isnt something that grows overnight. Many farming families have relied on KWS for generations. Since nearly 160 years weve been the seed specialist that delivers what farmers expect the best quality seed for sugar beet corn cereals rapeseed and potatoes. Thats why it comes as no surprise farmers consider orange the color of reliability. Find out more at our website. www.kws.com 30 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM he last couple of months have seen fur- ther developments in the long running debate over whether neonicotinoid pes- ticides impact the health of bees and the envi- ronment. To find out the latest European Seed spoke with Georg Goeres Syngentas EAME Head of Seedcare. The developments follow the imposi- tion of a restriction in 2013 by the European Commission on some uses of these pesticides particularly those used to treat seed or as granules. More recently the European Food Safety Authority EFSA issued a further report on other uses of neonicotinoid pesti- cides such as foliar applications in which it used an unapproved regulatory standard to highlight data gaps and potential risks to bees. However EFSA and the European Commission appear to be increasingly out of step with its own Member States. Several EU countries argue that whether it is for seed treatment or foliar applications these data gaps and potential risks are only emerging because of the use of an unapproved low-tier and overly precautionary regulatory stand- ard known as the EFSA Bee Risk Guidance Document. Member States continue to argue that the technology can be used safely which is why countries like Denmark Finland Romania and the United Kingdom amongst others have allowed their farmers to continue to use neon- icotinoid seed treatments albeit on a more limited basis. This is consistent with the posi- tion of Syngenta who has repeatedly argued that the evidence base and process through which the European Commission restricted the technology was flawed and is why legal action was taken by both Syngenta and Bayer CropScience. I ndee d m a ny sc ient i f ic st a ke - holders argue that neonicotinoid pesti- cides actually play a limited role in bee health which they believe to be influ- enced to a much greater extent by weather access to food and disease and viruses. SUPPORT FROM OTHER QUARTERS In this respect these stakeholders have been supported by some rather unlikely allies. The British Bee Keepers Association along with a growing number of other similar organisations in Europe expressed concern that the restric- tion on neonicotinoids may force farmers to use older technologies which may have a more detrimental impact on the health of pollinators like bees. Certainly market research suggests that growers in an effort to combat alarm- ingly high levels of flea beetle infestations have fallen back to using such older pesticides and spraying their crops more frequently. In fact the leading voice for Europes producers COPA-COGECA expects to see EU oilseed rape OSR production to drop by 10.6 per cent. They also anticipate a 7.5 per cent decline in Neonicotinoids and Bees Separating Fact From Fiction The seed industry speaks out on the ban of neonicotinoids seed treatments as the full impact of the ban is felt on EU crop production. BY GEORG GOERES WHAT ARE YOU THINKING IS YOUR MIND SET We provide an objective informed and independent analysis covering strategic reviews alliances acquisitions and divestments. Perception is not always reality. Green Resources Adverts 210w x 63h_Layout 1 23092015 1229 Page 1 EUROPEAN-SEED.COM I EUROPEAN SEED I 31 cereal output this year and attribute these precipitous declines primarily to the ban. At the EU country-level weve witnessed severe crop damage Germany has experienced a six per cent decline of OSR growing area. Ninety per cent of OSR damaged and 30 per cent of the 1.309 million hectares was seen to suffer from severe flea beetle attack. A lot more insecticide sprays now. Theres also confirmed increase in resistance issues towards pyrethroid insecticides. In the UK 38000 ha were not planted due to lack of crop protection products. In total yield of OSR in the UK decreased by 60000 ha or 10 per cent primarily due to flea beetle. Foliar insecticide spraying increased four- fold reaching 100 per cent treated area in parts of the east and southeast. And in Sweden the area of spring oil- seed rape significantly decreased 54000 ha 2013 - 14700 ha 2014 - 6000 ha 2015 90 per cent reduction. Increase in number of sprays from 2 per ha to 5.5 sprays per ha. Beyond the EU in May 2015 U.S. President Barack Obamas administration published its National Pollinator Strategy which clearly argues that there are multiple factors impact- ing bee health rather than just one. Thus far the U.S. government along with virtually all other major governments around the world have continued to support the use of neonicotinoid pesticide seed treatment technology which remains one of the most innovative and envi- ronmentally friendly forms of crop protection. In Australia neonicotinoid-based seed treatments are used widely but there have been no reports of significant declines in the health of bees. Following the Australian governments thorough scientific review this class of chemis- try has again been granted a clean bill of health. POSITIVE NEWS FOR POLLINATORS The argument of these stakeholders that pes- ticides are not to blame has been reinforced by the publication of new evidence over the past 12 months or so which shows that bee populations particularly honeybees are actu- ally more resilient and in better shape than initially thought. Last year a new model for assessing the health of bee colonies1 developed by Rothamsted Research and BBSRC was pub- lished in the Journal of Applied Ecology. The BEEHAVE model shows that honeybee colo- nies are much more resilient than previously assumed and that access to food is the key factor in their health. At its bee health conference in Brussels in April 2014 the European Commission also conceded that the decline in honey bee health had not been as dramatic as initially thought. It based this conclusion on the results of Epilobee the first comprehensive study of bee health in Europe 2 . This has since been rein- forced by the COLOSS official monitoring pro- ject which has shown that rates of honeybee bee mortality in the critical over-wintering period are now at the lowest level since they started their research in 2007. What is par- ticularly interesting is that this research also coincided with the last seasons in which neon- icotinoid seed treatments were widely used in the EU. A report in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry reviewed bee health over multiple years and reached a similar con- clusion as well as suggesting that bee mortality rates appeared to be higher in those north- ern parts of Europe where insecticide use was actually lowest. RENEWED CALLS FOR A COMPLETE BAN In contrast there continues to be a significant amount of media interest in publications which present an alternative view that neonicoti- noids are responsible for the decline in bee health and present a broader threat to the environment. Indeed having appeared to have lost the argument on honeybee health recent publications from anti-pesticide activist groups have tended to concentrate on bumblebees and solitary bees. This is an easy target because far less is known about these populations and what if anything is impacting their health. In short these groups have conveniently changed the narrative a tacit admission that there was no bee-pocalypse in the first place. It is possible that some of these publica- tions have been deliberately timed to counter the more positive evidence that has emerged on neonicotinoids. Certainly the publication of the IUCN Task Force on Systemic Pesticides last year which claimed that the impact of neonicotinoids was the same as DDT appeared rushed and reads more like a political tract than a robust scientific inquiry. At their press conference in Brussels the Task Force failed to present the evidence on which their conclusions were based. Although they claimed to have reviewed more than 800 papers as part of the literature review they were unable to provide a list of these papers or to explain why more positive evidence on neon- icotinoids had been rejected and on what basis. Unfortunately bad news in the press con- tinues to sell more advertising and raise more money for activist groups but it is important to keep in mind that these publications are being made as part of a concerted effort by individuals and groups who are well known for their commitment to restrict and ban neonico- tinoid pesticide technology. This well-funded sensationalist campaign is global in scope and should not be underestimated. Indeed when Syngentas experts in prod- uct safety along with others in the academic and government sectors are able to exam- ine the publications in detail they invariably found that the studies concentrate on hazard present very little or no new evidence and are therefore speculative. Moreover these studies ignore the various risk management 1 BEEHAVE a systems model of honeybee colony dynamics and foraging to explore multifactorial causes of colony failure Journal of Applied Ecology Volume 51 Issue 2 Article first published online 4 MAR 2014 doi 10.11111365-2664.12222 2 A pan-European epidemiological study on honeybee colony losses httpec.europa.eufoodanimalslive_animalsbeesdocsbee-report_en.pdf CONFUSED ABOUT IP AND ITS MANAGEMENT We can tailor an IP workshop to engage your executives to focus solely on Intellectual Property and its management. While our industry thrives on technical innovation it remains commercially traditional. We can help you unlock creative ideas and explore alternative approaches best suited to your market environment. Chris Green T 44 07540 706247 E chrisgreenresources.co.uk www.greenresources.co.uk In short these groups have conveniently changed the narrative a tacit admission that there was no bee-pocalypse in the first place. 32 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM tools which have ensured the safe use of neonicotinoid pesticides on millions of acres of European crops over the past decade. WHAT CAN THE INDUSTRY DO Syngenta has a long standing commitment to bee and pollinator health. Its easy to forget how important this is to the sustainability of our business especially when one considers that our seed production activities rely on pollinators like bees. Indeed we use around 13000 hives for these purposes every year around the globe. Syngenta also firmly believes in the safety of its neonicotinoid product thiamethoxam towards the pollinators and the environment and the company stands behind its products. It was for this reason that Syngenta collaborated with Bayer CropScience in launching the Five Point Bee Health Action Plan in 2013 and over the past couple of years considerable progress has been made including 1. A major scale up in the creation of pollen rich flowering field margins providing essential habitat and nutrition for bees thereby enhancing biodiversity on nearly 150000 hectares of farmland in the EU. 2. Prototyping new air-cleaning technology for seed drilling equipment to further reduce dust emissions. 3. Stepping up investment in various bee and pollinator health research projects focusing on control of the highly dam- aging Varroa mite and increasing bee nutrition. 4. Invested more than 3 million in the first comprehensive multi-country field monitoring program for bee health and neonicotinoids. The program is being conducted independently by the Center for Ecology and Hydrology and should report before the end of 2016. 5. Provided cost effective deflectors for sowing machinery to thousands of growers in selected pilot countries to demonstrate that dust emissions from the drilling of seed treated with neon- icotinoids and other pesticides can be reduced by more than 90 per cent. In addition to this the two companies have submitted an updated data package which reconfirms the safety of seeds treated with neonicotinoid pesticides. This includes a new peer reviewed study that replicated a previous one done by Mikael Henry which used RFID technology to track the behaviour of bees after exposure to these pesticides. The results of this latest study conducted this time under realistic field conditions showed no impact on the foraging behaviour of bees. WHATS NEXT There is no certainty about what comes next. We know the debate on these pesticides will continue in Europe for some time but we remain convinced of their safety both for bees and the wider environment. Syngenta will continue supporting the Action Plan and publishing our own studies which examine the safety. But a lot is also riding on the study being conducted by the Center for Ecology and Hydrology across several EU coun- tries. Whatever EFSAs Bee Risk Guidance Document says this landscape study has been conducted on an unprecedented scale under realistic field conditions. This will go a long way to deciding the debate on neonicotinoid pesticides in the European Union. The final results are expected next year but in the meantime its likely that those countries who wish to issue the emergency use permits will go on doing so whilst others will agitate for a complete ban. For some additional sources of information on neonicotinoids and bees visit UK Government official position on neon- icotinoids and bees - httpswww.gov. ukgovernmentuploadssystemuploads attachment_datafile221052pb13937-ne- onicotinoid-bees-20130326.pdf UK bee numbers are improving accord- ing to beekeepers with neonicotinoids in use - httpwww.bbka.org.ukfiles pressreleasesbbka_winter_survival_ release_18_june_2014_1403026705.pdf Forbes article setting out the polit- ical process driving the EU restric- tion of neonicotinoids - httpwww. forbes.comsitesjonentine20130924 while-global-bee-colonies-recov- er-european-politicians-seem-deter- mined-to-kill-them-off Editors Note Georg Goeres is the Head Seedcare EAME at Syngenta Crop Protection. SEED COMPANIES HAVE BEEN ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE PROMOTION AND CREATION OF MORE POLLINATOR HABITATS. HYBRID WHEAT A EUROPEAN SUCCESS STORY Because it meets their yield consistency expectations hybrid wheat has gained wide recognition among wheat growers across Europe. For the past 15 years thanks to its unique expertise in breeding and seed production and to its proprietary Croisor hybridizing technology Saaten-Union has created innovative hybrid wheat varieties suited to a more sustainable farming. In 2015 a quarter million hectares of European wheat are grown from Saaten-Unions hybrid seeds. For further information hybridwheatsaaten-union.fr www.hybridwheat.net 34 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM t the 2014 ESA Annual Meeting in Lisbon Portugal the European Seed Association launched its vision docu- ment Speak up for Seeds. The document laid out its own ideas outlining the seed sectors current and future priorities. One year later we look back at what has happened with the document and its impact on the industry. European Seed What triggered the creation of the vision document and why is it important to the European seed sector ESA The report from Member of Parliament MEP Paulsen on plant breeding innovation entitled What options to increase quality and yields was one of the starting points of our internal discussion at the European Seed Association. The report mentions the impor- tance of the plant breeding sector as regards the productivity diversity health and quality of agriculture horticulture food and feed pro- duction and the environment. But the global perception of the seed sector is often far and sometimes