Maize

Delley Seeds and Plants Ltd. and Saatzucht Gleisdorf Ges.m.b.H (SZG), Austria/Styria, jointly organise and carry out hybrid maize breeding

DSP has been successfully breeding and developing high-yielding hybrid maize varieties since the 1990s and SZG for over 75 years. Both companies have powerful genetics and a large number of variety registrations in Europe. Priority is given to the development of grain and silage maize hybrids in the FAO 200-300 maturity range.

Both breeding programmes have been merged and realigned for the future in a 50:50 cooperation. This will exploit synergies and strengthen the breeding development of maize hybrids. The current breeding sites in Delley (CH) and Gleisdorf (AT) will continue to play an important role in this respect, and a winter generation will also be carried out annually. The joint breeding programme is headed by Dr Alexander Strigens, DSP, who is assisted by Clemens Langmaier (BSc MSc) at SZG in Gleisdorf. Both companies have modern breeding and trial techniques, expert knowledge, as well as dedicated staff to successfully implement the breeding and economic goals.
Joint breeding programme:

• Development of new high-performance maize hybrids for silage and grain maize use (FAO 200 - 300).
• 50,000 manual pollinations per year
• 18,000 annual test plots
• 55 trial sites spread across Europe
• 50 ha inbred lines and basic seed production
• About 10 new variety applications for VCU testing per year

The varieties are shared between the two partners for commercial development. They organise their production and distribution in well-known manner. They rely on the existing, successful partnerships in the European seed market.

This transnational cooperation offers fertile ground for new approaches and innovative projects in hybrid maize breeding.

Contact:
Johann Posch, Saatzucht Gleisdorf Ges.m.b.H., Tel.: +43 3136 801 7401, johann.posch@saatzuchtgleisdorf.at
Karl-Heinz Camp, Delley Samen und Pflanzen AG, Tel.: +41 26 670 90 27, camp@dsp-delley.ch