Who are we ?
  UK independent seed company.
•  160yrs old
•  Family run
  We sell vegetable and agricultural seed to the UK and world
market
•  Good knowledge of the UK industry and the challenges it faces.
•  A lot of changes taking place
  We have breeding programs in wheat, oil seed rape and a range
of vegetable species.
•  Crops for sale on the world market.
•  UK specific
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Our People
Seed
Administration
Processing &
;7
Despatch; 11
Sales &
Marketing; 17
Seed Lab; 3
Breeding &
Trials; 29
Maintenance;
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What does the Breeding Industry Require From
VeGIN?
SUPPORT TO ACHIEVE OUR BREEDING AIMS
Keep from falling or sinking
To give strength to
To corroborate, to bring facts, to confirm
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To supply with necessaries
To enable to last or continue
Raddicchio - UK, Europe, World crop
Market evaluation
All year UK sourced supply
• Frost tolerance
Quality product
•  Colour
•  Standing ability
•  Wrapper leaves
•  Base
Harvesting
• Uniformity
•  size and shape
Disease resistance
• Mildew
Taste
•  Sweetness / bitterness
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Sprouting Broccoli
  All year UK sourced supply
  Different growth types
•  Large single main head
•  High quality multi stems
•  Fine slim spears
  Industrial Harvesting
•  Large main head
•  Bush type with multi heads
  White sprouting broccoli
Parsnip Breeding
  Selection criteria
•  Uniform shape
•  High yield of quality roots
•  Disease resistance
•  Extension of harvest period
•  Colour and taste
•  Lifting and processing
How does VeGIN support these breeding aims?
BAD NEWS
  The vegetable Industry is very Diverse
•  Wide range of crops
•  A wide range of breeding targets
  Growers must be involved
•  These are our customers
  Information must be clear
•  Confusion about what VeGIN is for
•  How do we use it
  Promote your capabilities
NOW THE GOOD NEWS
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How we have used the expertise at Warwick crop
centre
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships is Europe’s leading programme helping
businesses to improve their competitiveness and productivity through the
better use of knowledge , technology and skills that reside within the UK
knowledge base.
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KTP - advantages
  Straight forward and quick to arrange
  2 year project
  Associate based at Elsoms
  Industry partner + Research partner
  Technology must be embedded in the company
  Area advisor to keep things on track
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VEGIN – what’s on offer for breeders
  To develop the genetic resources and tools to accelerate breeding
for “sustainability traits” in field vegetables.
• Up to date information about the technology
• Help and advice on how to use the technology
• Genetic resources
• Application to other crops
  To establish an effective network with industry, for knowledge
transfer to promote market delivery of R&D.
•  Web site
•  ?
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It’s good to talk
  Identify what you need
•  What are the important problems we need to address
  Find out what the options are.
•  The crop centre has a lot going for it that we should utilise.
•  Large projects
•  Small problems
  Explore the different funding streams.
•  KTP
•  TSB
  If we don’t somebody else will spend the money for us.
•  Agree on projects
•  Use the crop centre
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IP
Genetics