Print This PageAn Age Old Process
New Product Research
We have 52 research stations in 17 countries. This allows us to develop and adopt products to local microclimates for the benefit of local consumers, literally around the world.
New vegetables and fruits are born in the greenhouse. Two plants, known as parent lines, are cross-pollinated to create a hybrid.
Hybrids allow researchers to combine the best traits of many different plants. They offer higher yields, improved quality, uniformity, flavor and nutrition, as well as better resistance to pests and adverse environmental conditions.
This process of selecting and crossing the best plants dates back to the early days of farming when crops were first domesticated. Today, hybridization techniques are more sophisticated, but the process itself is essentially the same.
We invest $50 million dollars in research and development every year, and employ more than 600 highly trained scientists and technicians. The end result is better, healthier food for people in more than 150 countries.
How We Create New Hybrids
By understanding the laws of heredity, plant breeders can cross a large yellow pepper and a small red pepper to create a hybrid that is large and red. In this case the traits for size and red color are dominant (yellow is a recessive trait). Traits like nutritional levels operate under the same laws, but are far more complex to work with.