very different from these conclu- sions. The seed industry image is rather nega- tive probably due to a weak understanding of the role of our sector towards the worldwide and European challenges. The idea was to put research and development as a central and widely positive seen thing into the focus of a new communication strategy. The vision doc- ument was the response of our sector to that. A working group composed of about 15 representatives of the plant-breeding sector WE CANNOT TURN OUR BACK ON COMMUNICATION One year after the launch of ESAs vision document Speak up for Seeds European Seed checks in with the stakeholders to learn what has been achieved. breeders seed companies and national associa- tions established key communication messages about our sector. We want to have a dialog of quality with the regulators and decision makers in Europe and with experts media and more globally with the wider interested public and to communicate on our intentions and ambitions. ES One of the targeted audiences is the media. Can you tell me more about how ESA has targeted this audience How many and which media have been reached and has there been any feedback ESA On the occasion of the official launch event of the vision document at the EU Parliament it was also presented to the press BY CLAIRE PLANCHE AND JAN JACOBI WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE ESA SECRETARIAT EUROPEAN-SEED.COM I EUROPEAN SEED I 35 and we had a journalist from Agra Europe present. The document Speak Up For Seeds aims at targeting different groups with no technical background or knowledge about the sector. Even though only the special- ised press was invited to the event at the European Parliament and they have reported on it the document is also intended for the general media. As the seed law was rejected last year and the Commission did not come back with any other proposals the deci- sion-makers are not working on this file and it is challenging to bring the attention of media and Members of the European Parliament back to this subject. The press was invited to discover more about the Speak up for Seeds campaign and the vision doc- ument during the event and this document will be a tool to communicate and present the sector in the future at ESAs events or whenever there will be an appropriate occa- sion. ES Is there a way to bring this docu- ment to the attention of the general public and are there plans for transla- tion into other European languages ESA The main target groups are deci- sion-makers in Brussels and at a national level other associations or NGOs which are or potentially will be partners of ESA in different fields. Reaching the wider public would be quite difficult and it would require significant resources. We believe that the vision document is a tool available for our membership that can be used in many ways. It could help reach the general public i.e. during an event organised by a national association it could be distributed to the participants or companies could make use of it when they have initiatives to involve and present the sector to citizens such as during open door days at their premises. It is important to understand that this document represents only the first step of a broader communication strategy that should improve the image of the sector in the future. The document was translated into five other lan- guages French Italian Danish Slovenian and Spanish and already presented to the press in some of those countries by the national association members of ESA. ES How has ESA targeted the deci- sion makers in Europe And what should change on the side of the regulators. In other words which type of mentality would you like to see on their side ESA ESA is in contact with decision-mak- ers on a daily basis. Having the right tools to present the sector and make them understand what plant breeders and seed companies really do is a key factor to gain their support. Members of the Parliament Commission officers and representatives of Member States need to get familiar with the sector recognise the importance of plant breeding and understand the benefits in our daily life. Regulators should be open for dis- cussion comprehend the sector and make decisions on a scientific basis. To get there we need a first approach which has to be more general and capable of making them feel comfortable when arguing in favour of our sector. Ideally decision makers would be open minded willing to get informed and pro innovation. Nowadays we are missing some of those characteristics. ES Has there been a good coverage of the document and what has been the impact so far ESA MEPs are generally happy to receive this kind of document. It allows them to have an idea about the sector without getting lost in technical issues. Those who do not know the sector are most of the time positively sur- prised when shehe discovers what breeders do the link with the food on their plate with what they wear or what they admire in their garden is more effective than any graphics or scientific papers they could get. We need a strong and competitive European research on plant breeding. I get really sad and disappointed when I see how business after business in the plant breed- ing sector moves their research about future plant breeding techniques to other parts of the world especially the U.S. This makes it really difficult for Europe to compete glob- ally and to preserve the European genetic and cultural diversity. stated MEP Marit Paulsen during the presentation of the vision docu- ment at the Parliament. Moreover Agriculture Commissioner Hogan said Plant breeding is among the fundamental activities to ensure food secu- rity. There is a need to highlight the impor- tance of research and innovation in the field of agriculture. I encourage you ESA to keep the issue at the forefront of public attention as you have been doing. ESA will continue to work and lobby for that we hope we will get more and more support in the future and to have many more decision makers on our side. ES What is the key message of the ESA vision that you would like the readers to take home and talk about with their friends family and col- leagues ESA Without plant care products and machinery agriculture would be very diffi- cult but without seeds it would be impossible. Behind the beautiful landscapes in Europe behind every single plant there is a seed. In a context in which mechanisation reaches its limits and other inputs such as fertilisers or plant protection products are being more and more restricted seed innovation must be at the heart of the food chain. The seed sector invests up to 20 per cent into RD to improve plants innovates for yield food security choice quality sustainable farm- ing and diverse uses of plants in a modern bio economy and drives growth in Europes rural areas. For all these reasons the sector has to be recognised as the key sector to help achieving policies objectives and should be supported to boost its competitiveness and develop the solutions to the challenges of the future. httpswww.euroseeds. euspeaking-seeds-eu- ropean-parliamentst- hash.bodJq56c.dpuf 36 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM hen Germany and Argentina met at the 2014 World Cup soccer final in Rio de Janeiros Estdio do Maracan they played on world-class turf maintained in peak condition. Despite enduring seven tough games during the preceding month the grass was as fit and match-ready as the German and Argentine players. A year later at the 2015 Copa Amrica in Chile turf grown from DLF seed was once again the fresh green star of another thrilling South American soccer final. To produce world-class grass seed takes decades of research and development. But thats what marks DLF out. In every grass-growing market in which it operates DLF has become a premier brand with loyal customers across the world. DLFs organic growth driven by the groups focus on seeds science and service has been supplemented by a series of astute mergers and acquisitions. Since the formation of DLF-TRIFOLIUM in 1988 turnover has increased more than tenfold and the company has acquired leading industry names such as Perryfields in Britain Cebeco Seeds Group and the grass- seed activities of Advanta in the Netherlands and the Pickseed companies in Canada and the United States. As Truels Damsgaard CEO of DLF explains growth through mergers and acquisitions can have disadvantages. We had reached a point where the DLF identity was becoming blurred by the many different names and logos under which we were operating throughout the world he says. We felt that it was time to unite the DLF family under a single world-recognisable identity with a new name and logo. As a result all former company names including Innoseeds Prodana and even DLF-TRIFOLIUM are now gone. All have been replaced by DLF and a common DLF logo. By adopting a single name DLF becomes a more cohesive unit with a common identity in a competitive globalized market. It makes us instantly recognisable and helps us communicate what we stand for in a way that is independent of nations and cultures says Truels. NEW LOOK SAME PROMISE The new name and logo draw their strength from elements that are well- known to the market. The logo retains the three leaves of grass a symbol recognised the world over with the addition of three playful bubbles. By focusing on the trusted DLF name the DLF Group has created a powerful worldwide brand. The company has also drawn on its core values and identified strengths science quality added value and trust to define a circle of growth that characterizes the company. To maintain its market leadership and to support further business expansion DLF will continue to invest in RD. It will also invest in applied biotechnology to support its conventional breeding efforts. In North America where the merger with the Pickseed Group of Companies is still recent the DLF Pickseed name will continue. EXPANDING THE STRATEGIC SCOPE Corporate acquisitions have given the company access to new gene pools offering short cuts to a wide range of new grass-seed varieties. Truels Damsgaard says The strategic scope of the DLF Group has expanded in recent years most recently with the acquisition of the Pickseed Group of Companies in North America. North America now accounts for about a third of group turno- ver. The scope of our existing business activities combined with new strategic goals have led us to reorganise our com- mercial activities within Strategic Business Units covering three geo- graphic zones. DLF Strategic Business Units SBUs Greater Europe Russia and former Soviet Republics and China North America Southern Hemisphere The Southern Hemisphere SBU will have priority in the years ahead. The objective is to establish a number of bridgeheads within the region. In the emerging economies of the worlds tropical zones theres an urgent need to increase food production. Although DLF has not previously supplied tropical forage grasses that situation can easily change during the coming years. As a science-based seed company we have a technology base a knowledge base and an infrastructure that we can readily adapt to tropical forage grasses says Truels Damsgaard. GREATER EFFICIENCIES WITHIN GREATER EUROPE Greater Europe accounts for more than half of Group turnover says CCO Sren Halbye who leads the Greater Europe SBU. By implementing an SBU structure across the region we consolidate a number of group companies in Denmark Benelux France the British Isles Germany Czech Republic Russia and China. This enables us to coordinate and join our sales forces in a more efficient way. I am sure our customers will benefit. MOVING FORWARD FROM A POSITION OF STRENGTH United by its shared name and logo and a shared set of values DLF now offers its customers clarity and consistency in every market and region in which it operates. As the DLF logo says the company is all about seeds and science. By investing in RD including applied biotechnology DLF will continue to develop the grass-seed varieties and the know-how that markets across the world need. THE WORLDS LEADING NAME IN GRASS SEED PROMOTED CONTENT SCI ENCE TRU ST QUA LITY ADDED VALUE THE DLF STORY IS ABOUT SEEDS GROWTH AND SCIENCE. THE FARMERS COOPERATIVE THAT BEGAN AS A REGIONAL SEED PRODUCER IN DENMARK IS NOW MORE THAN 100 YEARS LATER THE WORLDS LEADING GRASS-SEED ENTERPRISE. We turn science into growth Welcome to the world of DLF 38 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM he African Intellectual Property Organization OAPI plays an important role in protecting intellectual property on the African continent. Formed in 2002 OAPI is committed to protecting intellectual property rights in order to guarantee investments and facilitate technology transfer thus contributing to the economic growth of member states. OAPI is made up of 17 member states most of which are located in West Africa Benin Burkina Faso Cameroon Central African Republic Comoros Congo Cote dIvoire Gabon Guinea Guinea Bissau Equatorial Guinea Mali Mauritania Niger Senegal Chad and Togo. According to Regine Wr Gazaro director of intellectual property protection for OAPI the organisation is committed to contributing to the development of its member states through the achievement of some specific missions namely The delivery of industrial property patents Documentation and information Participation in the economic development of member states and Training in the field of intellectual property. In order to meet these goals OAPI has the following objectives Ensure the protection and the publication of industrial property titles Encourage creativity and technology transfer through the use of industrial property networks Make the legal sphere attractive to private investment through the creation of an enabling environment for the effective application of intellectual property principles Put in place efficient training programs that will improve OAPI quality services and capacities and Create an enabling environment for the valorization of research results and the exploitation of technological innovations by national firms. OAPI protects inventions through patents or utility models goodsservices trademarks and industrial designs brand names geographical indications and plant varieties. THE AFRICAN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ORGANIZATION PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN FUELING ECONOMIC GROWTH IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA AND BEYOND. Our ser v ices target craftsmen resea rcher s resea rch i n st it ut ion s magistrates customs officers students traders industrialists businesspeople and public and private organisations says Gazaro. The system that governs OAPI takes its roots from the strategic choices made by heads of states who agreed upon its creation. With its headquarters in Cameroon OAPI is the intellectual property office common to all its member states. OAPI centralises all procedures in the delivery of industrial property titles such as patents and productsservices trademarks. These titles are valid in all OAPI member states. A n y a p p l i c a t i o n f i l e d a t t h e representation of a member state or at the headquarters of OAPI are applicable in each of the other member states says Gazaro. There is no national system of protection which coexists with the regional one and sanctions for the infringements of industrial property rights are handled by the judiciary in each of the member states. OAPI is governed by an administrative board which is endowed with all statutory and control powers. It is made up of the ministers in charge of industrial property of the 17 member states. OAPIs appeal board serves to hear appeals made against prior OAPI decisions. It is made up of six magistrates of whom three are incumbents and three substitutes. PROTECTION RIGHTS With regard to variety protection rights PVP applicants outside of the territory of the OAPI member states can file through an agent selected in one of those member states. This requirement is not compulsory for national applicants. It takes three or four years on average to get PVP rights through OAPI says Gazaro. Application forms can be found on OAPIs website. In addition to the formal application process a technical examination is also carried out outside of OAPI headquarters by the technical institutions approved by OAPI in order to verify that the variety belongs to the stated taxon that the variety is distinct uniform and stable and when the variety satisfies the above conditions to establish the official description of that variety. The technical examination is carried out on the basis of growing trials and other required tests says Gazaro. Where the DUS examinations have been carried out or are being carried out by a trusted contracting party to the OAPI WORKING TO FACILITATE SEED INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA DR. PAULIN EDOU EDOU REGINE WR GAZARO EUROPEAN-SEED.COM I EUROPEAN SEED I 39 International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants UPOV OAPI can take over the results and the examination will be based on such results. OAPI determines the pratical conditions for the DUS examination. The UPOV guidelines are used by the DUS examiners. The technical examination of the DUS is carried out by a specialised agency. THE FUTURE Our goal is to provide the best seed quality to users and improve yields says Gazaro. OAPI is developing programs with policymakers and research centers to stimulate local breeding activities. The main crops targeted are cereals cotton cocoa coffee vegetable crops beans and soybeans potato and a variety of fruits. Moving into the future OAPI plans to promote its plant variety protection system in international forums and the media adds Gazaro. For more information on OAPI its procedures representatives and how to apply for variety protection visit www.oapi. int phone its head office at 237 22 20 57 00 or email oapioapi.int. OAPI REPRESENTS 17 MEMBER STATES ON THE AFRICAN CONTINENT. 