The Annual 2008 Journal for breeders and producers of plant material XXXEJTUFMOM Prophyta the annual 2008 Contents %PZPVUIJOL PGZPVSTFMGBT BQSPGFTTJPOBM Prophyta – The Annual A publication of the Prophyta 4 In Short 30 Essentially Derived Varieties (EDV) 3 Foundation in co-operation with Blue Bird Publishers Position of ciopora CSFFEFS 5 Editorial editorial advisory board Theo 33 Comments Ruys, John van Ruiten, Cees 9 Prophyta Foundation A remarkable perspective Moerman and Jan Timmerman publisher/chief editor Monique Krinkels 10 CMŠSA President Milan Pavlíˇcek 35 Comments contributing editors Charles ‘I expect interesting discussions’ An unacceptable burden Frink, Huib Ghijsen, Bram de Jonge, Geert-Jan de 36 Rabobank envisages future grower Klerk, Annet Lamers, Niels Generation gap will alter Louwaars, John van Ruiten, Hajo Strik, Wietse Vroom operational management sub editor Ray Vale graphic design Marcel Bakker, 38 Changing world De Ontwerperij Seed companies do not profit production manager Hajo Strik from soaring food prices cover photograph Meilland printed by Global Printing 40 Adaptations in drying strategies addresses Blue Bird Publishers Global warming influences seed storage vof, Jan Kostelijklaan 16, 5IFOTUPQXPSLJOHXJUI´IPNFNBEFµTPGUXBSF PSTUPSJOHDSJUJDBM 1981 cg Velsen-Zuid, the Netherlands, 43 Vegetable seeds and plants CSFFEJOHEBUBJOIVHF&YDFMTIFFUTPSUPOTPGQBQFSXPSL phone +31 (0)255 521 852, 12 Seeds of the Czech Republic New hygiene system increases fax +31 (0)847 510 694, The cradle of breeding still security factor [email protected] proves its worth 4UPQTUPSJOHCSFFEJOHJOGPSNBUJPOJOUIFIFBETPGZPVSCSFFEFST www.bluebirdpublishers.com prophyta foundation BOEIFMQUIFNEPJOHUIFJSKPCNPSFFGGFDUJWFMZ p.o. box 40, 2370 aa 14 Extensive distribution Roelofarendsveen, network of Bejo Zaden the Netherlands, Eastern Europe offers huge potential phone +31 (0)713 326 161, fax +31 (0)713 326 364, email [email protected], 18 International Seed Federation website www.prophyta.nl 10 Questions to the present and former secretary general © 2008 All rights reserved. No portion of contents may be reproduced in any form 22 In search of new varieties 7FSEJJTUIFNPTUDPNQMFUFTPGUXBSFTPMVUJPOGPSBMMZPVSCSFFEJOHBDUJWJUJFT without written permission Climate change is also affecting breeding "TZTUFNUIBUSFBMMZUFMMTZPVFWFSZUIJOHBCPVUZPVSCSFFEJOHXJUIGBTUBOE from the publisher. 44 Patents and breeding for development The publisher and authors FBTZBDDFTTUPBMMIJTUPSJDBMBOEDVSSFOUEBUB JODMVEJOHQIPUPHSBQIJDNBUFSJBM 26 New generation priming Intellectual property protection declare that they have compiled for sugar beet seed challenges public research 8JUI7FSEJZPVDBOJODSFBTFZPVSCSFFEJOHDBQBDJUZBOETFDVSFJOWFTUNFOUT this publication carefully and to the best of their knowledge. Yield improvements impress US farmers PGQBTU QSFTFOUBOEGVUVSF However, no warranty or 48 Micropropagation in darkness representation is made to the 28 Plant breeding research in 2025 A novel way to reduce the accuracy or completeness of Bio-informatics will stimulate costs of tissue culture information contained in the international standardisation articles. The publisher and authors assume no liability whatsoever for any damage resulting from the use of this publication or its contents. Leading specialist in horticultural software Prophyta prophyta annual 2008 7BOEFS.BSDLTUSBBU -FJEFSEPSQ 5IF/FUIFSMBOET 5 &JOGP!EJTUFMOM XXXEJTUFMOM In Short In Short Editorial Fleuroselect presents Gold Medal Winners 2009 Takii strengthens position Optimally guarded The Japanese based company Takii has strengthened its position on the world flower market. Early this year it acquired the Danish company Global Flowers. This company is specialised in breeding high quality flower varieties of pot plants, bedding plants and cur flowers for the professional market. Its main products are Begonia semp. Gerbera, Lisianthus and Primula and it exports the flower seeds to more than 60 countries worldwide. 4 In September last year Takii took over K. Sahin Zaden. When in 1991 a revised upov convention came into being, breed- 5 The company, established by Kees and Elisabeth Sahin ers believed that their rights were optimally guarded. Even more in 1982, is renowned worldwide as a dynamic flower so as there was a special stipulation for mutants and genetically breeder. Elisabeth and her late husband Kees devel- modified varieties. If the phenotype of a new variety has all the oped a wide product assortment. It is the company’s signature achievement to successfully introduce new essential characteristics of an earlier variety except for one, it was species and novel genetic traits previously unknown to supposed to be essentially derived and the holder of the origi- the market. Besides F1 hybrid