Floranova Opening New Chile-Based Research Station, Forgoing 2016 Spring Trials

Posted by Brian Sparks|January 8, 2016

Floranova recently announced that it is building a brand new, purpose-built research station in Chile that will be operational by mid-2016. According to Floranova, Chile provides a climate and day-length very similar to that experienced in California, enabling plant breeding to be just as effective.

Chile has become a very important production territory for Floranova, and there are significant advantages in being able to select for quantitative traits in the production environment. Bringing research and production closer together will enable Floranova to speed up the product development process and enhance the effectiveness of bringing new crops to market, according to the company. As well as the advantages of moving to a new site, the relocation to the Southern Hemisphere gives synergy to Floranova’s global research activity between Chile and the other two main breeding stations based in Europe and Asia.

As a result, the current research station located in Lompoc, CA, will be closed in a phased plan during 2016, and the research programs transitioned to the new station in Chile. Paul Talmadge, Director of Research, will oversee the relocation and will relocate to Chile by the end of 2016.

Thus, Floranova and Vegetalis will not participate in California Spring Trials (CAST) 2016. The company says this is only a short-term measure, and it fully intends to be back at a new location for CAST 2017.

Key personnel currently based out of the Lompoc, CA, office will remain at the site until March 2017, after which time they will relocate to new offices in the Central Coast area. The distribution and sales office in Pierceton, IN, will continue to operate as usual.