Innovative Research & Development

Plant breeding is our passion. We focus on health and efficiency to enable our customers to operate sustainably and profitably. More than 12% of our sales are invested in breeding.

We breed oilseed rape, cereals, grasses, cover crops and sorghum. We have eight seed breeding stations in Europe and we are involved in breeding spring oilseed rape in Canada through DL Seeds. In addition, we test our varieties at numerous additional locations in Europe to ensure that we can adapt our locations.

We use state-of-the-art facilities, equipment and laboratory techniques to support traditional breeding work in the field and greenhouse.

 

Our seed breeding stations

Location
Between Paderborn and Lippstadt
 
Farm size
170 ha
 
Soil
Sandy, clayey loam, Ø soil value 55
 
Average annual precipitation
800 mm
 
Average annual temperature
8.5 °C
 
Altitude
100 m above sea level
Crops bred
Winter oilseed rape
 
Crops tested
Winter barley, winter wheat
 
Facilities
  • 155 ha of test fields and breeding nurseries with comprehensive testing technology
  • Air-conditioned greenhouses (incl. S1 greenhouse)
  • Climatic and  vernalisation chambers
  • Quality analysis laboratory, protein, isoenzyme and DNA marker analyses
  • Air-conditioned storage facility for breeding material
  • Demonstration site

 

 

Location
Near Dresden, "Lommatzscher Pflege"
 
Farm size
480 ha agricultural land (430 ha arable land)
 
Soil 
Loess loam, Ø soil value 75
 
Average annual precipitation
588 mm
 
Average annual temperature
9.6 °C
 
Altitude
165-225 m above sea level
Crops bred
Spring wheat, Winter wheat, Winter barley, Winter oilseed rape
 
Facilities
  • 90 ha test fields and breeding nurseries with comprehensive testing technology
  • Quality laboratory for cereals
  • VCU testing for winter oilseed rape and EU-variety trials
  • Demonstration site for marketing purposes
  • Greenhouses
  • Climatic chamber
  • Air-conditioned storage facility for breeding material
  • Propagation cultivation – 180 ha precursors and basic propagation cultivation

 

Location
Between Bremen and Hannover
 
Farm size
200 ha
 
Soil 
Sandy loam, Ø soil value 45
 
Average annual precipitation
751 mm
 
Average annual temperature
9.3 °C
 
Altitude
50 m above sea level
Fields of activity
Spring oilseed rape and turf grass breeding,
seed technology, phenotyping, reproduction of preliminary crops, research breeding nurseries
 
Crops tested
Performance tests with more than 40 species and mixtures
 
Facilities
  • 200 ha test fields and breeding nurseries (30 ha with irrigation)
  • Greenhouses, cytology laboratory
  • Facilities for seed analysis and treatment
  • Air-conditioned storage room for breeding material and prepress
  • Phenotyping centre with copter technology
  • Evaluation site for turf grass and feed sorghum
  • Extensive test and seed cleaning technology

 

Location
Between Saumur and Angers an der Loire
 
Farm size
25 ha
 
Soil 
Sandy clay
 
Average annual precipitation
650 mm
 
Average annual temperature
11.3 °C
 
Altitude
25 m above sea level
Crops bred 
Turf grasses (Perennial ryegrass, red fescue and tall fescue), Forage grasses (Perennial and Italian ryegrass, cocksfoot and tall fescue)
 
Crops tested
Other forage and turf grasses, rust resistance selection site
 
Facilities
  • Test field and breeding nursery with grass testing technology

 

Location
Southwest of Paris
 
Farm size
50 ha
 
Soil 

Calcareous clay

 
Average annual precipitation
600 mm
 
Average annual temperature
10.5 °C
 
Altitude
135 m above sea level
Crops bred 
Winter wheat
 
Crops tested
Winter oilseed rape, Winter wheat, Durum wheat, Winter barley
 
Facilities
  • Test site with comprehensive testing technology
  • Cereal propagation
  • Quality laboratory for cereals
  • Greenhouses
  • Propagation cultivation: production of pre-basic seed in winter wheat
  • Seed material processing facility
 

 

Location
Between Nijmegen and Venlo
 
Farm size
195 ha
 
Soil 
Loamy sand
 
Average annual precipitation
800 mm
 
Average annual temperature
9.8 °C
 
Altitude
11,8 m above sea level
Crops bred
Forage grasses (Perennial ryegrass, Italian ryegrass, annual ryegrass), sorghum, cover crops
 
Crops tested
Forage grass species, White clover, Red clover, Lucerne, Sorghum, Cover crops
 
Facilities
  • Air-conditioned storage facility for breeding materials, breeding lines and precursors
  • Quality laboratory for grasses
  • Equipment for testing the forage quality
  • Greenhouses
  • Polyethylene tunnel
  • Propagation cultivation: Production of pre-basic seed in grasses and cover crops
  • Demonstration trials for forage and turf seeds
  • VCU testing site for turf grasses
  • Extensive testing technology
  • Oilseed rape production fields
  • Demonstration site for marketing purposes

 

Location
Between Oxford and Birmingham (United Kingdom)
 
Farm size
50 ha
 
Soil 
Sandy loam
 
Average annual precipitation
700 mm
 
Average annual temperature
10.7 °C
 
Altitude
150 m above sea level
Crops bred
Forage grasses (Perennial ryegrass, Italian ryegrass and Hybrid ryegrass), Winter wheat
 
Crops tested
Other forage grasses
 
Facilities
  • Test fields and breeding nurseries with comprehensive testing technology
  • Official examination, winter oilseed rape, winter wheat, forage grasses, forage rape
  • Polyethylene tunnel
  • Greenhouse

 

Location

Region: Cherkassy, Village Dubiivka 
200 km southeast of Kiev

 
Farm size
40-45 ha, more than 30.000 plots
 
Soil 
Approx. soil value 60, typical chernozemic soil with little humus
 
Average annual precipitation
480-520 mm
 
Average annual temperature
7.3 °C
 
Altitude
96 m above sea level
Crops bred
Winter wheat
 
Crops tested
Winter oilseed rape, Winter barley, Spring oilseed rape, Spring wheat, Soybeans, Grasses, Sunflowers, Sorghum
 
Facilities
  • Test fields with comprehensive testing technology
  • Demonstration site for marketing purposes

 

Location

Morden, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton

 
Farm size
100 ha
 
Soil 
Dark loam to loam
 
Average annual precipitation
370 mm (April-September)
 
Average annual temperature
15.3 °C (April-September)
 
Altitude
239 m above sea level
Crops bred
Spring oilseed rape
 
Crops tested
Grain legumes
 
Facilities
  • Trials at 25 locations
  • Heated greenhouses
  • Climate chambers
  • Laboratory for Quality Testing (NIRS)
  • Marker Lab
  • Tissue culture chamber
  • Long term seed storage 

 

DynaSeed Technology

In order to make the best possible use of the high-quality genetic potential of DSV seeds in variable environments, we have also been scientifically advancing the complex topic of seed technology for many years. With DynaSeed, we have established an innovative seed treatment programme that makes plant development processes more dynamic.

DynaSeed Technology

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DynaSeed Technology

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