New strawberry varieties are developed at the breeding department, by traditionally crossbreeding interesting strawberry cultivars and selections from our own programme. The progeny will subsequently be tested with respect to factors such as taste, production capacity, shelf life and disease resistance. Our breeding programme, from which well-known varieties such as Sonata and Elsanta originate, is aimed at creating varieties that are favourable to the consumer, as well as to the grower and the trade.
Both financially, but also in terms of time, the development of a new variety is a costly investment. The evalution period usually lasts eight years or even more. During this time, tests are executed on an increasingly large scale. Finally, from tens of thousands seedlings, there remain only one or two selections appropriate for introduction to the market.
The Fresh Forward Breeding team works on three separate breeding programmes:
1. Junebearers for North West Europe
2. Everbearers
3. Short day cultivars for Mediterranean countries
An overview of all our varieties with additional information can be found here.
Breeding Accel collaboration.
This collaboration was set up by: KP Holland, Interplant Roses, Schoneveld Breeding, Sion Young Plants, Fresh Forward and Royal Van Zanten. Together, these companies form Breeding Accel, an innovative knowledge platform in which the individual companies unite their knowledge and research capacity. The aim is to shorten the time-to-market of starting material and to jointly invest in the latest breeding techniques and exchange knowledge. Through the cooperation of our companies, we join forces and facilitate the exchange of knowledge. Of course, our customer - the grower - also benefits from the cooperation: better-quality starting material and a faster throughput time of the breeding cycle. We aim to shorten the time-to-market within a few years. The latest techniques also make it easier to realise distinctive characteristics in products.
Molecular department
In 2021, Breeding Accel set up a molecular laboratory where the partners use the facilities, conduct joint research and develop knowledge. This laboratory is located in company building PlantXperience in Wilp.
Funding/in collaboration with:
European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe is investing in its countryside
Fresh Forward Breeding, Schoneveld Breeding and Agri Information Partners (AIP) are collaborating within the Fenovation project to develop an innovative digital phenotyping process. By using cameras, sensors, artificial intelligence (AI), and advanced data analytics, plant traits can be recorded more quickly, objectively, and accurately. This enables a new generation of data-driven breeding techniques that accelerate the development of improved varieties.
Digital phenotyping allows characteristics such as plant growth, uniformity, yield, and disease resistance to be measured and analyzed automatically. The collected data are integrated into the breeding process, enabling faster and better-informed selection decisions.
The project contributes to a future-proof agricultural and horticultural sector. Improved breeding processes make it possible to develop new varieties more quickly that are better able to withstand diseases, pests, and the effects of climate change. In addition, this can lead to more efficient use of resources and a reduction in the use of crop protection products.
Fenovation focuses on testing, validating, and demonstrating digital phenotyping under practical growing conditions. The knowledge and insights gained through the project contribute to further innovation within the Dutch breeding sector and stregthen the competitive position of innovative SMEs
This project is made possible in part by a contribution from the European Union via the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under OP Oost.