40 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM ecuring a sustainable global supply of high-quality food and feed and supplying renewable biomass for the production of bio-based products and energy are key priorities for both European and global society. In the coming decades the European plant sector will play a central and essential role in meeting this challenge and achieving this will depend strongly on the generation and transfer of new knowledge and greater innovation in the plant and agricultural sectors. The European Technology Platform Plants for the Future Plant ETP represents the most important stakeholders that provide plant-based raw materials for the food and feed industry chemical pharmaceutical and other processing industries and the bio energy sector. It is a platform bringing together public and private researchers industry and the farming communities in order to align research priorities and set up strategic action plans to promote research innovation and education in the plant sector. Plant breeders farmers and scientists work together within the framework of the Plant ETP to develop joint solutions in order to better respond to grand societal challenges and work for supportive and clear policies for the plant and agricultural sectors. Research innovation and education in plant breeding requires long-term vision and investment and this is why the European Seed Association is a founding member of this platform to contribute to the development of technology and processes that will respond to the needs of farmers. Europes plant breeding industry and public plant science research are global leaders in developing advanced plant breeding techniques and providing competitive high performing and safe seeds for agriculture and food feed and non food production. SHORT- AND MID-TERM MAJOR CHALLENGES These include requirements for more yields better and more tailored quality of biomass and more flexible production conditions to address reduced use of natural resources and climate change. In addition there is a growing need for a European approach to the intensifying global economic competition as well as to balanced production that appropriately services existing markets and new ones such as energy. The plant sector already makes a vital contribution to society. It addresses challenges and mega trends of global relevance which are also included in European strategies and programmes such as the Bioeconomy Strategy1 Horizon 2020 and the Juncker Investment Plan2 as well as global reports from IPCC3 FAO2 EASAC4 etc. PLANTS FOR THE FUTURE ETP IS CREATING AN INTEGRATED STRATEGY TO BUILD INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP BOOST RESEARCH AND EDUCATE THE NEXT GENERATION. BY SILVIA TRAVELLA S EUROPEAN-SEED.COM I EUROPEAN SEED I 41 THE QUESTION IS IS THIS ENOUGH The plant sector must make an even greater contribution to the increasing demand for safe and sufficient food supplies. The development and timely uptake of innovative solutions in the plant sector will depend strongly on novel research findings efficient knowledge and technology transfer greater investment in innovation by venture capital and appropriate regulation. European farming and agro-industry is well-positioned to solve these challenges. The best way forward is to develop plants and plans for the future. This requires an integrated action that seeks to nurture research and innovation potential and ensure societal mechanisms are in place to implement improvements and develop new knowledge. In its early stages Plant ETP successfully focused on formulating a European Research Strategy and has succeeded in establishing a permanent European fund for plant research. The challenge was to translate this Strategic Research Agenda SRA launched in June 2007 into a Research Action Plan RAP5 and define priorities and instruments for its implementation. In parallel Plant ETP developed an Innovation Action Plan IAP6 to promote a better flow from innovation concept to marketable product and an Education Action Plan EAP7 to secure the development of the required human resources skills and capabilities. On March 2015 Plant ETP officially released its Action Plans on Innovation Research and Education. We have the plans now we need the action. Our challenges are global lets work together stressed Uli Schurr Chair of Plant ETP. It is important that a coordinated European research and innovation efforts are composed of short- mid- and long- term deliverables. The reason is the large range of RD timelines 1-20 years in the different innovation areas of the plant sector the variable lag-time for product delivery following adoption of new European regulations and the plant-based innovation needing long-term investment even for farmers. EXCELLENCE IN PLANT BREEDING Europe possesses a unique geographic and climatic diversity a tremendous wealth of cultivated and undomesticated crop species and long-standing plant breeding and farming management practices experience. Europe should continue to build on the excellence it has achieved in this area by promoting new initiatives to make the most of this vital natural resource. Long-term coordination of public and private efforts in the primary plant production field is urgently needed to stably align the needs of industry and farmers with the RD sector and build a basis for innovation in the sector. Public-private partnerships for open innovation in the plant sector can support translational research and ensure the effective transfer of knowledge into products and uptake of innovative new developments by end-users. The Plant ETP advocates for the allocation of a dedicated European budget for plant innovation via a public-private collaboration that can leverage additional private funds as necessary. The increasing demand for food feed fibre industrial products and energy requires a multidisciplinary approach driven by science technology and innovation. The prime drivers for success sufficient biomass of the right quality and at the right time are breeding and breeding innovation. The contribution of these drivers are recognized by many yet so far a proper qualification and quantification of the benefits of plant breeding has not been carried out. This is why the European Technology Platform Plants for the Future decided to commission a study on the economic social and environmental benefits of plant breeding in the European Union EU. The study aims to provide reliable science-based and well-understandable quantitative and qualitative insight on the benefits that plant breeding offers to societies and to the bio economy. In particular the socio- economic and environmental value of plant breeding in the EU becomes quantifiable and thus apparent. The study is ongoing and will be finalised by the end of October 2015. Plant breeding is the first and fundamental element in the bioeconomy value chain. The European plant breeding industry is constantly adapting to new demands and cultivation challenges. Its RD delivers plant varieties destined for specific end-uses as to add value to all biobased products and processes to follow. To ensure that plant breeding industry has the confidence to innovate a policy framework that supports innovation in agriculture and that encourages the uptake of agricultural technologies on the farm is crucial. TECHNOLOGY AND SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE In the next 50 years we have to produce more healthy food than ever before on less land per capita with less water energy and chemicals. We must achieve this sustainably not to overburden future generations. In addition plants become a key resource for biomass and high-value products helping to shift from a fossil-based to a biobased economy. While socio-economic approaches may have great potential to reduce food losses innovative technologies will be essential to produce more and better from less. Agriculture has always been dependent on the incorporation of new technologies often inspired by necessity. In the middle of the 20th century a number of different technologies have had a significant impact on agricultural production e.g. genetic hybrids fertilisers crop protection products mechanical tools and tractors. They have greatly facilitated the work of farmers and finally many agronomic approaches were developed to allow the best use of resources. All this progress could only happen through interdisciplinary effort bringing advancements of basic sciences and technology into good agronomic practices. 1 Innovating for Sustainable Growth A Bioeconomy for Europe EC 12th Feb 2012 2 An investment plan for Europe Brussels 26.11.2014 COM2014 903 final 3 5th Intergovernmental Report on Climate Change Working Group II Summary for Policymakers Effect on Food Supply 31.3.2014 4 EASAC report Risks to plant health 10.03.2014 5 httpwww.plantetp.orgimagesstoriesstoriesdocuments_pdfPlantETP_ResearchActionPlan per cent20corrected.pdf 6 httpwww.plantetp.orgimagesstoriesstoriesdocuments_pdfPlant per cent20ETP_InnovationActionPlan.pdf 7 httpwww.plantetp.orgimagesstoriesstoriesdocuments_pdfPlant per cent20ETP_EducationActionPlan.pdf WE HAVE THE PLANS NOW WE NEED THE ACTION. OUR CHALLENGES ARE GLOBAL LETS WORK TOGETHER. 42 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM Application of new technologies will enhance our ability to improve crops further. Taking advantage of the genetic diversity of plants will not only give consumers a wider choice of food but it will also expand the range of plant-derived products including novel forms of pharmaceuticals biodegradable plastics bio- energy paper and more. Therefore the contribution that the European plant sector makes to build the bio economy to achieve the challenges of food security and safety to mitigate climate change and maintain employment in Europe is vital. It is more important than ever for the EU to maintain agricultural activity and competitiveness. More than ever progress in productivity will rely on genetics while productivity gains were still up to 50 per cent due to technical and managerial progress between 1940 and 1980 since then almost 90 per cent of this increase depends on improved genetics. PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS Europe can only maintain its position in the global development of the bioeconomy if society is open and supportive to all relevant technologies and innovations. The implementation of technologies must be considered relative to their contribution in addressing global societal challenges and needs. Europe should aim to support all technologies in a balanced way and be able to combine advantages of various technologies as no single approach will provide the full solution. This will lead to a new approach of one WITH the other overcoming the current situation of one OR the other. The urgency of the huge tasks ahead demands an open- minded approach. The general public is not only important as the consumer of biobased products but also as the societal force that supports or hinders innovations. There is little public recognition of the fact that the production of sufficient and safe food in a sustainable manner requires state-of-the-art research and a strong agricultural supply industry. The lack of attractiveness of plant sciences and agriculture begins at school. For the implementation of a future bio economy Plants for the future ETP aims to increase dialogue between public and plant sectors in order to overcome the hesitation and scepticism of many parts of the European societies vis--vis generation and utilisation of knowledge about biological systems. More effort is needed to convey the high- tech innovative nature of the plant sector and the worthwhile career opportunities they can offer. There is a need to put plant science and agriculture into a broader context so that students as well as policy makers are better able to see their relevance. Editors Note Silvia Travella is the coordinator of the European Technology Platform Plants for the Future. INDUSTRY IN ACTION The Fascination of Plants Day FoPD initiative which was launched in 2012 by the European Plant Science Organisation EPSO across Europe and by Plant ETP at the European Parliament has become a global event. It promotes plant sciences to the gen- eral public politicians and research councils. It is a great success in terms of the number of events organised in university departments institutes botanic gardens companies and public places interacting with and inspiring the public and schools with a diverse range of activities. Several other initiatives have been put in place to improve the public appreciation of plant science plant biotechnology and agriculture. They can be found in the Education Action Plan of the Plant ETP. For more information on the 2015 Fascination of Plants Day turn to page 44. Hazera brings you expertise innovation and local support. We grow hand-in-hand with our partners. The succes of our customers is at the heart of everything we do. Expertise Innovation Support Committed to Growing Together 44 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM n 18 May 2015 the International Fascination of Plants Day FoPD was organised for the third time under the umbrella of the European Plant Science Organisation EPSO. We are very proud to announce that the event was a great success with participants from all continents and cultures organising over 960 events to get the world fascinated by plants From Bosnia to Bolivia from South Africa to South Korea FoPD 2015 