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At Syngenta Flowers, a “grower-first” approach - A Q&A with Mark Schermer, Syngenta Group’s Global Head of Flowers


May 16, 2022

As Global Head of Flowers for Syngenta Group, Mark Schermer oversees the global agriculture giant’s best-kept secret: a thriving flowers business powered by passionate people, a “grower-first” strategy and robust research and development.

In this interview, Schermer discusses the central role of sustainability in Syngenta Flowers’ long-term strategy; shares details of the new “game-changing” Syngenta varieties featured at the recent California Spring Trials (CAST) 2022 event, and describes his own journey in the global floriculture industry.
 

Mark Schermer
Mark Schermer is Global Head of Flowers for Syngenta Group.
 

How did you develop your interest in flowers, and what brought you to Syngenta Flowers?

I was born and raised in the Westland region of the Netherlands, which basically means that you're born in between greenhouses. In fact, it’s called the “glass city.”

I started picking irises in my uncle’s commercial greenhouse when I was four years old, and throughout my high school and university years I worked in greenhouses during the summer and on weekends. So I was pretty determined to get into the flowers business! After two decades working at other companies and consulting firms in the industry, I joined Syngenta Flowers in 2018 and began my current role in September 2020.
 

Still Mark 2Schermer inspects some of Syngenta Flowers’ latest varieties at a grower’s greenhouse in the Netherlands.

 

Syngenta Group is known around the world for its crop protection and seeds businesses, but not everyone knows about Syngenta Flowers. How would you describe the business to those unfamiliar with it?

Syngenta Flowers is a global business with a presence, and distribution networks, throughout the world. We produce our own seeds and cuttings at farms in Guatemala, Ethiopia, Turkey, Kenya, the U.S. and the Netherlands.

Any time you see a pansy, anywhere around the world, there’s a 40 percent chance it was bred by Syngenta. Any time you see a mum in the United States, there’s a 70 percent chance Syngenta breeding was involved. We’re the global market leader in geraniums, and every year, we introduce new breeding breakthroughs. Flowers make up a small part of the global agriculture industry, of course, but Syngenta remains a major player in traditional agricultural areas as well as in flowers.

Syngenta’s top competitors in the agriculture and crop protection market don’t have substantial flower businesses. How does Syngenta Flowers benefit from being part of the larger Syngenta Group organization?

It’s a major advantage. Syngenta Group is an innovation powerhouse, with 6,500 employees working in R&D globally. Combining cutting-edge research, development and technology with dedicated and experienced flower breeders is what enables us to continually create more beautiful, longer-lasting, increasingly sustainable varieties.

We also benefit from being part of Syngenta Group in other ways. At Syngenta Flowers, we have a grower-first strategy: We strive to know growers better than they know themselves. Because we’re able to leverage Syngenta Group’s investments in digital technologies, we’re using data-driven insights to better serve growers now and in the future.

You recently returned from CAST [California Spring Trials] 2022, which has been described as “fashion week for flowers”: an opportunity for breeders to showcase their best and newest varieties to farmers, distributors and others in the floriculture industry. What were some of the most exciting Syngenta varieties on display? 

Zydeco zinnia is a beautiful zinnia with a very large flower and a very strong chassis. It’s a game changer in the industry, because we’ve combined the best of two different zinnia species: the large flowers of one with the strong, disease-resistant plant build of another. A strong chassis is important to growers because the plant holds up better in transport and shows better at retail.
 

Zydeco cherryThe Zydeco zinnia, new in 2022, combines excellent disease resistance with impressive heat and drought tolerance, for season-long garden performance. Customers have four colors to choose from: cherry (pictured here), fire, deep yellow and white.

 

Syngenta Flowers is also the number one supplier in North America of lantana, a popular, low-maintenance, heat-loving, flowering plant. This year we’re excited to launch the Bandalista lantana: a vigorous variety that thrives in the heat and will perform throughout the entire summer.

We’re also proud to be expanding our line of XDR, or “Xtreme Disease Resistant,” flowers. This year we’ve upgraded our vibrant Cora Cascade vincas—which thrive in high heat and humidity and are perfect for hanging baskets—to XDR status, as we’ve substantially increased their resistance to destructive airborne pathogens (Phytophtora).
 

Cora Cascade MixSyngenta Flowers has expanded its line of XDR, or Xtreme Disease Resistant, flowers, to include Cora Cascade vincas. This popular variety has been upgraded to XDR status because of its enhanced resistance to destructive airborne pathogens (Phytophtora).
 

Sustainability is a high priority for Syngenta Group. What are some of the initiatives that you're taking to make Syngenta Flowers more environmentally sustainable?

Sustainability is one of the strategic anchors of Syngenta Flowers’ long-term strategy, which we’re currently rolling out. We’re prioritizing sustainable traits as well as sustainable modes of production, and we’re already making meaningful progress.

Our young-plant production facility in the Netherlands is transitioning to geothermal heat, so it will no longer be dependent on gas. And we’re looking at installing solar panels at our production sites near the equator.

We’re also drawing on Syngenta Group’s best-in-class R&D operations to breed flowers that are resistant to pests and diseases, so we can minimize the amount of chemicals required to grow them. The XDR line that I mentioned earlier is an example of this. And we’re breeding flowers that are highly drought-tolerant, mindful that water is no longer a commodity, it’s often a scarcity. The more water we can save, the better.

There are so many problems in the world right now. Why do flowers matter?

Flowers and plants play a significant role in so many cultures. They help us mark milestones and special occasions, from funerals to weddings to new year celebrations. They allow us to express such a wide range of emotions: grief, sympathy, appreciation, love, joy.

Flowers are part of our most meaningful rituals, and they brighten our regular days, too. There’s something very special about the flowers industry overall, and Syngenta Flowers in particular. I’ve been so impressed by how passionate our people are. Most people working in flowers will agree that once you’re in the flowers business, you never want to go back to another industry.

 



More news from:
    . Syngenta Group Co. Ltd.
    . Syngenta Flowers


Website: http://www.syngenta.com

Published: May 16, 2022

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