Last week, United Selections hosted its annual Open Days in Ecuador, bringing together a wide group of growers, traders, and industry partners for three days of exchange, innovation, and collaboration.
Held from Tuesday to Thursday, the event welcomed a strong turnout from across the floriculture chain, including growers, exporters, importers, suppliers, and buyers. The diversity of visitors once again showed the importance of connecting all parts of the industry around shared challenges and opportunities.
A notable visit during the week came from Expoflores, Ecuador's growers association, showing its continued support for both United Selections and the wider sector. This collaboration reflects a shared responsibility to strengthen Ecuador's position as a leading flower-producing country, while also addressing key topics such as responsible production and the recognition of plant breeders' rights.
© United Selections
United Selections emphasized that improving awareness around royalties and intellectual property remains essential for the long-term health of the industry. Supporting growers in good practices while ensuring a fair return on innovation is seen as a shared responsibility across the chain.
Strong varieties and new introductions attract attention
During the Open Days, a wide range of varieties was presented, reflecting United Selections' focus on performance, productivity, and market relevance.
Among the standard roses, Rise & Shine stood out as a consistent, high-performing and productive variety, known for its thornless stems. Hot Wave, a strong hot pink variety, continues to perform very well in both Ecuador and Colombia. Other highlights included Nova Vita, a pure and large-headed tea hybrid, and Mizu, a distinctive lavender variety.
In spray roses, the Blossoms series received strong attention. Adorable Blossoms, a bright red, large-headed spray rose, and Golden Blossoms, a proven yellow variety, were key performers. New introductions such as Venus Blossoms and Antonella Blossoms also attracted strong interest.
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Within the specialty segment, United Selections presented Dreamer's Charm in sprays, alongside a new code, 23-0828 — a scented, light pink to cream standard rose with a unique garden-shaped bloom, which drew strong attention for its distinctive character.
Breeding as an investment, not a cost
A central highlight of the Open Days was the presentation of a three-year pre-competitive botrytis research project, led by Wageningen University. Paul de Bruin, Breeding Director of United Selections, shared key insights into how breeding can contribute to more resilient production systems.
The project focuses on improving understanding of botrytis tolerance and how genetic progress can support growers in managing disease pressure under real production conditions.
The message was clear: breeding should not be seen as a cost, but as a long-term investment. Developing new varieties takes years of research and selection, but it is this investment that enables more reliable, productive, and sustainable production across the chain.
© United Selections
From breeding to customer value
Building on this, United Selections continues to position itself as a customer-focused breeder, working from the idea that value created at the breeding stage must translate throughout the entire chain.
Jelle Posthumus, CEO of United Selections, explains: "Breeding is where everything starts. If we develop the right varieties—strong, reliable, and aligned with market needs—every partner in the chain can benefit. That is why we want to be a customer leader. We don't just create varieties; we create value that should be visible all the way to the end customer."
He adds: "In a recent conversation with Saheed Nahim from New Bloom Solutions, we spoke about the need for our industry to think more long term. It's not about short-term price, but about quality over time. That starts with breeding and continues through the entire chain."
Closing with creativity, connection, and a shared future
The week concluded on Friday with a networking lunch, followed by a masterclass led by
© United Selections Shalima Turizo (Lotus). During the session, she presented United Selections' varieties through creative table arrangements, showing the roses in a different way than traditional bouquets.
Her work highlighted not only the versatility and beauty of the varieties, but also the importance of creativity and collaboration within the industry.
The closing message of the week was clear: working together leads to stronger relationships, more innovation, and a more sustainable and profitable floriculture chain.
From breeding to the final customer, every step in the chain is connected—and strengthening those connections remains key to building the future of the industry.
For more information:
United Selections
www.united-selections.com
