Deliflor Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemums are indispensable in the florist's assortment. This flower is very popular worldwide. Not only because of its various shapes and colors, but the chrysanthemum also has a rich symbolic history. At various holidays and events around the world, this symbolism is made known through the use of chrysanthemums. In recent years we have visited various chrysanthemum growers who taught us everything about cultivation. In this edition we go back a step, because where do all these special varieties come from? We visited breeder Deliflor, where Bob Persoon gave us a fantastic tour and told us all about their company.

Deliflor

Delifor is the largest chrysanthemum breeder worldwide, specializing in the breeding of spray chrysanthemums, disbudded chrysanthemums and Santini’s. Deliflor breeds around 400,000 new varieties of chrysanthemums every year, of which 15 to 20 varieties are eventually put on the market commercially. Deliflor is committed to developing varieties for profitable cultivation, which are surprising for the market while doing so in the most sustainable way possible.

Cross

Crossing the varieties is very precise work and is done manually. The pollen from one flower is removed from the flower with a tassel and then crossed with the pistils of the other flower. While humans have two copies of each chromosome, chrysanthemums have six. Humans have 23 chromosomes and 2 copies of each chromosome. You get one copy from your father and the other copy from your mother. Chrysanthemums have 9 chromosomes and 6 copies of each chromosome, so they get 3 copies from their father and 3 copies from their mother. This means that if you cross two breeds, an awful lot of breeds can arise with all different characteristics. Despite the fact that certain properties can be predicted by collecting a lot of data in the laboratory, it is still a surprise which properties the flowers will eventually acquire.

Breeding chrysanthemums is a process that takes time, but thanks to the latest technology in the laboratory, new varieties can be commercially marketed within three to seven years. This allows breeding to respond well to the latest trends and market demand.

Test beds

Bob took us to the test greenhouse, where the newest varieties are tested and judged. We looked at how the chrysanthemum grows under different climate conditions, such as heat, but also cold. Especially with the current energy prices and the gas shortage in the Netherlands, it is important that the chrysanthemums also grow well at lower temperatures. Does the variety give uniform branches, is the flower size adequate, is the variety disease resistant and how is the vase life, et cetera.

Cuttings

When a variety has passed the entire selection, mother plants are made in Africa (Uganda and Ethiopia). These countries are close to the equator and are very stable in terms of climate all year round, so that the quality of the production is also stable. These are the ideal circumstances for producing cuttings from the mother plant.

Propagating the cuttings is extremely labor-intensive. Deliflor employs approximately 1,200 people, of which only 150 work in the Netherlands. After ten weeks, the cuttings are large enough to be transported to the Netherlands. The large varieties are planted in potting soil with robots, the small (in terms of numbers) and fragile varieties by hand. The crates in which the cuttings are placed are driven into the greenhouse with a large robot, where the cuttings need between 10 and 14 weeks to root.

When the roots are big enough and the cuttings have the right length, the cuttings are sent to the growers, where they can grow into a beautiful, high-quality cut flower.

JustChrys

Trends and fashion continue to develop, also with flowers. POWERFUL ★ COLORFUL ★ SURPRISING ★ VERSATILE is the motto of 'JustChrys'; the chrysanthemum marketing platform where all chrysanthemum growers and breeders join forces. On this platform you can find the latest trends, the complete symbolism, promotional material and many fun facts about the chrysanthemum.

Sustainable cultivation

Deliflor attaches great importance to sustainable cultivation. In Africa, Deliflor is very much focused on IPM (Integrated Pest Management). This means that the aim is to produce plant material in Africa with as few chemicals as possible. In addition, the ambition is to provide customers with a high-quality, sustainable product that is produced with an eye for nature, the environment and working conditions. In the Netherlands, too, the focus is on sustainability and organic cultivation as much as possible. Deliflor strives to breed varieties that require as few growth and control agents as possible during cultivation. The focus is on strong, healthy varieties, resistant to diseases and pests. back to nature, working together for a better future!

FloraPodium, 03 november 2022