“The competitiveness of our variety breeding is based on highly skilled staff, an extensive testing network and modern breeding methods. Our advanced data and biotechnology tools have allowed us to greatly increase the speed and accuracy of our breeding operations. The implementation of the BC’s platform for managing genomic data will help us to meet our R&D goals”, says Markku Äijälä, Managing Director of Boreal.
Boreal Plant Breeding Ltd is a Finnish company specializing in the breeding of field crop varieties for professional farmers working in northern regions. In Finland Boreal is the market leader: approximately 65% of Finnish fields are cultivated with varieties bred by Boreal. All major Finnish seed companies are representatives of Boreal varieties.
Boreal’s core business, variety breeding, is supported by their own basic seed production. Production is carried out by professional seed growers and processing and storage are handled by their own seed centre. The main focus of Boreal’s breeding programmes is on spring cereals, forage grasses and oil crops. They also have breeding programs for winter wheat, winter rye, pea and faba bean.
Boreal is acknowledged by its partner companies as not only providing a highly reliable testing network but also to be a sound provider of the highest level expertise in various variety-related issues. In addition to varieties that they have developed themselves, Boreal complement their variety portfolio by commercialising varieties from abroad that have successfully passed their testing network with proven adaptation to northern growing conditions. In the export market Boreal test their breeding material in Russia, North America and various European countries by cooperating with local breeders and variety representatives.