united a global research community and engaged the public with plant science on an unprecedented scale. Over 960 events in 56 countries In total 589 institutions in 56 countries around the globe opened their doors in order to stir up peoples enthusiasm and fascination about plants and their importance for sustainable production of food horticulture forestry as well as the non-food products such as paper timber chemi- cals energy and pharmaceuticals. Many plant science institutions universities botanical gardens schools and museums together with farmers and companies opened their doors with a variety of plant-based events for all the family. Nations across Europe were involved and an incredible 207 events were organ- ised in Poland and 127 events in Ukraine. Around the world thousands of seeds were planted and the public learned how something seemingly so small can create so many green lives. For example at the British Royal Botanic Gardens Kew visitors were able to join five tours of the science laboratories and see the Millennium Seed Bank vault. In Brazil workshops were related to cultivation of plants in pots and production of floral arrangements and the observation of birds and bees. In China thousands of people went to exhibitions on themes including plants and human lives trans- genic food security and endangered plants. In Russia children planted seeds and visited scientific laboratories. In the U.S. Grade 1 students learned how plants use their senses to explore and respond to their environment. An Example from Norway One example of a successful activity was presented by Trine Hvoslef-Eide at the recent EPSO General Meeting. At the Norwegian University of Life Sciences and the Bioforsk Institute for Agricultural and Environmental Research in s Norway Trine organized a plant production course. Students cultivated their own plants and sold them during FoPD. The students chose four species and were involved in every stage of the cultivation sowing pricking potting pinning and fertilising. They needed to find the facts about plant growth and ask advice when stuck and even made economic calculations on the growth and sales of the plants. The proceeds were used to fund the education of Mkami a schoolgirl in Tanzania and provide 10 shelter boxes for families after the earthquake in Nepal. Trine felt having the students produce bedding plants of flowers and vegetables for sales on FoPD combines three excellent outcomes A TRULY GLOBAL CELEBRATION OF PLANT SCIENCE By EPSO EUROPEAN-SEED.COM I EUROPEAN SEED I 45 Visit European-Seed.com for more links and resource available on the Fascination of Plants Day initiative. 1 We attract a large local crowd for FoPD and expose them to our message on the importance of seeds and plants 2 The students get practical experience with growing plants and 3 The proceeds supported a charity. A Worldwide Network of Coordinators In order to make FoPD 2015 happen four Global Coordinators and a dedicated team of over 60 National Coordinators NCs from the plant science community volunteered themselves to encourage and coordinate the activities in each nation. The NCs adapted the public- ity materials for their own language and culture spread the word in their respective countries and provided the network to allow us to celebrate plants as a single global entity. Through this coordinated activity the goal is to build a network of communicators able to achieve high impact interactive communi- cation and engagement at local national European and global levels sharing common materials and best practices. A Growing Success The first FoPD in 2012 was organised to give the research community a platform to meet the public in an interactive manner and introduce the benefits that research and innovation on seeds and plants can provide for the public at large. The event instantly evolved from a European to a global initiative and a second edition was organised in 2013 breaking the barrier of 1000 events for the first time. FoPD 2015 has continued the momentum and the event will now take place every two years. The organisers are proud that FoPD spread so quickly and they look forward to continuing to plant many virtual and constantly germi- nating seeds in the collective mind of the European and world public that plant science is of critical significance to the social and environ- mental landscape now and into the future. Thank you to everyone in the seed industry sector who has taken part in FoPD most notably KWS and the Plant for the Future European Technology Platform who provided generous sponsorship to help make the event such a success. EPSO its italian representatives and the Plants for the Future ETP will hold an interactive exhibition showing the success of the third FoPD at the Expo in Milan on 7 and 8 October 2015. The next Fascination of Plants Day will take place around 18 May 2017 and we invite you to join us in celebrating it by organizing an exciting event If you are interested in acting as a global sponsor please contact Karin Metzlaff E-mail karin.metzlaffepsomail.org Executive Director of EPSO. 46 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM SPOTLIGHT ITALY A LOOK AT THE ITALIAN SEED INDUSTRY THE BUSINESS OF SEED IN ITALY HAS A LONG AND RICH HISTORY AND BRIGHT FUTURE. BY MARCO NARDI land with good climatic conditions and skills of all companies involved in the production chain where it is possible to multiply a large variety of quality seeds. A country where seed research and plant breeding is poor apart from some restricted sectors but where all the worlds leading seed companies are present to market their new products and feed an intensive and innovation oriented farming . That is very briefly the picture of the seed industry in Italy. HISTORY OF ASSOSEMENTI The Italian Seed Trade Association AISS was formally established on the 1st February 1946 directly after the World War II. In its constitutive act it is however mentioned its origin back to 1921 when the Associazione italiana importatori esportatori sementi da prato Italian herbage seed importer and exporter association was founded in Bologna Italy. Coming to the last amendments to the articles of association we have to mention the merger in 2009 of the breeders association Assoseme into the Italian seed association and the acquisition of a new denomination in short Assosementi. The number of members is more or less stable around 170 companies including 20 affiliated members. The evolution of recent years shows a concentration of companies in the upper level of the market thanks to acquisitions and an increase of new and relatively small companies. The mission of Assosementi corresponds to the normal role of each association namely to assist its members and represent their interests develop activities decided by the board the sections or groups. Then carry out relations with institutional bodies like ministries and local administrations and with ESA and ISF. ASSOSEMENTI ROOTS IN BOLOGNA The seat of the Italian Seed Association has always been in Bologna excluding a short time at the beginning in the early 70s when a new seed law was in discussion at the Parliament in order to adopt the first EC seed directives and the seat was temporarily moved to Rome. Bologna was chosen for several reasons. Firstly because it is close to an important area of seed multiplication with a significant number of seed companies still today one third of Assosementi members are located in the region Emilia-Romagna and to a relevant seed market for Italy. At the same time it is important to point out Bolognas juncture role between the north and south of Italy and the presence of a great university with a well renowned laboratory for seed testing. These days we see seed activity essentially linked to breeding and variety research but in the past at the beginning it was developed as a commercial trade. In fact the first international seed trade congress held in London in July 1924 was closed with the adoption of the format for an international contract to apply to agricultural seeds. It is appropriate to point out that the Federation Internationale du Commerce des Semences the old FIS was formally established in Bologna 16 May 1928 in the course of the second international seed congress. ITALYS SEED INDUSTRY The multiplication and export of vegetable and sugarbeet seed activities are sectors of excellence where Italy surely plays a leading role in Europe. Despite the good production for vegetables the trade balance is largely negative with the value of imported seeds being much higher. Also rice seed production and export with an important breeding activity are a flagship for Italy given that it is the first country for rice in Europe. Regardless of the leading role in the world for the production of pasta for durum wheat Italy went down in recent years regarding the internal production of grains for the milling industry as well the capacity to create new varieties. Varieties breed in other countries gradually get more space in the market. In the field crop sector and particular in maize the market is dominated by the major world seed companies. The surface invested internally for maize and soybean seed multiplication however increased a lot during last decade because of the risk of GMO contamination in third countries production. Cultivation of GMO crops are completely banned in Italy as well as any kind of experimentation in open field. All imported seeds of maize and soybean and at random the internal production are tested before marketing according to a decree of the Ministry for Agriculture that allow a 0.05 per cent threshold tolerance for traces of GMO. Coming finally to forage seeds the sector is commercially very active. Apart from the production of Mediterranean clovers and vetch seeds alfalfa production is the most important. A EUROPEAN-SEED.COM I EUROPEAN SEED I 47 RECENT INITIATIVES In recent years Assosementi has focused on activities to defend first the compulsory use of certified seeds to get coupled CAP subsidies then the communication campaigns to promote the use of certified seeds in winter cereals in order to maintain the quality of crops but also to indirectly finance research and innovation. In 2008 a WIC Working Group Integrated Companies has been established within the vegetable seeds section at the request of some important mother company members and now 19 companies are engaged in many projects. Road to Quality is a project shared with young plant raisers and it aims to develop a traceability system in the chain of vegetable production. Books on how to defend main vegetable crops from pathogens have been realised to disseminate information on good practices and some communication campaigns have been developed on themes like intellectual property and innovation illegal multiplication of seeds and plants grafting up until the most recent one named one seed one plant. After 30 years of service as Secretary-General Marco Nardi left his position within Assosementi the Italian Seed Association to retire at the end of September 2015. Nardi graduated with a degree in agronomy from the University of Bologna he got also a master degree in IP management. Nardi joined the Italian Seed Trade Association AISS then AIS and recently ASSOSEMENTI at the beginning of 1985 after some experience in professional agricultural magazines and with the Italian Beekeeper Federation. In his position he has been involved in the main dossiers of association activity and in charge of relations with European and international seed organisations attending all ESA and ISF congresses since 1985. Important has been his contribution to the organisation of the ISF 2000 World Seed Congress in Rome one of the most remarkable during the last decades that still holds the record of participation. CELEBRATING MARCO NARDIS CAREER Due to the importance of seed multiplication many efforts are made to strengthen relations with farmers and interprofessional agreements. Due to the importance of seed multiplication many efforts are made to strengthen relations with farmers and interprofessional agreements. For sugarbeet and vegetable seed production a system has been developed with the help of the Regione Emilia-Romagna administration to properly isolate seed fields. In the forage sector a new agreement was adopted in December 2013. In 2014 alfalfa seed production for the first time a reference interprofessional price was indicated at the end of the season as possible alternative to the prices weekly noted by the Chamber of Commerce of Bologna. RELATIONSHIPS WITH POLICY MAKERS AND ADMINISTRATIONS The presence of 18 administrative regions plus two autonomous provinces to which agriculture in Italy has been delegated and the repartition among National Ministries of the competence on main items related to seeds for example variety listing seed and phyto rules and regulations to the Ministry for Agriculture agrochemicals and seed treatment to the Ministry for Health GMOs shared between Ministry for Health and Ministry for Environment intellectual property PVRs included to the Ministry for Economic Development make the full network of relations quite complicated. However the main players are the Ministry for Agriculture also for its EU and international connections and the Regione Emilia-Romagna on the side of seed multiplication of species non-submitted to official controls. Consultations and discussions are frequent with both organisations however concrete answers and solutions often come slow. The utilised agricultural land is in total around 12.8 million hec- tares 54 per cent arable crops 27 per cent meadows and pasture land 18 per cent permanent crops like fruits. The number of agricultural farms amounts statistically to 1.6 million but only 600000 farms apply for CAP subsidies. The farm average surface is equal to 7.9 ha compared to 12.6 ha of EU27. The main arable crops are the following with the estimated rate of certified seed use In 2014 around 14500 farmers were involved in the multi- plication of certified seeds. At least another 1500 farmers have to be added for vegetable seeds. The number of seed companies that in 20132014 officially have certified seeds is around 220. The number of companies marketing vegetable seeds is close to 80. ITALIAN AGRICULTURE AND USE OF CERTIFIED SEEDS Crop Surface mioha Certified seed per cent rate Durum wheat 1288000 65 per cent Common wheat 586000 80 per cent Barley 232000 85 per cent Rice 220000 75 per cent Maize grain and silage 1210000 100 per cent Soybean 232000 80 per cent Sunflower 110000 100 per cent Alfalfa 700000 60 per cent Sugarbeet 50000 100 per cent 2014 official ISTAT statistics AssosementI estimation 48 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM SPOTLIGHT ITALY The value of the internal Italian seed market at the wholesale level and excluding seed treatment costs can be set at around 685 million Euro. ITALIAN DOMESTIC MARKET VALUE IN 2014 ASSOSEMENTI ESTIMATION The Italian seed exchange balance is constantly passive in 2014 for around 100 million. Looking at the ISTAT trade statistics the seed imports in Italy can be estimated at 360 million in value and seed export at 255 million. IMPORTS IN 2014 ISTAT DATA EXPORTS IN 2014 ISTAT DATA DOMESTIC SEED MARKET AND IMPORT-EXPORTS VISIT US ONLINE With tailored seed-focused content European Seed will offer specialised media that will provide unparalleled value to the industry our readers and our advertisers. Both the seed industry and world of communications are changing at a rapid pace and thats why European Seed is committed to being a multifaceted media platform web magazine mobile and video provide multiple channels through which to consume practical information ideas and solutions that matter to your