ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The High Rise™ broccoli series by Seminis Vegetable Seeds, Inc. (Seminis) was awarded the 2019 Science & Technology Circle of Excellence Award by the Produce Marketing Association (PMA). The award was created in 2017 to recognize game-changing science or technology innovations that can help the produce and floral industry create better products, processes or other customer value.
The High Rise portfolio includes two varieties – Eiffel and Hancock. The varieties grow tall and feature strong, clean stems with few large leaves and visible crowns that are firm and heavy. The uniform maturity, high yield potential and consistent product quality can help growers achieve efficient harvests through less harvest passes. In addition, varieties in the High Rise™ broccoli series are well-suited for time-saving machine harvesting, an ever-increasing request from growers.
“We are very proud of this award as it provides validation that Bayer is making a difference in agriculture, creating solutions to real problems that can help improve people’s lives and support sustainability for the future,” said West Region U.S. Sales Lead, Drew Johnson. “The sky’s the limit with the High Rise broccoli series by Seminis, and we are excited others are seeing its success as well.”
Developed in collaboration with growers, the High Rise broccoli series has been in the making for about 20 years. On average, it takes Seminis vegetable breeders between eight and 12 years to develop and commercialize a new vegetable seed variety. This time-intensive process of testing and re-testing helps Seminis deliver reliable seed that growers have come to trust and the industry has recognized.
The High Rise broccoli series was selected for the award from 41 nominations and reviewed by a panel of judges that included PMA staff science and technology experts, and qualified industry executives including previous award winners. The Science & Technology Circle of Excellence Award was created to bring PMA members together with science and technology connections that better the future of growers.
“This product is exciting because it harnesses the power of plant breeding to address our industry’s biggest pain point – a shortage of skilled labor – in a holistic way, while also paving the way to develop other new harvesting technology,” said PMA’s Vice President of Technology, Vonnie Estes. “This is a shining example of how seed variety innovations can fundamentally change how we conduct our business. Reducing our growers’ and processors’ stresses while also better meeting the market needs, ultimately that increase ROI and makes these businesses and markets more sustainable.”
If you’d like to learn more about the High Rise broccoli series by Seminis, visit our website at Seminis-us.com. To learn more about PMA, visit their website at pma.com.
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About Seminis
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 De Ruiter® seed brands. Seminis is the Vegetable Seeds business of Bayer’s Crop Science division. For more information about Seminis® seed, visit www.seminis-us.com.
Seminis and De Ruiter are registered trademarks of Bayer Group. ©2019 Bayer Group. All rights reserved.
About Bayer
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. Its products and services are designed to benefit people by supporting efforts to overcome the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development, and the Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2018, the Group employed around 117,000 people and had sales of 39.6 billion euros. Capital expenditures amounted to 2.6 billion euros, R&D expenses to 5.2 billion euros. For more information, go to www.bayer.com. (or www.bayer.us for US only releases)
About Produce Marketing Association (PMA)
Produce Marketing Association is the leading trade association representing companies from every segment of the global produce and floral supply chain. PMA helps members grow by providing connections that expand business opportunities and increase sales and consumption. For more information, visitwww.pma.com.
Seminis and De Ruiter are registered trademarks of Bayer Group. ©2019 Bayer Group. All rights reserved.