All our varieties are created using natural breeding techniques.

Breeding

Breeding is done in different breeding hubs for different climates. Our breeding station in the Netherlands breeds varieties for cool and wet climate. In Jordan we breed varieties suited for a hot and dry climate, and in Tanzania we breed varieties that fare well in a hot and wet climate. We conduct our test at our breeding stations and in trial fields located in Italy, Northern France, and Southern France. In addition, we have access to breeding locations of our sister companies in South-Africa, Zimbabwe, and Turkey.

Our breeding and selection programs use highly innovative and advanced breeding techniques such as molecular breeding and marker-assisted selection. All our varieties are created using natural breeding techniques. We do not use any methods that include genetic modification. 

Stock Storage and Quality Control

Quality is our trademark. A team of Bakker Brothers specialists is engaged to check every seed lot to ensure that these meet the highest quality criteria. Our specialists visit seed production fields and assess the growing conditions of the seed crops to monitor the seed quality during every step of processing. 

After production, our seeds are exported to our main office in the Netherlands. We store the seeds in our warehouse. Seeds are carefully stored in specialized boxes under the right climate conditions. 

At our laboratory the arrived seed lots are tested in accordance with the International Rules for Seed Testing as dictated by the ISTA. Our own qualified laboratory technicians test for thousand seed weight determination, germination, vigor, analytical purity, varietal purity, and moisture content. 

Outside our laboratory seed samples are grown out on greenhouses and extended trial fields to ensure the varietal purity. Bakker Brothers also uses external laboratories for DNA testing, absence of diseases, hybrid purity and variety verification. We report these findings to our customers upon request. Using all these methods, we ensure that the seeds that we supply are homogeneous, healthy, vigorous and clean. 

As our laboratory is adjacent to our main office and packing warehouse, the route from testing to packing to the customer receiving their seeds is efficiently planned.