business. Official field inspections and seed certification controls are referred in Italy to the CRA Agricultural Research Council. At the moment we are assisting with the merger of CRA within INEA in a new body named CREA. Italy is carrying out seed sampling and testing for certification under official control. However the level of participation is not high in 2014 only 39 companies out of 220 made use of some form of accreditation for field inspection a percentage of around 21 per cent of the total surface. The number of enabled company laboratories was 19. EXPO MILAN 2015 AND SEEDS From May 1 to October 31 2015 the city of Milan is hosting the Universal Exhibition EXPO Milano 2015 with a core theme very interesting and current Feeding the Planet Energy for Life. More than 140 participating countries the EU Commission included are presenting in their national pavilions technical solutions and ideas on how to meet the epochal challenges for humanity ensuring enough healthy food while respecting nature and sustainability and avoiding injustices bringing out Milan as the world capital of food and water. In reality EXPO Milan 2015 is looking mainly to be a large exhibition fair devoted to food where to see and experience different products and cuisine cultures. Many meetings and discussions of different organizations are organised every day however without being sharp. We have tried as Assosementi to get involved in some initiatives related to seed activity internally in EXPO as well as externally but we have waived due to the high costs and efforts requested. Only a few pavilions for instance the Padiglione Zero that narrates the history of food as the history of human beings have expressed a message consistent with the core theme of the exhibition. Themes like plant breeding access to genetic resources economic and social sustainability of research have rarely been discussed. In addition the Milan Charter that all visitors are invited to sign and would represent the legacy of EXPO Milan 2015 is a mass of generic statements without any concrete and operational suggestions. EUROPEAN-SEED.COM Get Actionable Results With Our Digital Advertising Positions THE FIRST SEED-INDUSTRY PUBLISHERS TO DEVELOP CREATIVE DIGITAL DISPLAY OPTIONS FOR ADVERTISERS. ROLL DOWN AD Book now and receive 25 Off new digital opportunities Email marketingissuesink.com for more information. Carousel Pop-Up Roll Down Slider Take Over Sticky Beltway Video Ad THE FOLLOWING ADS ARE NOW AVAILABLE ON EUROPEAN-SEED.COM Sponsored Sponsored Content Advertorial Sponsored Sponsored Content Advertorial GET 25 OFF NOW 50 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM INTERNATIONAL NEWS GLOBAL SEED WATCH RESEARCH DISCOVERIES IN AUSTRALIA CHINA AND THE UNITED STATES ARE IMPROVING CROP CULTIVARS AND FUNCTIONALITY WHILE PAKISTAN AMMENDS ITS SEEDS ACT. STATUS AUSTRALIA A group of international researchers have discovered two new genes in the barley plant that will shed light on the history of agricul- ture and also bring new capabilities to barley breeding programs. The new genes Btr1 and Btr2 are completely new genetic discoveries and according to Emeritus Professor Geoff Fincher from the University of Adelaide in South Australia they will revolutionise what we know about the domestication of the crop. This latest genomic information and the potential to introduce as yet unused wild barley traits may offer great new poten- tial in our barley breeding programs said Fincher who co-authored the study from the Australian Research Council ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Cell Walls at the Universitys School of Agriculture Food and Wine. The study was initiated in Japan by a group of geneticists at the Okayama University Institute of Plant Science and Resources and was led by professor Takao Komatsuda of the National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences. Discoveries related to the brittle rachis show that there is a distinct difference between cell wall thickness in brittle and non-brittle plant type which determines whether wild barley drops its grain to the ground at maturity or retains it in the ear. Source Australian Research Council Australian researchers have unraveled the mystery cause of the emerging wheat disease White Grain Disorder. Scientists at the Wheat Biosecurity Laboratory in the Research School of Biology identified the cause of the disease when they isolated three previously undiscovered fungi from infected wheat samples and sequenced their genomes. Until now growers and pathologists have recognised the symptoms of White Grain Disorder but they havent known what causes it says lead researcher and associate profes- sor Peter Solomon from the Research School of Biology. This finding now provides all stakehold- ers with confidence in what they are dealing with in the field. White Grain Disorder emerged about 20 years ago and has sporadically affected crops in Southern Queensland and South Australia but until now has been poorly understood. This is an important advance to the field as it can be difficult to manage diseases when you dont know what causes them. This study is crucial to our ability to manage this disease in the future says Solomon. Growers who have invested heavily in their crops for the growing season can now have confidence of knowing what the path- ogens are behind the disease and what they can do about it. The team found the disease is caused by three previously unidentified fungi which occur in different proportions in different dis- eased areas although they produce identical symptoms Source Australian National University STATUS CHINA An important gene called GS2 which could significantly boost the yield of super-rice is successfully separated and cloned from the local rice variety Baodali in Zhejiang prov- ince China according to a new study. The major findings were published in the latest issue of the well-known international jour- nal Molecular Plant. The introduction of this rare gene into rice cultivars could significantly enhance grain weight and increase grain yield with possible applications in breeding high-yield rice varieties the researchers say. The study presents the cloning and characteri- sation of a dominant quantitative trait loci QTL which encodes Growth-Regulating Factor 4 OsGRF4 a transcriptional reg- ulator. GS2 localises to the nucleus and may act as a transcription activator. A rare mutation of GS2 affecting the binding site of a microRNA OsmiR396c causes elevated expression of GS2OsGRF4. The increase in GS2 expression leads to larger cells and increased numbers of cells which thus enhances grain weight and yield. Source Molecular Plant journal STATUS INDIA Indias premier agriculture research body Indian Council of Agricultural Research ICAR has emphasised the importance of genetically engineered crops in bridging the demand and supply gap for foodgrains in the future. Vision 2050 which provides a stra- tegic framework for innovation-led inclusive and sustainable agricultural growth in the country has listed research into genetically modified organisms GMOs among nine key areas which have to be harnessed to enhance productivity nutrition and farmers income. ICAR in its vision document said Genetic enhancement is considered to be a major option to bridge the demand and supply gap under normal situations as well as under projected scenarios of increased frequency and intensity of stresses. The document released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in July also noted that GMOs do not provide a miracle solution to all problems and detailed how scientific research in this area backed by proper field trials would help in dealing with safety and ethical aspects of genetically engi- neered crops. I am sure that ICAR Vision 2050 would stir new thinking in researchers to harness science in the policymakers to develop pol- icies for sustainable development of agricul- ture to provide food income and livelihood and in the consumers an urge to tailor their lifestyle keeping in view the planetary bound- aries of the Earths resource system said S. Ayyappan director general of ICAR. Source ICAR STATUS UNITED STATES A team led by scientists at the University of California Riverside has reached a new mile- stone in its work begun in 2000 on sequenc- ing the barley genome. The researchers have sequenced large portions of the genome that together contain nearly two-thirds of all barley genes. The new information published in The Plant Journal will not only expand geneticists knowledge of barleys DNA but will also help in the understanding at the genetic level of wheat and other sources of food. It also has EUROPEAN-SEED.COM I EUROPEAN SEED I 51 Agronomix Software Inc. Winnipeg Manitoba Canada Phone 1-204-487-4245 Email infoagronomix.com Website www.agronomix.com Increase Your Success... ...in developing superior hybrids and varieties with the global software solution for plant breeding and Is your plant breeding software working for you Is your data in a secure database or across spreadsheets breeding data. government research organizations in 40 countries across the world www.agronomix.commovie personal Ask us about AGROBASE Tablet to upload data from applications in plant breeding by increasing the precision of markers for traits such as malting quality or stem rust. Because barley is a close relative to wheat the new work could offer useful infor- mation leading to the complete sequencing of the wheat genome. What we have now is much finer reso- lution of genetic information throughout the barley genome said Timothy Close a profes- sor of genetics at UC Riverside and the corre- sponding author on the research paper. This is an improved resource used throughout the world. Prior to this work a long-held view was that the distribution of genes in the genomes of barley wheat and their relatives is such that the gene-dense regions are only out near the ends of chromosomes where there is also a high rate of recombination. Our work revealed clear exceptions identifying deviant regions that are gene-rich but low recombination. Recombination refers to the formation of new combinations of genes naturally during meiosis which is a stage of the cell cycle where chromosomes pair up and undergo exchange. Close explained that plant breeders rely on meiotic recombination to introduce favourable forms of genes for malting quality stem rust or any number of traits into cultivated varie- ties. Crosses are made and progeny plants are screened for desirable new combinations of traits. When a favourable form of a gene allele lies within a gene-dense low recom- bination region it requires much more work to bring that favorable allele into an existing variety without also dragging in neighbouring genes that may exist in undesirable forms. Source University of California Riverside STATUS PAKISTAN After the Senate Agriculture Committee approved the amendments to Pakistans 1976 Seed Act the full Senate will convene in the coming months to cast their votes. Aside from the Seed Act the Government of Pakistan is also reviewing the Plant Breeders Rights Act which would strengthen intellectual property protection and the Biosafety Act which would emphasise the role of the government in regulating biotech products. The key provisions include The amendments would bring the private sector under the purview of the Seed Act. Aspiring individuals or companies to join the seed industry must have a seed processing plant or register as a seed dealer. Sale of seeds without registration or sale of misbranded seeds would be subject to impris- onment or fine. Biotech seeds may not contain the gene that disallows replanting of the crop but is not deployed in commercial crops. Biotech seeds must be approved by the National Biosafety Committee to be safe for the environment humans animals and plants. Source USDA-FAS. 52 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM PAOLO BARBIERI REGIONAL DIRECTOR EUROPEAN SEED PAOLO YOU HAVE RECENTLY BEEN ELECTED AS REGIONAL DIRECTOR DUPONT PIONEER EUROPE. PLEASE LET US KNOW MORE ABOUT YOU. PAOLO BARBIER Since July 1 2015 Ive been the regional director at DuPont Pioneer Europe. In my role Im responsible for leading Pioneer business operations across Europe and the European Pioneer Leadership Team including all functional areas of the business. Prior to this I was business director for DuPont Pioneer Central and Eastern Europe countries. My career in DuPont started in 1990. Ive served in a number of different roles and countries including regional and global business director roles in Imaging Technologies in Germany and Chemicals in the USA. I have also worked in corporate roles as director of Corporate Sales and Marketing Europe based in Geneva Switzerland and director of Corporate Strategy based in Wilmington U.S. Nevertheless the role Im most proud of is to be the father of six children. ES LETS TALK ABOUT PIONEER BUSINESS IN EUROPE. WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FOR THE NEW SEASON PB Our mission in European region is always the same to provide farmers with the highest value through our innovative products services and solutions which result in increased farmer productivity and profitability. For instance in the case of corn drought is expected to continue to be one of the biggest challenges in Europe affecting corn productivity more than any other type of stress. As one of the worlds leading developers and suppliers of advanced plant genetics Pioneer is offering our customers the best solution to achieve yield advantage not only in optimal conditions but also in a water-limited environment. Our solution to drought is called Optimum AQUAmax hybrids developed through traditional breeding methods that select improved hybrids in chronic drought environments. Talking about another key crop for Pioneer Europe namely sunflower the global innovation capabilities and local testing and service of Pioneer allowed us to bring to the market our Pioneer brand sunflower hybrids with the sunflower Pioneer Protector traits. This trait provides reliable protection against all major sunflower pests and offers outstanding safety to the sunflower plant and following crop. REGIONAL DIRECTOR ES HOW DO YOU ENVISION THE FUTURE OF THE AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY IN EUROPE PB I would like to see the European agricultural industry stay at the front line of innovation exploiting cutting-edge technologies that allow European growers to effectively respond to the worlds most challenging and pressing issues. To have this European farmers need freedom of choice and access to the latest safe and beneficial technologies that are already increasing productivity and profitability of many farmers in other countries of the world. Pioneer is and will always be committed to innovation. As a demonstration we recently invested in a state-of-the-art sunflower technology centre in Seville Spain. Thanks to the advanced technological capabilities of the centre we will be able to double the rate of sunflower yield gain and further expand the Pioneer Protector defensive trait lineup. Combined with our unique local testing and technical sales specialist network in Europe this positions our company to provide growers with the hybrids and technologies most adapted to their local needs. ES HOW DOES THIS LINK TO INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS PB Pioneer believes that i ntel lect u a l proper t y rights are key drivers o f i n v e s t m e n t i n R D i n n o v a t i o n a n d k n o w l e d g e dissemination in the publ ic a nd pr iv ate sectors. Intellectual p r o p e r t y r i g h t s a re i mper at ive for research and product development systems that foster competition societal benefit and s u s t a i n a b l e f o o d production. In order to be able to continue investing in this industry Pioneer needs a strong intellectual property protection which promotes meaningful improvements in agricultural productivity and fosters genetic diversity. I strongly believe this is the interest of the European seed sector as well. CORPORATE SPOTLIGHT DUPONT PIONEER EUROPE w w w . p i o n e e r . c o mThe DuPont Oval Logo is a registered trademark of DuPont. TM SM Trademarks and service marks of Pioneer. 