From 4 to 6 July 2012, the 43rd Fleuroselect Convention took place in the Veneto region of Italy. During this annual event, Fleuroselect awards its Gold Medals and reveals the new FleuroStar winner. The Convention is also a major international networking platform for key players in the horticultural industry.
Hosted by Italian market leaders
This year's Convention was co-hosted by two Italian young plants producers who offered the delegation an exclusive company visit. Sentier is a supplier of top quality young plants and conducts research into cyclamen. The commercial feeling of Michele Silvestrin combined with Romano Contessotto's floricultural craftsmanship is the key to success for this company. Young plant producer Gruppo Padana is owned by the brothers Paolo and Giorgio Gazzola. Their new state-of-the-art greenhouses and agricultural facilities in Gaiarine genuinely impressed the whole delegation.
For this Convention, a full Fleuroselect trial field has been planted at both locations. Delegates found it particularly interesting to observe how the varieties thrive in the typical South-European weather conditions.
2013 Gold Medals presented at CastelBrando
Richard Petri of Selecta Klemm stepped forward to accept the Gold Medal for the Dahlia cultivars sel 'Dalaya Yogi'. This early flowering dahlia with high mildew tolerance will bloom continuously throughout summer. Director Zoltán Kasztovszky and breeder Maria Szabó from the Hungarian Research Institute for Fruitgrowing and Ornamentals accepted the prize for the Celosia argentea plumosa 'Arrabona'. This novelty offers a fiery orange-red colour and is striking for its uniformity. Finally, Peter Hansen from Floragran picked up the Gold Medal for his Lewisia cotyledon 'Elise'. Flowering without a cold period, this Lewisia offers shorter crop time and can be grown as an annual.
7 companies join Fleuroselect
Fleuroselect is particularly pleased to announce that the membership application of no less than 7 companies has been accepted during the Annual General Meeting. The Italian company BiGi Seeds distributes professional flower seeds to the wholesale market. Econ Seeds produces and supplies seeds of perennial plants, cut flowers, bedding plants and open-pollinated annuals on a world-wide level. Prudac is a breeding company focussing on a range of ornamental consumables for both professional growers and home gardeners. Schoneveld Breeding specialises in breeding and growing flowering pot plants, Cyclamen and Primula in particular. The Czech company Semo is a breeding and seed production company focussing on vegetable, flower and herb seeds. The family owned business Tozer Seeds is the largest independent vegetable breeding company in the UK. Finally, the Belgian business Decock is a young plant producer specialized in vegetative propagation.
New honorary member: Renato Faraone Mennella
Fleuroselect grants a honorary membership to Renato Faraone Mennella – owner of the Italian seed breeding company Farmen – for 40 years of support through Farmen's lasting membership, his expertise at running and judging the Fleuroselect trials and his skill at breeding innovative varieties. Renato Faraone Mennella was a Board Member from 1987 to 1992 and from 1996 to 2002. The Farmen company also hosted the annual Fleuroselect Convention no less than 4 times.
.. and the FleuroStar goes to…. Verbena x hybrida 'Lanai Twister Red'!
This tri-coloured Verbena created by Syngenta Flowers introduces three colours within the same flower: rose-red, white and pink. Breeder Har Stemkens accepted the Award from Fleuroselect president Nils Klemm. The breeder states: "Multi-colouring is an important trend in the horticultural sector".
Source: Fleuroselect
