Yokohama, Japan
November 25, 2022
>> 大型の種間雑種ベゴニア『Viking® White on Green』海外で販売開始
- Use of genetic resources in accordance with the Convention on Biological Diversity and benefit sharing based on mutual agreement.
- Distributed benefit contributes to the conservation of biodiversity. This is a sustainable and cyclical model for genetic resource development.
- White-flowered variety developed using Argentina's genetic resources.
Sakata Seed Corporation has launched "Viking White on Green," a new variety of the Begonia "Viking" series , a vigorous interspecific hybrid*1 with incredible garden performance and good heat and drought tolerance. This variety is introduced in Europe per November 2022, and introduction is expected to follow in Asia from July 2023 onwards. Introduction for Japan, North America, and South America have not yet been decided.
“Viking White on Green" is a variety developed using genetic resources introduced by the Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria (INTA) of Argentina, in accordance with the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Development of a white flowered variety with the same traits as the rest of the "Viking" series was a lengthy process, and cooperation with INTA for use of their genetic resources has made this important development possible. And it has taken a long time to breed that with the same traits as the other Viking varieties.
Under the mutual agreement, an increment of the sales turnover of “Viking White on Green” will be distributed to Argentina (INTA) based on the Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) agreement of genetic resources. The expedition for genetic resources in Argentina started in 2004, and INTA and Sakata Seed Corporation have continued the joint research based on the CBD. We will continue to put our efforts to build a better cooperative framework for the use of genetic resources and contribute to the conservation of biodiversity, an irreplaceable asset of humankind, while we will continue to develop varieties sustainably.
Convention on Biological Diversity and Sakata Seed Corporation
Sakata has been working to develop varieties with various parties in accordance with the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
"SunPatiens® ", launched in May 2006, is an ornamental variety developed in collaboration with the Indonesian Agency for Agricultural Research and Development (IAARD). The wild species of the genus impatiens, which grows in Indonesia, is used as the breeding material. IAARD and Sakata Seed Corporation had a basic agreement on the use of this wild species from the early 2000s, and Sakata Seed Corporation has been using these genetic resources under an agreement based on the CBD.
Mecardonia "Yellow Crosite"*2, an ornamental variety of the "Plantaginaceae" family, released in November 2007, is a variety that was found and jointly developed based on a plant genetic resources expedition project with INTA.
An increment of the sales of these products is distributed to the respective resource-holding countries. This circular genetic resource development model is highly evaluated from the resource-holding countries, in which the profits from the product development and sales based on the genetic resources are distributed to the resource-holding countries. This CBD-based ornamental plant development and benefit sharing is the first case as a Japanese company and has attracted worldwide attention.
Benefit sharing includes royalty payments as well as non-monetary matters such as exploration and evaluation know-how and technical cooperation. This is used to fund further exploration and to help the conservation of the country's biological resources.
By building a win-win relationship that benefits both parties, we hope to keep sustainably develop new varieties in the future.
“SunPatiens Orchid”
Mecardonia “Yellow Crosite”
Addressing Climate Change and Expectations for Large-Scale Landscape
“Viking” series planting in China
With global warming, summer heat is becoming more severe year by year, and summer garden varieties (bedding plants) are required to be both robust and beautiful enough to grow even in extremely hot weather.
In recent years, flower gardens that bloom in popular international tourist attractions have become popular, creating a new value of enjoying gardening as a leisure activity. Demand for a large-scale flower landscape is increasing, as it is directly affected to the ability to attract tourists to facilities, and the range of usage for bedding flowers is expanding.
The Begonia "Viking" series is not only heat tolerant but also drought tolerant, making it suitable for large-scale landscape use in parks, etc. We are excited about its potential to create new tourist attractions.
*1 Interspecific hybrid: Hybridization between different species in order to introduce traits from other species that are not found among varieties within a species.
*2 This variety was sold only in Japan. Currently no longer available.
Topics
Species