2015 PHII. WITH YOU FROM THE WORD GO WITH OPTIMUM HYBRIDS ANYMORE AQUAMAX not a risk Weather is What makes Optimum AQUAmax hybrids different Optimum AQUAmax products is a unique science driven high performance corn solution developed after 50 years Pioneer research in special environment maximizing yield and reducing water defficiency risk through syncronized flowering strong root system staygreen trait and strong stoma control. 54 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM REGULATORY KEEPING YOU INFORMED OF LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY CHANGES IN EUROPE AND ABROAD FROM LAWSUITS TO APPROVALS TO OTHER REGULATORY ISSUES AFFECTING YOUR BUSINESS. NATIONAL TWO GM CROPS APPROVED FOR IMPORT IN THE EU Two genetically modified GM crops have received endorsements to be approved for import in the European Union. The European Food Safety Authority EFSA has deemed the herbicide tolerant GM soybean Mon87708 x Mon89788 and the herbicide tolerant GM maize NK603 x T25 safe for food or feed use. In its scientific opinion EFSA said that both crops are as safe as their non-GM comparators and non-GM con- ventional maize varieties with respect to potential effects on human and animal health and the environment in the context of its scope. AG COMMITTEE OPPOSES NATIONAL BANS ON GM IMPORTS The agriculture committee has rejected the Commissions draft law that would give member states the power to restrict or prohibit the use of EU-approved GM food or feed on their territory. It fears that arbitrary national bans could distort competition on the EUs single market and jeopardise the Unions food production sectors which are heavily dependent on imports of GM feed. The agriculture committees opinion adopted by 28 votes in favour to eight against with six absten- tions will now be scrutinised by the environment committee which has the lead on this file before the Parliament as a whole votes on the matter. This vote in the agriculture committee sends a clear message the Commissions proposal to allow member states to decide whether or not to restrict or ban the use of GM food and feed on their territory must be rejected. We have not been building the EUs single market to let arbitrary political decisions distort it completely said the draftsman of the opinion Albert Dess. The Commissions approach is completely unrealistic. We have many sectors in the EU that rely to a great extent on imports of GM feed and would not be able to survive if it is banned. If we allowed this then all animal food production in the EU would be at stake which could make us much more dependent on food imports from third countries that do not necessarily respect our high production standards. And we certainly want to avoid this. GERMAINS RECEIVES SECOND ESTA ACCREDITATION Germains Seed Technology in Aalten Netherlands has received accred- itation from the European Seed Treatment Assurance scheme ESTA. ESTA sets a standard for quality assurance to ensure seed treatment activities and seed treated with Plant Protection Products meet indus- try requirements as they evolve. Following accreditation at Germains Kings Lynn UK site in December 2013 Germains Seed Technology now prides itself on having two sites that are accredited by ESTA. It is a pri- ority for Germains to be at the forefront of good practice. Germains was the first seed treatment plant to achieve the ESTA standard in the UK said Veronique Heyes EU regulatory manager at Germains. Our journey to align our European sites is progressing well and I am delighted that our production facility in the Netherlands has now been received into the ESTA family. We will now focus plans for our Spanish facility to complete its journey to ESTA accreditation and ensure ESTA accreditation across all production facilities in Europe. ESTA was devised by the European Seed Association ESA in response to the EU Directive 201021EU which requires insecticidal seed treatments to only be performed in professional seed treatment facilities. SCIENTISTS OBJECT TO SCOTLANDS BAN OF GM CROPS Twenty-eight scientific organisations have voiced their concern about the recent banning of GM crops in Scotland and submitted a letter to Richard Lochhead the Scottish cabinet secretary for rural affairs food and environment. In early August 2015 Lochhead announced that he would not allow the planting of insect resistant corn the only GM crop approved for planting in the EU. He also said that he would not allow the use of six other GM crops that are being assessed by the European Food Safety Authority EFSA. In his statement he mentioned that the reason for the ban was to protect and further enhance our clean green status. The scientific organisations including the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the British Society of Plant Breeders have asked for a meeting with Lochhead to talk about scientific evidence on GM crops. Lochhead has agreed to meet with the scientists and assured them that the ban will not affect the state of current research in Scotland. INTERNATIONAL U.S. APPROVAL FOR SYNGENTA FUNGICIDE Syngenta has announced that its breakthrough SDHI fungicide Solatenol has received registration from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. First significant sales in the U.S. are expected in the 2016 season. Solatenol has already been launched in Latin America as Elatus offering growers unrivaled performance against soybean rust a devas- tating disease which can significantly impact yields. In the U.S. prod- ucts containing Solatenol will be available for a wide range of crops including corn soybean wheat peanuts potatoes and vegetables. U.S. growers can expect a step change in disease control from our range of Solatenol products. These valuable new tools demonstrate our commit- ment to producing sustainable innovations that help growers combat diseases while maximising their returns said Syngenta COO Davor Pisk. Regulatory approvals are pending in several markets including the EU. BASF AND EMBRAPA LAUNCH PRODUCTION SYSTEM BASF and Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuria Embrapa have launched the Cultivance Production System a milestone for Brazilian science as it contains the first genetically modified soybean fully developed in Brazil. The technology was approved by the European Union a major import market at the end of the first half of this year. This has made it possible to start production of seeds for making the system available to the market. As a result of the partnership between BASF and Embrapa that stretches back more than 10 years the Cultivance Production System combines four genetically modified soybean culti- EUROPEAN-SEED.COM I EUROPEAN SEED I 55 vars with considerable genetic potential and the use of Soyvance Pr a broad-spectrum herbicide for controlling large leaf and grass weeds thereby creating a new production system. Starting in 2016 new culti- vars should be launched that will expand cultivation areas to meet the demand of farmers who would like to use the new system to manage weeds. The two companies invested US33 million into developing the system including along with the herbicide genetic improvement scientific studies conducted in laboratories to confirm food safety of the new soybean and field studies to support the worldwide registration pro- cess. BASF and Embrapa submitted all the risk analyses required under Brazilian law for the deregulation of Cultivance soybeans to the National Technical Commission for Biosafety CTNBio in January 2009. After an analysis and review period CTNBio released Cultivance soybeans for marketing in December 2009 stating that their use did not constitute a risk to human or animal health or to the environment. Since that time the approval process for the technology has been ongoing in Brazilian soy importing regions including the United States China Japan and the European Union. KENYAN FARMERS SUPPORT GOVERNMENT TO LIFT BAN ON BIOTECH CROPS Farmers from south and north Rift counties of Kenya have voiced their support for the governments plan to lift the ban on GM food importa- tion. We ask the government to fast-track the lifting of the ban and make the technology available for us as this will lead to job creation for our young people they said. Kericho County Governor and professor Paul Chepkwony said This county is ready to embrace agri-biotech- nology and urged for more sensitization activities to ensure that farmers can make informed choices. Africa is faced with a lot of challenges to food security and genetic engineering is a sure way out for them. SCIENTISTS ASK FOR DEREGULATION OF BT EGGPLANT IN INDIA Researchers from Ghent University in Belgium and Chaudhary Charan Singh University in India have published an article in Nature Biotechnology making a case for a return to science-based regula- tion of GM crops and a concerted effort to counter the misinfor- mation widely promulgated by activists intent on demonizing GM crops. The researchers note the far-reaching repercussions that the moratorium on Bt Brinjal has had on the use of GM crops in India. The article features the difficult conditions under which Bt eggplant Bt brinjal was developed and field tested indigenously encoun- tered several regulatory roadblocks culminating in a moratorium on its commercial use by the Indian Ministry of Environment and Forests on February 9 2010. GM FOODS IN CHINA SAFE ACCORDING TO MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE The Ministry of Agriculture of China has issued a statement saying that all certified genetically modified foods that are sold on the Chinese market are safe. China has established a safety supervi- sion system that covers the complete chain of GM products includ- ing research production and trading according to the ministry. The ministry has stated that it will work with other departments to improve legislation of GM products and their testing technologies to ensure their safety. Internationally there is a conclusion on the safety of GM foods that is that all GM foods that have passed safety evaluation and been certified are safe the ministry said. The con- clusion by the World Health Organization is that no health damage has been seen in any people worldwide who have consumed GM foods that have been approved by authorities. Celebrate Pulse Feast on January 6 2016 by holding an event featuring beans chickpeas lentils peas or other pulses. Learn more at iyp2016.org Follow us LovePulses LovePulses PulseFeast Pulses 2016 56 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM INDUSTRY NEWS TAILORED TO SEED PROFESSIONALS INDUSTRY NEWS DELIVERS THE PEOPLE RESEARCH BUSINESS AND PRODUCT NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW. SUBMISSIONS ARE WELCOME. EMAIL US AT NEWSISSUESINK.COM. PEOPLE NEWS Bayer CropScience Vegetable Seeds has announced changes to its management team. Frank Claessens will replace Vicente Navarro as the new managing director operations. Claessens began his career with Vegetable Seeds in 1989 as a research analyst in seed technology after which he took on various leadership positions in quality assur- ance and then in seed processing both within operations. In 2011 he was appointed global head of supply chain. Navarro will replace Ko Remijnse as managing director marketing and sales. Navarro began his career in 1985 as product manager and was responsible for the vegetable seed business in Spain. He held several management positions in marketing and sales before he was promoted to global head of marketing in 2005. In 2011 he became part of the management of vegetable seeds as managing director strategy and staff functions and assumed the responsibility of managing director operations and strategy in 2013. Since 2013 he is also chairman of the vegetable and ornamental crops section of the International Seed Federation. Dutch seedsman Simon Groot receives the prestigious Mansholt Business Award for Sustainable Entrepreneurship in recogni- tion of his contribution to the vegetable farm- ing sector in the tropics over the last three decades. Groot is the founder of East-West Seed a 33-year old company that has played an important role in the development and improvement of tropical vegetable varieties in Southeast Asia and beyond. Our world is dominated by small scale farmers. What we do is add value to their labour and land. We have worked hard to create better genetics in tropical vegetable crops using plant breed- ing technologies that have been successful for centuries in the West where I came from says Groot. The company bridges the gap in farmer extension and technology transfer responding to the changing economic and social conditions in agriculture-based devel- oping countries. Ketty Nilsson has been appointed as pres- ident at NoroGard AB a leading producer of seed treatment machinery in Sweden. Nilsson has previous experience of business devel- opment in the railway industry and joined NoroGard as marketing director in March 2014. Nilsson is also joining Norogard as a co-owner and member of the board. The American Seed Trade Association ASTA names Bethany Shively as its new director of communications. Shively comes to ASTA from the National Association of Conservation Districts where she led the associations communications efforts for the past five years. As director of communications for ASTA Shively will work with ASTAs staff and the associations leadership to promote the seed industrys regulatory and legislative posi- tions as well as its many initiatives to support education and research careers in the seed industry and the quality management move- ment and stewardship of seed. Ruaraidh Sackville Hamilton head of the International Rice Genebank joins the secretariat of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources at the Food and Agriculture Organization FAO of the United Nations to bolster the implementation of the treaty. An evolutionary biologist with four decades of experience in plant genetic resources Hamilton will share his deep sci- entific expertise as head of the gene bank maintained by the International Rice Research Institute to strengthen the global information system on plant genetic resources under the Treaty and its multilateral system of access and benefit-sharing which covers in addi- tion to rice 34 crops and 29 forages. The multilateral system seeks to facilitate access to plant genetic resources for conservation and use in research breeding and training guided by global food security goals and to ensure that resulting benefits are shared equitably. Hamilton will help develop options for improving the instruments that enable the fair and equitable sharing of genetic resources. The Stockton Group an international crop protection company has appointed Yaakov Kobi Inbar as vice-president of Research and Development. In his new role Inbar will be adding his expertise and knowledge to further the development of STKs pipeline leading the companys efforts on a global scale new growth opportunities and commercialisation. We are pleased to have Kobi join our execu- tive team. He possesses a wealth of knowledge and experience in the crop protection market and we look forward to his future contribu- EUROPEAN-SEED.COM I EUROPEAN SEED I 57 Call Today 1920-623-2000 See more at