The development of a new plant does not always start with a preconceived plan. Or like Gerard Zwiers, head of breeding at Schoneveld Breeding, says: “You do not wake up one day thinking: and now I am going to make something special.” The latest addition to the assortment of Schoneveld Breeding is Super Serie Fusion. The story of this extraordinary Cyclamen starts in Japan.
“The unique features of Super Serie Fusion occur naturally in Japan,” says Gerard. “We came across it and considered it a great opportunity. We started to work on the development in 2012.”
Unique petals
Gerard and his team aimed to develop a large-flowered Cyclamen with striking, two-toned flowers. Bringing together exactly the right features in one strong product was an interesting challenge. Super Serie Fusion Large reacts strongly to climate, which made development challenging. Gerard: “If the climate is sub-optimal, you may find neon-colored flowers instead of bright colored. That was an important point to keep in mind.”
Typical features
It was important to Gerard to persevere and develop something unique. “You do not want to come with a product that already exists. We were looking for a two-toned, large-flowered Cyclamen that flowers consistently. Additionally, the well-known Super Serie characteristics like uniformity in colors and blooming needed to be maintained.” The result is a Cyclamen that is almost identical to grow of the current Super Serie XL in the Summer, Super Serie Fusion Large colors neon at first. After that, it grows into an eye-catcher with characteristic two-toned flowers. Super Serie Midi is added to the series at a later stage. This Cyclamen already gives the typical two-toned flowers in the Summer and is cultivated similarly to the current Super Serie Allure.
Extensive trials
Gerard explains that the basic genetics are from Japan. After that, the team developed it further in the Netherlands. After that, extensive trials took place in the warm climates of Israel and Italy. “Typical about Super Serie Fusion Large is that the color is never completely clean. A feature like that is for us as breeders extra stimulating”, says Gerard smiling.
Future
“I am proud we were able to develop the first large-flowered Cyclamen with this color type. And that the smaller midi’s perform well in warm and light circumstances makes it extra fun. We have many plans for the future, including introducing new colors and maybe different sizes. However, the current situation is already excellent. Cyclamen are our main crop, we will keep developing in that. Super Serie Fusion is a great addition to the current assortment.”
For more information:
Schoneveld Breeding
Tel.: +31 571 271717
info@schoneveld.nl
schoneveld-breeding.com