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 6834 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM practices,” Bostwick says. “Some locations do not permit GM traits, so we must ensure the material we ship into the country does not contain GM traits.” A SKILLED WORKFORCE Even with a sound infrastructure and dependable, transparent government, a winter nursery cannot enjoy success without the right people. Companies also consider the ability to attract and retain the necessary workforce. Hernandez says DuPont Pioneer employs a variety of workers, from doctoral scientists to skilled lab technicians to full time and seasonal field workers. “We work with local authorities to ensure we are complying with local labour regulations and also providing a safe work environment,” he says. He notes that each location brings unique agronomic, phytosanitary, regulatory as well as labour availability considerations. “All of them can be properly managed by assessing risk the right way in each situation,” he says. It’s important to be able to find good quality and skilled local labour at a reasonable cost, and this can be challenging in some locations. Also government or labour disruptions should not be overlooked. In some countries such as Chile and Argentina, it is not uncommon to have a short labour strike when moving seed in or out of the country. COUNTRY SPECIFICS Martin cites Chile as a country that offers specific advantages for winter nursery operation. “Chile has been a reliable country for Monsanto as well as for other seed companies’ winter seed production for a long time for corn, soybeans, canola, vegetables and other crops,” Martin says. “Chile has the advantage of ideal growing conditions for most row crops including winter breeding nurseries as well as commercial seed production. Chile has stable and known phytosanitary and regulatory policies in place for biotechnology traits. Its political and economic policies have been relatively stable as well.” Martin notes that a long growing season is the one disadvantage for Chile. “There is only one crop production cycle per year and production of long-season varieties can be a challenge to return to North America in time for spring planting,” he says, explaining that it’s desirable to get multiple cycles of product advancements before returning it for field testing in North America. “In Brazil, you can conduct multiple cycles of production per year; however, phytosanitary restrictions on seed movement between countries limit the potential for winter breeding nurseries or seed production for North American-based operations.” Monsanto and other companies have used Argentina for both commercial winter seed production as well as for winter breeding nursery operations. “The country has vast agricultural lands suited to soybean, corn, sunflower, sorghum and other crop production,” Martin says. “The growing season is longer-season and, at times, it may be difficult to turn production cycles in time to benefit operations in North America.” UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES Having flexibility with seed production has led to improvements in yield and product performance, noting that reduced cycle time and increased amount of testing directly contribute to genetic gain. But perhaps as important are the experiences and relationships that are formed with colleagues abroad. “In every single location we strive to be, act and behave as good neighbours,” Hernandez says. “We try to connect to our communities and engage with our neighbours. “For instance, we have an effort to preserve the Arica hummingbird, the smallest bird in Chile. Employees invest time and work on restoring its habitat, and provide water along its flying routes. We also engage with the community through initiatives such as recycling, community gardens, involvement on community sports, high school and college agriculture and biotechnology summer camps, and safety and health days with employees and their families.” Conducting plant breeding, seed propagation and other types of crop field research beyond the borders of one’s native land can provide a host of opportunities. “Because of the time necessary to work with the products, our staff often immerses themselves in the local culture and community,” Koch says. “Repeatedly, our employees refer to many in South America as friends, be it coworkers, contract employees or even local business people.” Learning about another culture, or about the intricacies of another country’s rules governing agricultural research, provide seed company personnel with unique experiences. “We have had employees in multiple earthquakes in Chile and there is often talk regarding the possibility of uncovering centuries old mummies near growing locations,” Koch says. “ T he u n ique environment, both in terms of growing conditions and local culture, make South American seed research and production an exciting challenge and rewarding opportunity.” IN ARGENTINA, DAVID WILLMOT, AGRELIANT GENETICS NATIVE TRAITS MANAGER, EXAMINES A CORN PLANT AT A WINTER NURSERY.