De Kwakel, March 2019 – Hydrangea Breeders Association (HBA) by definition supplies varieties that have a good shelf life. To fulfil this promise, keeping quality tests at one’s own location in De Kwakel are a fixed part of the selection procedure.

Pot plant expert Jan ten Brinke opens the door to the test room. On long tables there is a variety of pot plant hydrangeas in all sorts of colors and shapes. A number of plants with umbels that look like they have been splashed with pink and white paint catch the eye. “Very special, yes,” says Ten Brinke. “And they keep fresh,” he says, examining.

Focus on the flower
All plants have now been in the test room for three weeks that complies with the shelf life testing protocol. “That means that the hydrangeas here must stand for six weeks at 20⁰C under living room conditions,” Ten Brinke explains. During the shelf life tests, the focus is on how the flower sticks, a secondary aspect is coloring. Cultivation properties such as even flowering, susceptibility to botrytis and beautiful leaves were looked at at an earlier stage during earlier clone trials.

Promising types
The pot plant specialist walks to a number of white hydrangeas. “Those are often sensitive types,” he knows. The flower edges of some varieties turn brown quickly, but the white with double flowers that Ten Brinke points out shows no brown coloring. ,, Look at what beautiful umbels they have. That looks promising. We already have a double light pink and a double light blue, but not a white one yet.

Important argument
The full-flowered white is one of the candidates that HBA will be able to put on the market as a new variety in two years, Ten Brinke points to the other hydrangeas in the test room. But first wait for the end of the test. ,, Shelf life is becoming an increasingly important selling point for consumers. HBA pays attention to that. “

De Kwakel, February 2019 – WAC, Wagagai Agriom Combination, has opened new trial sites for roses in Ecuador and Columbia. In 2018 several hundred WAC selections were planted at both sites. “ During the open days in March, we will be proud to present them to potential customers’’, says Agriom director Jaap Stelder.

He enthusiastically shows photos on his laptop of a few selections at the trial site in Ecuador, which he visited in January. A white rose with a lovely full head immediately catches the eye. “ This is Vanilla Ice, our absolute star at the moment. A very productive selection with buds that open nicely and with a slightly elongated shape which prevents them from easily damaging during transport ”, he explains. “ And this is also a great one”, he says as he clicks through to another white rose. “This is the FF100, which has a slightly larger flower than Vanilla Ice.”

Wider range of possibilities
The WAC rose trial site at an altitude of 2800 metres in Cayambe, Ecuador is located at the Flowerfest nursery. The WAC used to have a trial site at Fiscella in Cayambe. “However, we ceased that cooperation as Flowerfest offers a wider range of possibilities ”, explains Stelder. “South America is a key market. We want to introduce South American growers to the WAC range and no longer focus solely on sales in African production areas. ” Within WAC, breeding company Agriom from De Kwakel and Ugandan grower Wagagai have joined forces to develop new selections.

Promising talents
The keen interest shown by South American growers in the WAC range is underlined by the fact that Ecoroses, a nursey at an altitude of 3100 metres in Machachi, Ecuador, planted a trial bed with Bali in October last year. “This rose with flamingo-coloured petals on the outside and a cream-coloured heart is a true talent, and the same can be said of the bi-coloured Catch and certain selections that are still identified by number”, says Stelder. The WAC range planted at the test location in Ecuador can be visited during the open days to be held at the end of March.

Later on in the season, open days are also planned at the WAC trial site at an altitude of 2700 metres in Colombia at Unique Collection Farms in Savanna de Bogota. “Our selections there were planted a little later and in a slightly less advanced stage of growth. But we naturally also want to show them to any interested growers. They looked fabulous when I was there in January, so that’s very promising!’’

Photo caption: Edgar Orjuela (centre left) and Matin Yepes (right ), WAC representatives in Ecuador and Colombia, respectively, inspect a bed of Bali at the new WAC test location in Cayambe, Ecuador.

Agriom: Jaap Stelder director, +31 6 5140 8341
WAC Ecuador: Edgar Orjuela, +593 999706451
WAC Colombia: Martin Yepes, +57 314 4597115
WAC Kenya: Richard McGonnell, +254 722 810 968
or visit the WAC-website.

