CULTIVATION AND TECHNOLOGY Variety presentation 2012: in search of innovations Combine parameters in databases At Stet Holland trading company, a large proportion of variety innovation has been contracted out to the breeding station of the parent company, HZPC, in Metslawier. In view of the number of new varieties in the trays, clearly a successful strategy. Director Peter Ton wants to provide his customers with high-quality information about these varieties. ‘We make lots of photographs and films about the varieties during our travels, which we like to share with our customers. For this purpose, we’ve developed a computer app with the company Syntrax with which we can show our varieties in different growing areas. Because Syntrax has a great deal of experience with building high-quality databases, we can communicate this relevant information very quickly. We already have the varieties and countries combination complete, but we’re still able to expand the app further with a wide range of parameters. We’ve now reached a point where we’re working with the system as a stand-alone. We hope to have the system fully operational by next year. We no longer have to limit ourselves to that one tray of Grandeur at the variety presentation, but we can also show the rest of the world a score of photos of the variety from the various growing areas,’ Ton tells us with enthusiasm. It’s the market that innovates Jan-Eric Geersing sees innovation mainly occurring at company level at the Scottish breeding station and potato trading company Caithness Potatoes Ltd. ‘We can’t innovate as comprehensively as big breeding companies. Our power is that we’re more flexible. We are able to move a bit faster with varieties. When a big company has invested a great deal of money in a new variety, they won’t take it off the market very easily, even if sales are disappointing. If you’re talking about innovation, then you’ll mostly see that in the market. It’s the market that innovates. We had a few traders from the United States here yesterday. They were all carrying leaflets around with sales concepts for which they wanted specific varieties. They appeared to be interested in the various varieties and colours of baby potatoes, or fingerlings, as they’re called in the States. The types of potatoes I think we could offer them are mainly those we throw out of our current breeding programme. It’s a pity, of course, when you think that there’s a market for them; but you first have to know that market. Fortunately, I still had a good variety here on the shelf that suited their sales concept, and that’s the Apaché. It’s a purple-skinned variety that grows a lot of tubers and looks great in a bag with lots of different-coloured potatoes. And it’s also a potato with an excellent taste.’ Potato World 2013 • number 3 19 Pagina 18
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