Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 6832 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM 32 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM hen the growing season comes to its annual end, plant breeders pack their bags and head south for warmer climate zones. However, their bags are not necessarily packed with snorkeling gear and boogie boards. Rather, plant breeders pack their tweezers, camel hair brushes and little specimen bags. They are not packing for vacation — the purpose of their journey is to continue the propagation of new varieties of row crops, vegetables, ornamental plants and other species that would normally be shelved for six months while awaiting the spring thaw. Many seed companies accelerate their breeding programs by using winter nurseries in South America, cutting the time it would take to bring a new variety to market in half. Winter nurseries used by northern hemisphere seed companies can be found in most Latin American countries including Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay. In addition to those, Mexico, Guatemala, Hawaii and Puerto Rico host significant winter breeding activity. “The primary advantage of a winter nursery is that it provides an opportunity to collect data from the current season (in October) and use that data to make new hybrid combinations in the winter to be returned in time for spring planting the following year — significantly reducing the time it takes to commercialize a new corn hybrid,” says Dwight Bostwick, head of Syngenta’s North American corn breeding projects. T he tropica l a nd sub -tropica l climate allows most of the countries to attempt double-cropping on a large scale or have even more than two crops per year u nder an irrigation system. Many of these countries have significantly improved their productivity over the last few years but still have plenty of room for improvement. Of course, the main advantage of a winter nursery is that it provides an opportunity to collect data from the current season (in October) and use that data to make new hybrid combinations in the winter to be returned in time for spring planting in Europe the following year — significantly reducing the time it takes to commercialise a new corn hybrid. To breed a new hybrid or varietal crop, multiple generations of self-pollination or ‘selfing’ and selection are required to reach the required level of uniformity. The number of generations can be as high as nine or even up to 12 from the time a new breeding cross is made until the newly created product is commercialized. A fast cycle time enabled by South America’s winter breeding nurseries and seed production operations is one of the greatest benefits. If breeding companies only were to take advantage of the European growing season, the cycle time could be as long as nine to 12 years for a new variety. So the decrease in cycle time increases the rate of genetic gain and the rate in which companies can commercialise new products. But shrinking the development timeline isn’t the only reason seed companies look to South America. Companies also use numerous counter-season sites to spread their risk and ensure top-quality test seed. CHOOSING A SITE Most business owners, or any friendly realtor, will say that location is everything. The same can be said for winter nurseries. Locations share some characteristics that make them ideal for winter production. But experts agree that an ideal winter production site is difficult, if not impossible to find. Tom Koch, AgReliant Genetics vice president of research, says “Each site offers its own unique set of advantages and challenges.” The company’s main South American sites are located in Argentina and Chile. AgReliant Genetics engages in the research, production, and supply of seeds for farmers in North America. It markets corn, soybean, and alfalfa seeds through its brands. It is a joint venture of Groupe Limagrain Holding SA and KWS Saat SE. So what factors come into play when choosing a site? Most business owners, or any friendly realtor, will say that location is everything. The same can be said for winter nurseries. THE RIGHT LOCATION WINTER BREEDING LOCATIONS IN SOUTH AMERICA ACCELERATE VARIETAL DEVELOPMENT IN EUROPE. By: Frank Zaworski and Marcel Bruins 32 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM