Not only do we produce plants but data as well. Most of the research in the R&D department is performed for the production departments. The 15% annual growth of SBW International BV in the last 7 years could not have been realized without the strong synergy between research and production. 

External clients also profit from the experience of our researchers and their contacts with scientific institutes and the research advisory board, in which prominent scientists are represented. 

Our researchers take on any challenge in tissue-culture related research into breeding or micropropagation. The research projects are carried out confidentially and can be executed on the basis of exclusivity.

Somatic embryos could be responsible for a breakthrough, namely in large-scale cultivated agricultural and industrial crops. Then it’s more about the cost price per plant and less about uniformity. Scaling up to larger quantities is not a problem. SBW International is getting to grips with two projects in Brazil.

Research Director Michiel van Bennekom visited Brazil in February. In meetings with potential clients and research facilities he evaluated how SBW could be of service with their expertise in the area of somatic embryogenesis. “We started applying this technique to crops that were hard to or impossible to propagate using traditional techniques. The advantage is that you can up-scale the process to such a degree that for example from a couple of coffee plantlets in our TIB system you can produce a couple of thousand plantlets.”

And the build up to larger quantities is quicker and no cutting is necessary, which also saves on costs. A disadvantage is that there is a small chance of deviation. Of course we don’t want that with ornamental crops. “But a small amount of variation in an area planted with Pinus is not a problem. The trees are meant for pulp production. Uniformity is less important here. With industrial crops and agricultural crops like Coffee it’s about cost price. On large plantations it makes a difference if you have a plant that costs 60 euro cents per unit or one of 10 euro cent per unit.” The market demands “a not too expensive plant with the same characteristics as the mother plant”. “And therein lies our biggest challenge.” 

Translating expertise

SBW is taking on the challenge with two clients: one in Pinus and the other in Coffee. With the latter the negotiations are in a late stage. “We have to translate the protocol to production on a commercial basis.” A project with Pinus propagator ArborGen is already in progress. The experiments for these clients will be carried out both in Roelofarendsveen and in Holambra so that they can learn from each other. That ensures the method is suitable for application at all SBW International laboratories. Michiel van SBW starts two projects in Brazil Somatic embryos will ensure a cheaper coffee plantlet Bennekom: “What we want to achieve is to achieve the level of expertise necessary to apply somatic embryogenesis to other crops later on. Those will be crops where large quantities are needed and where cost price is the most important factor.”

Director Fabio Brun of ArborGen became acquainted with SBW International in 2005 through a South American client. It led eventually to a project with Pinus and Eucalyptus at SBW do Brasil. He hopes by the end of 2008, given that a lot of promising developments have been achieved, to see more results.

ArborGen is an American company, with a facility in Campina’s, in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo. Its core business is developing and applying biotechnology to forestry crops, mainly Eucalyptus and Pinus sorts. The main markets are North and South America, Australia and New Zealand. Brun: “Our objective is to provide, applying technology, trees that grow more densely, quickly and sustainably on a small area of land. Our motto is, ‘more wood, less land’.” His company was looking for a laboratory that was able to clone Pinus and to conserve tissue culture material from Eucalyptus. “It had to take place locally and that was possible in Holambra. But SBW can also provide up scaling, which is important for the ensuing commercial stages. I think that SBW is capable of getting the results that we are seeking to achieve.”

Professionals

He is impressed with the collaboration with SBW do Brasil. “There are experienced professionals there who are able to adapt to new challenges.” Fabio Brun is satisfied with the preliminary results. “Even though we are in the experimental stage, we have proven ourselves capable of bringing to light most of the problems that needed to be solved. Now we are in the process of refining the protocols. All on an experimental level, but we are making progress.” The next step involves testing samples. The ArborGen director is pleased that SBW has discovered the South American continent. “Providing this type of service is crucial. It ensures healthy competition in the future. And it will play its part in improving the quality of the entire market.” In his opinion it’s not just SBW’s expertise and specific techniques that will lead to good results. “Yes, those are important, but professionalisation, knowledge of the market and competitive prices are just as important.” If it is up to him, ArborGen will continue to bring its projects to SBW do Brasil in the future