BASF Vegetable Seeds celebrates twenty years of successful collaboration in high-wire cultivation of cucumbers
Next year, it will be twenty years since BASF Vegetable Seeds started breeding high-wire cucumbers. Together with growers, plant breeders, consultants, and other partners, we have acquired a great deal of knowledge about high-wire cultivation and built up an advanced portfolio of high-wire varieties. This will be celebrated together extensively in 2020. During the year, various partners will talk about the development of high-wire cultivation from their perspective and events and activities will be organized for networking, sharing knowledge, and gaining inspiration.
From the past to the future
The successful cultivation of high-wire cucumbers was preceded by a long run-up. In the 1990s, entrepreneurs were already trying to grow cucumbers with this method in tomato greenhouses. The advantages – a higher production rate and better fruit quality – were visible immediately. But there was also a downside. It was still labor-unfriendly and problems were caused by viruses.
It was not until several years later that high-wire cucumber cultivation developed rapidly, which can be partly attributable to Nunhems’ varieties. In 2009 and 2010, Hi Jack, Hi Tona, and Beesan were the first varieties to successfully enter the Dutch and Canadian markets. Since 2014, Nunhems’ cu-cumber varieties can be found in high-wire greenhouses around the world, from the Netherlands and Scandinavia to the USA and New Zealand. “High-wire cultivation has become the state-of-the-art cultivation method in most high-tech countries as it facilitates market-focused production, further optimization, and automation,” explains Anne Jancic, Marketing and Business Development High Tech at BASF Vegetable Seeds.
Collaboration and joint celebration
BASF Vegetable Seeds emphasize that it would not have been possible to develop high-wire varie-ties and crop concepts without the help of customers, consultants, and other parties.
“We would like to thank everyone who has contributed to this development and celebrate our suc-cess with them. We will take everyone on an exciting journey from the past to the future – via events, masterclasses, videos, and more,” Anne explains.
There will also be time to reflect on the next step, in which a key role is played by technology and the response to consumer needs. “Data management, automation, and lighting are the main aspects of cultivation technology,” Anne continues. “On the consumer side, the main topics are health, flavor, and convenience. There are plenty of challenges and opportunities for us to take on together with our partners.”
Join us in celebrating twenty years of high-wire cucumber cultivation - The Only Way is Up!
For further information, please contact
- Anne Jancic, Marketing en Business Development High Tech
anne.jancic@vegetableseeds.basf.com - Veronique Savelkoul, Global Sales Manager High Tech
veronique.savelkoul@vegetableseeds.basf.com - Your local cucumber sales specialist
About BASF’s Agricultural Solutions division
With a rapidly growing population, the world is increasingly dependent on our ability to develop and maintain sustainable agri-culture and healthy environments. Working with farmers, agricultural professionals, pest management experts and others, it is our role to help make this possible. That’s why we invest in a strong R&D pipeline and broad portfolio, including seeds and traits, chemical and biological crop protection, soil management, plant health, pest control and digital farming. With expert teams in the lab, field, office and in production, we connect innovative thinking and down-to-earth action to create real world ideas that work – for farmers, society and the planet. In 2018, our division generated sales of €6.2 billion. For more infor-mation, please visit www.agriculture.basf.com or any of our social media channels.
About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The approximately 122,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of around €63 billion in 2018. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (BAS). Further information at www.basf.com.