Naivasha, 20 February 2019 – WAC will be having open days at their trial house in Naivasha, Kenya on Thursday February 28 and Friday March 1.

“We will be showing all our latest rose selections including the first viewing of the 2019 selections”, says Richard McGonnell, Sales Manager at WAC.
“For those that may not know where we are located, we are on Wildfire Farm, Moi South Lake Road, Naivasha, opposite the entrance to Enashipai Hotel.
Welcome at Wildfire Farm!”

More info, contact Richard McGonnell (+254 722 81 09 68) or visit the WAC-website.

De Kwakel, 9 February 2019 – Hydrangea Breeders Association (HBA) in De Kwakel has started a trial site with cut flower hydrangeas in Colombia. In the new trial site, HBA planted fifty selections so they can be tested under local growing conditions, “The market requires new shapes and colours, which we are eager to deliver”, Agriom director Jaap Stelder explains.

The new HBS trial site at the Los Aromas nursery in La Union is located at an altitude of 2,500 metres in the Medellin region. “At this location, we will do trials with selections like Dream, Force and Ice Cube. These have already proven themselves in Kenya and now, we want to test them in Colombia as well”, Stelder says. “We have also planted different selections which we are unfamiliar with, but which certainly have potential. Now we have planted the trial site in La Union, we can show our customers all we offer at one central location. ”
The cultivation of hydrangeas in Colombia has to modernise, Stelder says. In Colombia, traditionally, a lot of white cut flower hydrangeas are cultivated. About 1,100 hectares are registered, but in practice, about 2,000 hectares of hydrangeas are grown, mostly by small growers on a low-tech basis. Stelder sees that sales to the United States, but also other countries, are increasing. “This means that cultivation has to professionalise and the assortment needs to expand. The market requires new shapes and colours.”
Alejandro Echeverri Mesa, the young entrepreneur who manages the HBA trial site in La Union, shares Stelders’ views and has a lot of experience in growing cut flower hydrangeas and carrying out trials. “We are very confident that Alejandro can contribute to HBA’s success in Colombia.”
HBA is represented in Colombia and Ecuador by Ball SB.

Photo: Tropical HBA cut flower hydrangeas offer perspective

For more information contact:

Agriom/Jaap Stelder +31 6 5140 8341

De Kwakel, 2 January 2019 – Brazilian grower Adriano van Rooyen will focus on growing hydrangeas for cut flowers chosen from the Tropical series offered by Hydrangea Breeders Association (HBA) in De Kwakel. Van Rooyen has been breeding roses in Holambra and Andradas for many years but is taking a new direction by shifting the focus to cut flower hydrangeas. “He has the fullest confidence that the range offered by HBA will secure a good future’’, says Agriom director Jaap Stelder, who visited van Rooyen in Brazil at the end of November.

To learn more about growing the plants and the market potential of cut flower hydrangeas, van Rooyen ran trials of a number of selections from the HBA programme Cut Flowers Tropical for four years. This programme is aimed specifically at breeding cut flower varieties of hydrangea suitable for equatorial production regions. “Adriano see prospects ahead. This is emphasised by the fact that his daughter Camilla van Rooyen and her fiancé Lucas are currently building a greenhouse complex where they will also grow cut flower hydrangeas”, says Stelder

Agriom, partner in HBA, is the first breeder to start a programme focused on the selection of hydrangeas for the equatorial region. This series contains varieties that have proven to form flower buds easily in tropical climates. The HBA series is grown in regions including Kenya by Blooming Innovations and Flora Delight.

In Brazil, Gé Barendse is making pioneering efforts with the cut flower hydrangea series being developed by HBA. “The specific climate conditions in Holambra are challenging, but Gé is a seasoned grower who gets the most out of our genetics, “says Stelder. “The relationship with cutting supplier Sjaak van Schie, propagator of the HBA varieties, has confirmed Gé’s conviction that cut flower hydrangeas are a promising prospect for the Brazilian market. The ultimate in chain cooperation”, concludes Stelder.