hughesequipment.comhusker-rolls HUSKER ROLLS Precision Fit For Major Husker Brands HUGHES YOUR STRATEGIC PARTNER FOR Food Processing Equipment and Replacement PartsFood Processing Equipment and Replacement Parts Hughes Husker Manufacturing and Technology Innovation Since 1961 hughesequipment.com COUNT ON HUGHES EQUIPMENT for the perfect hand-off. Readily available husker rolls for your sweet and seed corn huskers Spiral Rolls Maxi Rolls Low Profile Rolls High Profile Rolls Select rolls available with and without cutting blades Spiral Rolls Maxi Rolls Low Profile Rolls High Profile Rolls Select rolls available Spiral Rolls Maxi Rolls Low Profile Rolls High Profile Rolls tions to the business said Ziv Tirosh CEO of the Stockton Group. I am confident that Kobi will continue to strengthen our strategic plans and continue to drive the development of our internal pipeline. Kaiima Bio-Agritech an Israel-based genet- ics and breeding technology company has appointed board member Richard Greubel to the position of chief executive officer. Greubel most recently worked as president of the human nutrition and health division for DSM a leading supplier of nutritional ingredients to the pharma food and feed industries. Rick brings extensive experience and knowledge of not only the seed technology side but of the entire ag-food industry sector his broad expe- rience makes him a perfect fit to lead Kaiimas global business said Jeffrey Beard chairman of Kaiima. Rick will succeed current CEO Doron Gal who led Kaiima since its incep- tion and who were delighted to announce has agreed to remain with the company in a new role as president Kaiima Bio-Agritech. BUSINESS NEWS Global crop solutions specialist Koppert Biological Systems has acquired Certis Europe beneficial organisms business in the United Kingdom France and Italy. Certis will continue to sell its beneficial organism products elsewhere and develop integrated crop protection programmes for its custom- ers in its other markets. The acquisition of Certis Europes beneficials sales business in the UK France and Italy fits in well with our long-term strategy to further develop biological solutions for these important agricultural and horticultural countries says Koppert Biological Systems managing director Henri Oosthoek. Headquartered in the Netherlands Koppert Biological Systems produces environmentally sus- tainable natural solutions for agriculture and horticulture. 58 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM INDUSTRY NEWS Seed enhancement company Incotec has opened a second production facility in China. The new facility is in Tianjin City and will con- centrate on the production of Incotecs film coats for vegetable and field crops seeds for the Chinese seed market. The new facility in Tianjin City has greater production capacity than the Beijing location and is better able to manage the increasing production requirements of Incotec China. This specific location was chosen because it is ideally situated in one of Chinas Economic and Technological Development zones appointed by the authorities. After recently announcing it plans to divest its flowers seeds business Syngenta has announced it will divest its global vege- table seeds business in an effort to boost shareholder value creation. The company also announced its intention to return significant levels of capital to shareholders through a share repurchase program. The initial pro- gram of more than 2 billion will commence in the coming weeks. This will be in addition to the dividend policy which the company has followed for several years. By demonstrat- ing and unlocking the inherent worth of our leading global seeds portfolio we can create significant additional value. I look forward to updating shareholders in the coming months on progress including providing further vis- ibility on the underlying profitability of our portfolio of assets said Syngenta CEO Mike Mack in a statement. KoSSIL has opened its new research facil- ities at IDA Bollaram near Hyderabad India. KoSSIL is the joint venture company of Koppert B.V. with joint shareholding of Koppert Biological Systems India Private Limited and the Devanur family. Within the new research centre new products will be manufactured including biostimulants natural botanical products and microbials for pest and disease management for both local and international markets. Agrinos a leading biological crop input pro- vider committed to improving the productivity and sustainability of agriculture worldwide is pleased to announce a new partnership with Indian seed and crop care product provider Zuari Agri Sciences Ltd. The partnership increases the availability of Agrinos unique and proprietary High Yield Technology HYT biological crop solutions to Indian farmers. Zuari Agri Sciences which will sell Chemfree powered by Agrinos HYT B product is recog- nised as a leader in the Indian market work- ing with 6000 distributors and dealers and 23 million farmers whose crops include wheat rice cotton soybeans sugarcane fruits and vegetables. Agrinos is pleased to align with a reputable organisation like Zuari as we strive to market with strong established partners in India and other geographies worldwide said Indranil Das managing director of Agrinos India. This opportunity will allow us to con- tinue strengthening our local presence and offering our effective globally proven and certified biological crop input solutions to Indian growers. FMC Corporation has announced that it will establish a European regional headquar- ters and research facility in Copenhagen Denmark. The new FMC European Innovation Center EIC expected to open in 2016 will serve as a central hub for research and development regional corporate functions and regional commercial teams. FMC has a larger presence in Europe today with our recent acquisition of Cheminova said Pierre Brondeau FMC president CEO and chairman. The European Innovation Center will enhance our ability to collaborate with customers and Bred by www.PHPETERSEN.com CATCH CROPS FIT FOR BENEFIT Distributed by www.SAATEN-UNION.com Power Plus OUR VARIETIES Concentrated Power Europeen Seed9-15RZ.indd 1 03.09.15 1110 EUROPEAN-SEED.COM I EUROPEAN SEED I 59 We share Johans ambition to surprise consumers time after time Johan Solleveld comes from a tomato-growing family and has been involved in variety development at Rijk Zwaan for over 30years. Thanks to his extensive experience and to the fact that he really speaks the growers language heknows exactly what to look out for when selecting new tomatoes. Over the years Johan has gained an ever-greater appreciation of the tomatos versatility and potential. He knows that nature can sometimes have surprises in store and how important it is to remain open to the resulting opportunities. In close collaboration both with colleagues and customers he strives to make a valuable contribution to creating tasty new products every day. It is Johans ambition to surprise consumers time after time. Rijk Zwaan a global specialist in vegetable breeding - shares this ambition. We are working together towards a healthy future. Learn more at rijkzwaan.com 442262RZW_adv_Johan_181x129.indd 1 10-09-15 0754 suppliers throughout the region and ensure that we fulfill the growth potential of our newly combined company. The new facility will bring together employees who currently work at sites throughout Europe and the U.S. including employees in research sales mar- keting regional management finance supply chain human resources and related functions. Keygene N.V. and Floragenex Inc. have entered into an extended license agreement around KeyGenes Sequence Based Genotyping SBG technology. The agreement enables Floragenex to extend its SBG service offerings to include ddRAD-Seq in non-commercial and academic research across all species. The agreement further cements KeyGenes SBG technology licensing portfolio and advances Floragenexs position as a services leader in fractional genomic sequencing applications. Floragenex expertise professionalism and impressive track record with RAD-Seq across a wide range of genomes logically fit with a broader portfolio of SBG service offerings. This will accelerate the understanding of genetic variation in plants animals and other organ- isms in a highly cost-efficient manner said Michiel van Eijk CSO of KeyGene. Michigans Neogen Corporation has acquired the stock of United Kingdom-based Lab M Holdings a developer manufacturer and supplier of microbiological culture media and diagnostic systems. The combination of Lab Ms quality products with our Acumedia product line will make Neogen a leading global company in the traditional microbiol- ogy market as well as give us new tools we can incorporate into our food safety diag- nostics to enhance our products says James Herbert Neogens CEO and chairman. Lab M is headquartered in an accredited facility in Heywood England near Manchester. Neogen will maintain Lab Ms current facility and its operations will be managed by Neogens Scotland-based Neogen Europe subsidiary. Norwich Research Park has officially wel- comed one of the worlds leading independent seed technology businesses Germains Seed Technology to their brand new state-of-the- art laboratory. The laboratory accommodates senior members of Germains Research and Development team with a strategic focus on the science of seed priming and crop devel- opment. We are delighted Germains Seed Technology has chosen Norwich Research Park as a location to further research seed priming and crop development. This rein- forces our global position in creating a unique cluster of business and research organisations with world-leading science credentials said Sally Ann Forsyth chief executive officer at Norwich Research Park. INDUSTRY NEWS T he I nter n at ion a l Seed Test i n g Association ISTA welcomes its first industry members Dow AgroSciences and DuPont Pioneer. To better facilitate commu- nication between the seed testing industry and the producers and distributors of seed ISTA recently began offering an Industry Membership option says ISTA secretary general Beni Kaufman. ISTAs mission is to bring uniformity in seed testing. The category of Industry Member aims to further engage the seed industry streamline communication and in the process expand the associations activities. It is an honour to see that two of the main pillars of the seed industry are committed to support the association says Kaufman. At DuPont Pioneer we see this new membership category as an opportu- nity to move international seed trade testing toward standardisation whether physiolog- ical genetic and trait purity or physical prop- erties which is important to maintain the 60 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM INDUSTRY NEWS integrity of the global seed trade said Jeremy Bergstrom DuPont Pioneer global quality test- ing manager. I believe further industry collab- orationcommunication using these industry memberships as a platform help influence seed testing rules and expedite the acceptance of newer more precise seed testing technologies says Bergstrom. The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation aw a rded 2.3M to the T wo Bl a de s Foundation 2Blades a charitable organ- isation that supports the development of durable disease resistance in crop plants and their deployment in agriculture. Four well-recognised research teams will inves- tigate plant immunity in the United States and Europe. Jeff Dangl University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Brian Staskawicz University of California Berkeley Jonathan Jones Sainsbury Laboratory in Norwich UK and Detlef Weigel Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology in Tbingen Germany will lead the project at their world- class research institutions. The research teams will focus on three agricultural plant systems found worldwide Brassicas mustard greens and their relatives which are important model organisms in plant biology nightshades potatoes tomatoes and their relatives and domesticated wheat and related species. This undertaking is made possible by the key tech- nology developed in the Sainsbury Laboratory said Roger Freedman chairman of 2Blades. The aim overall is to provide fundamental information on how plants evolve to resist pathogens and ward off disease. As part of the project the teams will develop a publicly available database containing sequence infor- mation on the plant species investigated. This open-access database will help other scientists and agricultural agencies around the world improve disease resistance in plants and better help address food security. Farmers who use neonicotinoid seed coat- ings subsequently use less insecticide to con- trol pests on oilseed rape according to new research published in the Nature journal Scientific Reports. But the study also demon- strated that more honey-bee colonies were lost as the usage of imidacloprid a first generation neonicotinoid increased. The study showed for the first time that farmers who use neon- icotinoid seed coatings reduced the number of foliar insecticide sprays used to control pests on oilseed rape. Farmers using neonicotinoids also saw significant yield benefits but not in all years. Giles Budge head of Crop Science and lead author of the study said Our data indi- cate that farmers who used neonicotinoid seed coatings often had positive economic returns driven by an increase in yield but this was not always the case. We now need to understand why neonicotinoid use does not always result in increased profitability for farmers to help target appropriate use to those situations where farm- ers see the most benefit. An international research team has some good news for the honeybee and the millions of people who depend on them to pollinate crops and other plants. These valuable pollinators have faced colony losses over the past decade largely due to the spread of a predatory mite called the Varroa mite. But the bees might not be in as dire a state as it seems accord- ing to research recently published in Nature Communications. Researchers found a pop- ulation of wild bees from around Ithaca New York which is as strong today as ever despite the mites invading the region in the mid-1990s. Valued at 4.82 billion in 2014 the global seed treatment market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate CAGR of 10.8 per cent by 2020 according to a recently released report from research firm MarketsandMarkets. The Seed Treatment Market Global Trends Forecast to 2020 report said North America led the global seed treatment market in 2014 with the U.S. as a major producer. With regard to the application of seed treatment Latin America was second and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.1 per cent by 2020. The expected growth in the seed treatment market is tied to the increas- ing global population and food requirements rise in cost of fertilisers and pesticides and easier residue management. The leading players in the market include Syngenta AG in Switzerland Bayer CropScience AG and BASF SE both in Germany Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd in Japan Nufarm Ltd. in Australia and Platform Specialty Products Ltd. in the U.S. PRODUCT NEWS Marrone Bio Innovations Inc. a provider of bio-based pest management and plant health products for the agriculture turf and ornamental and water treatment markets has announced that its Grandevo bioinsecticide has received a completeness determination from the European Commission and is now cleared to begin the evaluation for Annex 1 listing and commercialisation in the European Union. A recent policy decision by the European Commission the European Food Safety Authority and a Working Group of EU Member States has allowed Grandevo to be evaluated