b'Independence and Collaboration are the Hallmarks of a Healthy Vegetable Seed SectorIN MARCH 2023,the U.S. Department of AgricultureIt really is a win/win model. The industry technology (USDA) published a report titled More and Bettercompany can work with the plant breeders and com-Choices for the Farmer: Promoting Fair Competitionmunicate their pain points in their designs. Often with and Innovation in Seeds and Other Agricultural Inputs.a simple breeding project, breeders can design the In this report the authors acknowledged the vegeta- trait to make the efficiency of the technology, equip-ble seed breeding market has seen some consolida- ment, or process better.tion but, for the most part, the specialty crop sector is diverse and fragmented with acceptable levels ofUniversitiescompetition. Will this be the case in the future andThe USDA report mentioned, and with concern, how RICK FALCONERwhat trends will we see? there are fewer public breeding programs in our uni-Managing Director,Part of the answer lies in the question: why is theversities. Public institutions also can benefit with the Rijk Zwaan USA vegetable seed sector more diverse and independenttrend towards collaboration. Many modern technolo-vs commodity crops?gies originate from the university system and, as they The vegetable seed market is more fragmenteduse collaborative association with commercial stake-perhaps by the sheer diversity of crops in the categoryholders, increased revenue and growth will come to and by the multiple segments within each crop the public sector. The vegetable breeding sector has indoor, outdoor, fresh, processed, etc. It is difficult forexamples where groups of breeding companies col-one company to dominate in all crops for all segments.laborate in cooperative basic research programs and The nature of our business is that each company hasshare the outcomes with the industry. A few examples their own expertise and market dominance. There areare the Keygene initiative in the Netherlands and the breeding companies that focus on leafy vegetables andSeed Biotechnology Center at UC Davis. Since 2006, others that focus on processing crops. Companies thatUC Davis Plant Breeding Academy has trained over breed one single crop/segment and others that breed400 plant breeders covering all different crops.dozens of crops. Some companies dominate in warm arid conditions and others strengths are in northernLicensing Opportunitiesgrowing conditions. Yet all these breeding companiesIn recent time we also see the development of new have the same challengeto keep up with changingcompanies in the marketplace who some have called markets and growing conditions to remain competitive. the Breeding Company 2.0.These companies dont fit the traditional vegetable breeding company model New Technologiesbut often focus on one or a few specific traits and then One significant trend in the vegetable seed industry islicence these innovations to other breeding compa-the need to collaborate with other industries to meetnies. Large companies can benefit, but small breeding these market demands. The market developmentcompanies can too with access to advance breed-race has always been a part of our industry but nowing events that would be difficult financially without with issues such as climate change and rapid marketthe high level of research capital. The vegetable seed shifts, we see more demand than ever to be quickerindustry must grapple with many challenges ahead, and more efficient. There is tremendous opportunityfrom climate change to policies around new technolo-for the biological pest control industry, the agriculturalgies to changing market demands. Is your company engineering industry (including robotics), and artificialusing collaboration to best meet these and other chal-intelligence industry to cooperate with plant breeders.lenges? SW 56/ SEEDWORLD.COMFEBRUARY 2024'