A promising future

In the first three decades after foundation of the SAATEN-UNION in 1965, the distribution of maize-varieties has been a strong back-bone of their turnover. Legendary varieties like ANJOU 21, PIRAT and MAGISTER have been leading varieties in the German market.

However, and as plant breeding became more and more a matter of large scale selection programmes, in the 1990s the three sharehoders of SAATEN-UNION working on maize breeding, i.e. Suedwestdeutsche Saatzucht Dr. Späth, Strube and Nordsaat, were facing the need of merging their maize activities into a new organization. The output of this new company called SWS GbR has shown an astonishing growth in the last years. Some highlight of this development should be mentioned: The variety RAVENNA (FAO 210)  due to consistent yields and especially due to the highest energy-concentration and digestibility, became the biggest variety in the Danish market. TANGO (FAO 220), with the same advantages , was able to win significant market shares in Holland and became recently the biggest western corn variety in Belarus. In 2007, the variety REVOLVER (FAO 160) entered the Descriptive List in UK as earliest variety with an average yield above 100 %. Due to it""s excellent earliness at high levels of yield high market shares for the future are expected in several Nordic countries.

But not only in the very early maturing segment SAATEN-UNION varieties have developed a significant and competitive position. In the later maturing continental climate, SUM 0243 (FAO 320) and SUM 0235 (FAO 250) have started very successfully in their market. Several new varieties are in the pipeline now for the maturity classes from FAO 150 to FAO 400.

Better pest-resistance by conventional breeding
The biggest blockbuster for the future has not been mentioned yet: SUNRISE (FAO 380), which is the first variety with a spectacular high resistance against the western corn root worm (Diabrotica virgifera), will start registration in Hungary. The insect is causing heavy damages worldwide and is spreading over Europe, since the last decade. In the United States  due to the tremendous damage, the insect is called „The 1 Billion Dollar Bug“. Other tolerant maize-varieties  and different maturity classes will follow soon all over Europe. The tolerance against these insects is based on several genes. It has been implemented by conventional breeding. Compared to, GMO-induced resistance (Bt) depending on only one gene the risk of upcoming resistance is certainly much lower. 

Fifteen years ago, SWS GbR breeder Dr. Peter Goertz started the selection of Diabrotica-resistant maize varieties. The negative impact of strong insect pressure is reduced up to spectacular 90 %. No other maize breeding company has yet started of varieties with similar benefits. Certainly this technology will help SAATEN-UNION during the next decade to develop it""s potential all over Europe.

Dr. Ernst Loop; Head of International Department