Photo: Adriano van Rooyen (centre), his daughter Camilla and her fiancé Lucas see a future in HBA’s cut flower hydrangeas

For more information contact:

Agriom/Jaap Stelder +31 6 5140 8341

De Kwakel, 18 December 2018 – Perfecta Breeding, the cooperative partnership of Lankhaar Nursery in Bleiswijk and breeding company Agriom in De Kwakel, is expanding the growing area in Brazil with new Kalanchoe selections. “Our genetics are supremely suitable for cultivation in South Amerika’’, says Agriom’s Jaap Stelder, who visited Holambra at the end of November.

The Perfecta and Prime-line selections bred by Perfecta Breeding are easy to grow and require practically no growth retardants. The Perfecta selections in particular have a compact growth habit, which makes them very suitable for cultivation in smaller pot sizes. By opting for 6 cm pots, Brazilian growers are responding to consumer preferences. Sales of pot plants to local supermarket chains and wholesalers via the Holambra auction are increasing significantly year on year, confirms Stelder. “That opens up opportunities for a consumer-friendly product like Kalanchoe.”

Brazil is familiar territory for Perfecta Breeding. The cooperative partnership of Lankhaar Nursery and breeding company Agriom collaborates in Brazil with Ball Horticultural do Brasil and has been doing business for many years with producers including Bloom and Rios Flores.

Photo caption: Modern kalanchoe nurseries like that of Joost van Oene are based in Holambra.

For more information contact:

Agriom/Jaap Stelder +31 6 5140 8341

De Kwakel, November 2018 – At the end of November, breeding company Agriom  selected 12 hibiscus varieties from the cloning trials at Piante Keicher in Italy for the Hibiscus Working Group. Following a second, extensive phase of trials a number of these new varieties will be made available for growers in South Europe in 2020.

“Each variety is a plant that excels in terms of plant structure, flower colour, leaf shape and is specifically suitable for cultivation under the climate conditions typical to the south’’, explains pot plant specialist Jan ten Brinke of Agriom. “This one for instance with these very attractive bright yellow flowers with a red heart. This variety also has fabulous showy, so-called ‘candles’ ’’, he points to the upright flower buds. “And that one with its glossy, compact leaves and apricot coloured flowers with a pink heart, that’s a colour we didn’t have until now. So they really complement our existing range of Sunny Cities varieties.’’

Ten Brinke, together with Dieter Keicher, selected a total of 12 plants from the cloning trials. Dieter Keicher owns the company in Latina in Italy where the cloning trials have been performed for the past four years. Agriom, Piante Keicher and a number of renowned Dutch hibiscus growers form the Hibiscus Group that will be launching the Sunny Cities line on the market.

For the next trials, a number of other plants from a previous year’s trials will be added to the 12 selected varieties. “Such as Amalfi and Verona, for example’’, says ten Brinke. ” These two were already chosen earlier by the Dutch growers that comprise the Hibiscus Working Group and will be available for buyers at auction in 2019.’’

Contact Jan ten Brinke for more info.

De Kwakel, 5 November 2018 – From 7 – 9 November we welcome you in our HBA stand 19.18 in Hall 2 at the FloraHolland Trade Fair Aalsmeer.
New are the double-flowered Royal Kiss and Royal Anastasia and the single blue Royal Parade. Just like the other Royal varieties – our winter pruning series –  they are extremely suitable for cold and heated cultivation. The Classics show a beautiful color richness and excel in keeping quality. Discover all HBA varieties on the new HBA site www.hydrangeabreeders.nl.

We also show a selection of majestic DEWI Delphiniums. Top material from Dutch origin, grown in Kenya.
The breeding and selection program of Agriom and Nico Wigchert focuses on climate-specific varieties for temperate and (sub) tropical growing areas.

Click here for registration in advance and more info about the Trade Fair Aalsmeer

Welcome!
the Hydrangea Breeders Association team and Agriom team

De Kwakel, 17 October 2018 – Hydrangea Breeders Association actively develops cut flower hydrangea for various climatological areas. Apart from the moderate North-Western European climate zone for which varieties like Royal Kiss and Royal Benefit were introduced, HBA is specifically developing varieties for production areas around the Equator.  Due to the huge differences in climate the European varieties which need a cold period, are not suitable for production in the tropics, so specific genetics has been developed.

