Seminis Vegetable Seeds Inc Delivers Innovative Whole Operation Solutions Felda Idea Exchange Event

ST. LOUIS (January 15, 2019) – Seminis Vegetable Seeds, Inc. (Seminis), known for its innovation, provided local growers with a first-hand look at global technologies and solutions that can help increase their operation’s efficiency and productivity at all levels during its Felda Idea Exchange (iX) event. The event, held on December 4, in Labelle, Florida, provided demonstrations of the latest technologies from key vendor partners, showcased the latest breeding and agronomic information, and provided networking opportunities to connect all in attendance.

“Seed choice is just one of the many things growers have to consider through the growing season,” says Javier Delgado, Regional Market Development Representative, Seminis. “We have growers covered with our excellent seed quality and innovations, but we want to help growers with all of the challenges they face. So, we hosted Felda iX, an event to connect growers with our industry partners who bring innovative solutions to a variety of other challenges they face to help them improve all aspects of their operation.”

Felda iX featured three key components – idea sharing, product and technology demonstrations and networking opportunities.

Idea Sharing

Rick Stein, Food Marketing Institute’s Vice President, Fresh Foods, was the keynote speaker. Stein provided growers with insights into the wholesale and retail markets, which they should consider before their crops are planted. “Convenience, freshness, transparency, and variety will continue to be key for consumers. And with everyone’s increasing dependence on cell phones and mobile devices, connecting with consumers to provide them with information about the food they are purchasing – from the farm where its grown to the ways they can prepare it – will be important for growers.”

Growers also heard from Bayer Crop Science’s Dr. John Purcell, the R&D Lead for Seminis. Purcell previewed where the company was focusing its efforts in the short- and long-term. “At Seminis we continually look for ways to help growers from a holistic, whole-operation perspective, so we’re breeding our seeds to provide solutions that address both grower and consumer needs. So our breeding will emphasize disease resistance, ease of harvest, and characteristics like taste and appearance.”

Product and Technology Demonstrations

A highlight for the day was a crop tour featuring the latest breeding innovations in peppers, sweet corn, watermelon, garden beans, cucumber/squash and tomatoes. During the tour, a pathology station and agronomic trials information showcased how Seminis is helping growers control devastating diseases like Bacterial Leaf Spot. The tour also featured demonstrations of the latest technologies and management practices available to help growers be as productive as possible given the existing conditions they face.

One demonstration featured Sentek Technologies. The Australian-based company developed soil moisture and salinity field sensors that allow growers to see live moisture levels and data from a field, helping them make better real-time management decisions.

Growers also experienced a “pole cucumber” plot where they could see and hear how to grow Seminis cucumbers on poles. The approach, which allows cucumbers to grow off the plastic and be harvested multiple times in a growing season, can potentially increase yields and the percentage of super selects.

Networking

For growers, though, the biggest value of the event was making personal connections with key third-party vendors from around the world as well as the top breeders and researchers within the Crop Science division of Bayer.

In addition to demonstrations, the below vendors also had the opportunity to connect directly with attendees:

• Agribotix
• PlantTape
• Saga Robotics
• Sentek Technologies
• Tri-Hishtil
• Waypoint Analytical
• Bayer Chemical Solutions

“Our goal is to help growers improve their operations and efficiency, so Seminis’ iX events have been a great opportunity for Sentek to hear directly from growers regarding their challenges,” says Peter Buss, Founder, Chief Scientist and Manager of R&D, Sentek. “At Felda iX, we were able to do that and showcase how our technology can help benefit them no matter what crop they grow or what part of the world they grow it in.”

To learn more about the Seminis Felda iX event or find out about upcoming Seminis events, growers can contact their local Seminis representative. For more information about Seminis or to locate a representative or dealer near you, visit the Seminis website. For images of the event, click here.

About Seminis Vegetable Seeds

Seminis® is committed to providing innovative solutions for every generation to help sustain our growing world. For over 150 years, the Seminis legacy has focused on producing the best vegetable seed varieties for growers to use in farming operations around the world. We are proud to support our grower partners by continuously developing new seed varieties through our global research and development team and specialty breeders, and by providing ongoing agronomic solutions to unique farming challenges. Together with our growers, we are passionate about bringing high-quality, nutritious produce to ensure a balanced plate for our global community. Seminis is represented by the Seminis® and DeRuiter® seed brands. For more information about Seminis® seed, visit www.seminis-us.com.

Seminis® and De Ruiter® are registered trademarks of Bayer Group. ©2018 Bayer Group. All rights reserved.