as a microbial pesticide. Until this recent EU decision only pesticides contain- ing live microbes could be evaluated under EU regulation. Receiving this complete- ness determination for Grandevo from the Netherlands is an important step in making the potential benefits of new biopesticide products available to growers throughout the EU said Keith Pitts MBIs vice-president of Regulatory and Government Affairs. Bayer CropScience has reached an important milestone towards the market introduction of its biological insecticide Requiem in Europe. Its active ingredient Terpenoid Blend QRD 460 has been recently approved by the European Commission. For growers and the entire food value chain Requiem provides control of sucking pests and extends quality of harvested produce. First registrations of Requiem are expected in some European countries before end of 2016. Market launch in Europe is planned for 2017. Requiem is the latest innovation from Bayer CropScience in the field of biological insecticides and an important addition to integrated pest management IPM programs in greenhouse vegetables said Gilles Chevallier global product management of biological insecticides at Bayer CropScience. Its mode of action is effective against sucking pests especially thrips whiteflies aphids and mites leading to healthier crops and better-quality produce. Incotec Europe has succeeded in further reducing dust-off in the witloof chicory pellet product line. The products have been successfully marketed since January 2014 but a recent breakthrough has enabled these improvements. Adjustments in the production process including application of the finishing layer have reduced dust by 50 per cent. An added advantage is the smoother surface making the pellet easier to process. As well as reduced dust and easier processing the witloof chicory pelleting gives all the quality enhancements you can expect from seeds pelleted by Incotec. WEB AND APP NEWS EU Regulators and Food Suppliers Can Now Access Online GM Crop Database The IPAFEED database is an EU-funded MARLON project which contains searchable data for monitoring possible health impacts of genetically modified GM crops on livestock animals. The project seeks to help regulators and the food supply chain to ensure that any health risk is identified early and effectively. The MARLON project focused on bringing knowledge on GM crops in animal feed. The IPAFEED database contains information from scientific papers with detailed descriptions of each study accessible results and links to sources. The database was regularly updated throughout the project which was completed last July. Researchers have also collated information on animal health indicators. Tools and guidelines to help monitor the health of animals exposed to GM feed have been developed as well. The positive news for both regulators and European agriculture is that data collected from controlled short-term long-term and multi-generational feeding trials have revealed that no adverse health effects have been caused by GM feed on animals with some studies even detecting positive effects. httpipafeed.eu. TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION ENGINEERING SERVICE www.petkus.com A fascinating world lies between harvest and processing. PETKUS is right at home in this world and has built its core competencies experience and product portfolio to service the needs of its customers. Our goal is not to improve the status quo but to completely redene it. 62 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM EXTRAS VOLUNTARY BENEFIT-SHARING ACTIVITIES OF THE EUROPEAN SEED SECTOR WE NEED YOUR HELP The European Seed Association recently launched a new subpage of their website to help better identify the many projects the seed sector contributes to. The page is meant to be a living and dynamic site and ESA hopes that companies will regularly refresh the site. In order to make this happen the ESA Secretariat will refresh the site every three to four months and for that they will rely on your input. ESA asks for members to proactively notify the ESA Secretariat szonjacsorgoeuroseeds.eu every time there is a new benefit- sharing project you launch or in which you are involved in. For those of you who have not yet provided input please have a look at the kind of projects already included on the site to get a better idea of what projects we are looking for. To access the site visit httpswww.euroseeds.euvoluntary- benefit-sharing-activities-european-seed-industry. We live in a world of seeds. From our morning coffee to the cotton in our clothes seeds support diets economies lifestyles a nd civ i l i z at ion s around the globe. In the newly released book The Triumph of Seeds awa rd- winning author and biologist Thor Hanson explores both the natural and cultural h i st or y of seed s why they are so dominant in nature and why we are so utterly dependent upon them. Spanning locations ranging from the Raccoon Shack Hansons back yard w r iti n g hideout-cum-laboratory to the rainforests of Costa Rica and Nicaragua from our flower patches and backyard gardens to the spice routes of Kerala The Triumph of the Seeds is a book of knowledge adventure and wonder. Essential reading for anyone who loves who loves plants or who may have wondered how the chili got its spice what puts the buzz in coffee or how seeds have influenced everything from the voyages of Christopher Columbus to the Industrial Revolution to the shape of the human face. BOOK REVIEW THE TRIUMPH OF SEEDS SYRIAN CRISIS CAUSES THE FIRST WITHDRAWAL FROM THE SVALBARD GLOBAL SEED VAULT The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas ICARDA has requested the backup seed that they deposited in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault to restart their collection away from the horrors of the Syrian civil war. ICARDA is currently based in the Lebanese capital of Beirut but was previously headquartered in Syria. One reason gene banks exist is to provide breeders scientists and farmers with seed varieties to improve crop growth and yields in the face of changing climates. Amid Syrias brutal civil war however ICARDA has struggled to provide this function. ICARDA managed to move its headquarters from Syria in the early days of the war while some of its workers remained at the gene bank in Aleppo in an attempt to save the collection. The organisation managed to duplicate 80 percent of its collection in Svalbard as of March this year where the seeds were safely stored along with others from around the world. As its become more and more difficult for the organisation to handle requests for seeds from its former headquarters in Aleppo ICARDA has requested to get some of its deposits back from Svalbard. ICARDAs requested seeds wont go back to Syria but to a safer location outside of the country. Packets on Shelves at ICARDA PhotoGlobalCropDiversityTrustBrittaSkagerfalt. EUROPEAN-SEED.COM I EUROPEAN SEED I 63 CALENDAR OF EVENTS EUROPEAN-SEED.COM I EUROPEAN SEED I 63 UPCOMING EVENTS CONFERENCES AND TRADE SHOWS IN YOUR REGION AND AROUND THE WORLD. SUBMISSIONS ARE WELCOME. EMAIL US AT NEWSISSUESINK.COM. 2-4 November 3rd Conference of Cereal Biotechnology and Breeding Berlin Germany 16-19 November 2nd World Congress on the use of Biostimulants in Agriculture Florence Italy 8-15 October European Biotech Week www.biotechweek.org 23-26 November WISP course on Wheat Genetics John Innes Centre Norwich United Kingdom 16-19 November Asian Seed Congress Goa India 9-11 November 23-26 November I ISTA Workshop on Seed Sampling and Quality Assurance in Seed Sampling Johannesburg South Africa 15-18 May 2016 ISF World Seed Congress Punta del Este Uruguay 64 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM GIANT VIEWS BY NIGEL MOORE SOWING KNOWLEDGE s incoming president of the European Seed Association I would like to share some thoughts regarding how by asso- ciating together and speaking with a single voice we can be most effective. Looking at the changing world in which member companies operate their businesses and our function as an interface with EU government we must con- sider those factors that are most influential on the regulatory environment. These give rise to many of the opportunities and threats that we all have to consider in our daily work Agriculture must respond to the chal- lenges of climate change the provision of safe wholesome nutrition economic growth and social stability whilst only utilising natu- ral resources at a rate at which the Earth can replenish them. This puts our seed sector in a very special position because our customer ori- ented entrepreneurial businesses have a core of research and development in plants which is a key element of a societal response to these challenges. As a result we are under ever- increasing public scrutiny and a clear focus for political opinion. Many citizens feel uncomfortable regard- ing human intervention with living organisms have mistrust of science and technology and have concerns regarding the social responsi- bility and accountability of corporations and globalisation. People are worried about climate change but they also want safe nutritious and affordable food. Whilst markets are powerful instru- ments of accountability we know that they do not act fully on some of these issues. Crop researchers speak of yield plateau in some field crops insufficient genetic resistance to pests and pathogens inability to keep pace with global population growth erosion of plant genetic resources etc. These are all perceived market failures attracting govern- ment regulation. This is not all one-sided we are also concerned regarding threats to the future of our business models. We worry about having the freedom to safely apply the latest knowledge and techniques to add value to our customers and having ade- quately balanced intellectual property rights to retain a fair share of that value to reinvest in RD. We need improved conser- vation of plant genetic resources along with simple access for breeding and research and we need trade rules that ensure fair access to markets. Regulators are therefore heavily involved in our markets both to safeguard the public interest and to enable the markets themselves to func- tion. We look for balanced proportionate regu- lation. If regulators continue to be surrounded by impenetrable technical argumentation mis- understanding and misinformation about our sector then the risks are enormous both for our companies and for society. However I am optimistic. Many of the threats and concerns described above originate from insufficient information that citizens can trust and relate to. We must recognise that citizens worries are real and valid. Who amongst the seed indus- try doesnt have a desire to protect the envi- ronment and have a secure supply of healthy food It may be an uncomfortable thought but we therefore have significant common ground with many of the people who we might not con- sider to be our natural allies in dialogue with regulators. We should be neither surprised nor offended that our messages are interpreted in the context of our economic motive. We should be proud to be market-led and entrepreneurial creating value and jobs. We can only survive by continual improvement in our varieties seed quality and service. However we are private sector with a profit motive and therefore we are not independent and not fully trusted. Get over it as my children tell me. We must clearly demonstrate that we work with nature not against it. Human intervention in cross-pollination of plants with empirical observation and little predictability has over thousands of years developed our major food crop species from wild progenitors. The future will bring new possibilities that can take us closer to providing sustainable productivity of safe nutritious affordable crops. Our work in applying scientific know-how and producing quality seed of high performing varieties will be a key part of mitigating climate change pro- tecting and conserving the environment and con- tributing towards human health wellbeing and ultimately social stability. We have to be transparent and reach out to a wide audience be prepared to respectfully address their questions and explain why we trust in what we know. We have to address highly tech- nical subjects the legal aspects of IPR breeding techniques biodiversity seed marketing plant health international trade organic farming GMO. These are impossible for the non-specialist to quickly absorb and technical justifications are unlikely to be understood or even believed. We have to say clearly why these topics are relevant to food security safety environmental protection the economy and the public interest. We therefore need to provide sources of data and information for scrutiny by independ- ent experts so that citizens can understand the evidence and be motivated and energized to make their voices heard and support the case for a vibrant and innovative seed sector. If rich countries with fertile soils sun- shine natural rainfall and infrastructure do not shoulder their global responsibility to opti- mise sustainable production in their region it is effectively exporting environmental harm and hunger to more vulnerable regions. I believe it is ethically indefensible to turn our backs on our responsibility in Europe and risk the welfare of future generations by a failure to apply the innovations needed to play our part. It would be nave to suggest that we can persuade the strongest sceptics and those with political views that cannot countenance corpo- rate activity in crop research and agriculture. It is difficult to debate with those who fundamen- tally believe that a return to peasant agriculture with free exchange of farm selected seeds and minimal technology is a credible approach to the future. However here we must have tolerance and coexistence as our goals. Under the presidency of Gerard Backx ESA has highlighted these topics as priority issues. For me I intend to continue what Gerard has started and focus my presidency in the areas of outreach communication and influence. My goal is to further the public and political understand- ing of our work which is essential to have regula- tions that foster trust and that create opportunity for a thriving plant breeding and seed sector. Essential for this is the wider recognition of the profound public good that is delivered with every bag of authentic seed purchased by a farmer. A Nigel Moore Editors Note Nigel Moore is the head of business administration for KWS Cereals Division and incoming president of the European Seed Association. 2015 Syngenta Crop Protection AG Schwarzwaldalle 215 P.O. Box CH-4002 Basel Switzerland. All rights reserved. The information contained in this publication is proprietary. It may not be photocopied or reproduced in any form. Important always read and follow label instructions before buying or using Syngenta products. The instructions contain important conditions of sale including limitations of warranty and liability. FORCE 20 CS contains teuthrin. FORCE 20 CS the SYNGENTA wordmark and the PURPOSE ICON graphic are registered trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company. Wireworm free Wireworms are widely distributed in Europe and cause signicant economic impact. Very early attacks might drive to massive plant losses and it is not rare to observe up to 40 yield reduction. Your crop deserves to be protected from wireworm damage with FORCE 20 CS Early protection that favors increased plant emergence Unique vapour effect for increased efcacy Excellent seed safety Free to grow EURALIS SEMENCES IS ACQUIRING A NEW VISUAL IDENTITY TO SEAL ITS COMMITMENT We create values through our seeds. We create trust through our practices. www.euralis-seeds.com