A small cucumber seed looks inconspicuous, but inside it is bursting with technical ingenuity.
During the long journey to develop a successful variety, a modern seed company uses high-tech tools.
Plant breeding is a data puzzle
We use state-of-the-art analysis equipment to systematically study the DNA of plants and identify desirable characteristics. We do this on a large scale, for large quantities of plants, and at a fast pace. Breeding companies collect millions of data points each year. The search for the perfect plant has become a real data enigma.
Lots of data can be fun. The trick is to draw useful conclusions from a growing pile of data! So the plant breeders can move forward.
“There is not one way to do my job. I am constantly puzzling. There is no standard by which to measure possibilities and each possibility can lead to a different outcome. Sometimes I make huge steps that are very motivating, but sometimes I’m stuck for weeks! Well, that keeps me creative!”
Seed Valley: global centre
Bioinformatics specialists and data analysts are essential to breed new varieties! They develop algorithms that recognize relevant genetic patterns in large amounts of DNA data. The developments are changing fast.
The Netherlands is the leader in the development of new plant varieties. Did you know that about half of all vegetables in the world originate from the companies in Seed Valley?