Under local production circumstances our selections are tested and selected for suitability. For this purpose a test location in Naivasha, Kenya was created in January 2018, and a second location in Rionegro, Colombia will be following in November this year. For Northern European producers a 2.300 m2 test location at Agriom in De Kwakel, the Netherlands, can be visited. Our current varieties as well as promising selections are presented to compare their performance. Also our test and selection location at Tom de Bruijn’s nursery in ’s-Gravenzande, the Netherlands, offers Hydrangea producers the opportunity to have a look inside the HBA kitchen.

Interested? We are most happy to make an appointment with you.

Please contact Jaap Stelder +31 (0)6-51408341 or Jan ten Brinke +31 (0)6-55826262

jan.ten.brinke@agriom.nl or visit www.hydrangeabreeders.nl

 

Naivasha, 27 September 2018 – At the Naivasha Horticultural Fair, Bert Middelkoop from Zuurbier International announced the winners of the ROOOZ contest 2018. 29 intermediates and 36 large-flowered varieties participated in the competition for the best African grown rose. At the show, held in June in the Historical Garden in Aalsmeer, the Netherlands, more than 300 traders cast their vote. In the weekend that followed and the consumer was welcome, another 350 votes were cast.
WAC B.V. won the consumers’ first and third prize with Pixie (215-267098) and Pink Swift in the Intermediate roses category. In the overall ranking (total score trade and consumer large-flowered and intermediate roses) the special bicolor Pixie gained the fourth prize.

Picture insert: Rosaline Zuurbier on behalf of Roooz (left) and Pim de Witte from WAC B.V.

More info, see  http://www.wac-international.com/new.htm

De Kwakel, 29th August – It took a couple of months of preparation time, but now the test location of the HBA cut hydrangeas is ready. The HBA varieties and promising selections are presented at the location of Agriom in De Kwakel, The Netherlands. Hydrangea growers are being invited to get acquainted with the strong HBA assortment. The blued culture as well as the normal culture can be seen side by side. First production is expected during spring 2019. Of course you are most welcome, please make an appointment with Jan ten Brinke, jan.ten.brinke@agriom.nl / +31 (0)6 55826262

HBA welcomes interested growers of hydrangea cutflowers at the HBA test location at Tom de Bruijn’s nursery in ‘s-Gravenzande, Westland. Thursday 5 July, location: Groeneweg 28. From 7-9 pm the flower trials of existing HBA varieties and promising hydrangeas can be visited. The HBA team will be delighted to inform you about the growth characteristics and possibilities. It is an ideal moment to share your experiences with colleague growers.
Interested? Please register in advance via HBA, info@hydrangeabreeders.nl or contact Jan ten Brinke for more info +31 6 5582 6262.

Read more about HBA at our site or at www.hydrangeabreeders.nl

Noordwijkerhout- 7 June 2018 Nico Wigchert is harvesting his successful Delphinium Dewi assortment at full flow. Due to remarkably nice weather his outdoor production has picked up considerably. Nevertheless he has spent some time with a guest from Guatemala who is setting up the production of this Series in this Central-American country. Overwhelmed by the crop, the assortment and of course the tropical circumstances we finished our visit early to allow Nico to focus on his harvesting priority! Read more on our site about the cooperation between Agriom and Nico Wigchert.

Get inspired and inform yourself about our assortment and the latest developments. Our staff will be present to answer your questions. Take a look in advance at the FlowerTrials website for a sneak preview and registrate online via FlowerTrials-Agriom

De Kwakel, 17 May 2018 –  As if the British royal family knew that Hydrangea Breeders Association would introduce its new hydrangea flower Royal Kiss around week 20 … It just cannot be a coincidence that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will give each other the wedding kiss this weekend! The Royal Kiss cut flower hydrangea with the deep pink colour is a very appropriate flower, double flowered and very early. This promising breeding result from HBA is cultivated by grower Tom de Bruijn and traded through Royal FloraHolland (VBN code 122051). Interested parties will have an extra chance to judge Royal Kiss in production during the HBA greenhouse presentation at De Bruijn’s nursery in ‘s-Gravenzande on 5 July. Moreover, this is a great opportunity to see the new HBA clones growing in a production environment. Further information will follow on the website of HBA (www.hydrangeabreeders.nl).

 

More information

Agriom / Hydrangea Breeders Association

Jaap Stelder: 06-51408341

jaap.stelder@agriom.nl

www.hydrangeabreeders.nl

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