Delphinium, sunflow- nal variety could claim compensation. It was meant to protect ers and violas the company produces a large range of breeders from growers accidentally finding a spontaneous colour first year flowering perennials en garden annuals. mutant in their fields or from scientists adding a single gene to a protected variety. Since the start of upov in 1961 breeders of vegetatively multiplied species had insisted that additional regula- ‘Ballerina Red’ and ‘Ballerina White’ are all-round performers for a multitude of audiences Monsanto takes over De Ruiter Seeds tions were needed. In 1991 they finally were accommodated. Soon however, it became clear that the concept of essential deriva- Fleuroselect has recently presented Plumbaginaceae family and is native to Monsanto and De Ruiter Seeds Group have come to an tion it is not easy to define. Since the introduction, the discus- its 2009 Gold Medal Winners. This year Portugal. It goes by the common name of agreement regarding the sale of the De Ruiter Seeds. With sions therefore never have stopped. Ten years ago, the debate three new varieties received this award for ‘sea thrift’. This variety is a very common, this acquisition, Monsanto has become one of the leading novelties that clearly surpass any existing conspicuous and beautiful member of the companies worldwide in the protected-culture sector. De flared as maize breeders proposed to consider varieties as derived, varieties in terms of breeding innova- coastal flora, found both on rocks and in Ruiter Seeds specialises in breeding cucumber, pepper, if they have a genetic conformity of over an agreed percent- tion and beauty. The independent expert salt marshes. Sea-thrifts are maritime cli- melon and rootstocks for tomato culture . Monsanto paid age. Today, 17 years later, the debate has been rekindled again judges have chosen Prunella grandiflora mate flowers, unhampered by salt when 546 million euros to buy the Dutch-based company. The as Ciopora published a position paper in which they imposed ‘Freelander Blue’ from Clause and the Ar- growing near the ocean. acquisition still has to be approved of by the authorities. a threshold of 0.90 for all vegetatively multiplied ornamentals meria pseudarmeria ‘Ballerina Red’ and Monsanto aims to increase its turnover in the vegetable and and fruit species. A new variety that differs less than 10% from ‘Ballerina White’ both from Kieft Seeds, Self heal fruit seed sector to over a billion dollars. De Ruiter Seeds is to Holland. For the second time Clause has managed become Monsanto’s centre of excellence for vegetable seeds an existing variety, is supposed to be essentially derived. to breed a Gold Medal winning Prunella in protected sector, while Seminis will focus on the open field Besides, the concept of essential derivation is broadened to contain Sea thrift grandiflora, this time with ‘Freelander vegetable market. A third company, the International Seed even varieties that are obtained by normal breeding activities, such For the first time in Fleuroselect history, Blue’. In 2006 the company already re- Group Inc. will serve customers of regional seed businesses. as back-crossing and selection. If the association gets its own two innovative Armeria pseudarmeria va- ceived a Gold Medal for ‘Freelander Mix- De Ruiter Seeds was one of the last remaining family-owned way, it will restrict a crucial fundamental of the upov conven- rieties made it to the Fleuroselect judges’ ture’. Besides being compact and uni- seed companies in the Netherlands. It was founded in 1945, Gold Medal honours list. The judges were form, ‘Freelander Blue’ flowers early and immediately after de second world war by Wouter de Ruiter. tion, namely breeder’s exemption. And breeder’s exemption is particularly impressed by the pack per- in great profusion from May to October. He set up a small company that produced seed potatoes and the driving force behind the continuing improvement of variet- formance of both Armeria pseudarmeria This compact new variety is a vigorous, other agricultural and horticultural seeds. Soon after, he added ies. It is too valuable an instrument for progress to let go of it. ‘Ballerina Red’ and ‘Ballerina White’ fol- hardy perennial that is excellent for the breeding and the selection of varieties to his activities. Among Ciopora claims that the views expressed in this position paper are lowed by an excellent garden perform- front of borders. The ‘Freelander’ series the early successes were ‘Sporu’ a cucumber variety that is shared by the majority of breeders of asexually produced orna- ance. These wonderful new varieties are is a real value-for-money range; once resistant to Spot Virus and ‘Sonato’ a tomato variety resistant mental and fruit varieties. However,