November 13, 2023
Between September 25th and 29th, 2023, the F.N.P.S.M.S. hosted a large delegation coming from several European countries, whose members participated in a study tour aimed at learning about the various actors and specificities of corn seed multiplication in France.
The delegation consisted of twenty members coming from France, Spain, Italy, Romania, and Bulgaria. The participants were invited on the basis of their ability to provide advice to the grain industries in their respective countries. Thus the group included members of corn producer associations, journalists, seed retailers, and corn growers.
Several companies that are members of the F.N.P.S.M.S generously accepted to open their doors to the delegation in order to share and explain their work. KWS gave an overall view of their work regarding corn, in terms of research and development, hybrid innovation, and specificities that give particular quality to seed multiplication in France.
The Arvalis Institute also opened its doors to present their latest research tools, particularly the PhénoField, which allows for a fine-tuned study of grain crops.
The SEM Centre, an agricultural cooperative which is part of the Agrial cooperative, specialised in seed multiplication, especially corn seeds, also received the delegation and explained their work as a seed multiplication company, and the technical and ongoing improvement relations that links them to their multiplication growers. Lastly, two multiplication farmers opened the doors to their farms and explained their work as corn seed growers, the technical specificities of their activity, and the permanent dialogue with both the companies and the crop inspectors that help them steer towards their optimum objectives: quality and consistency of their production.
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