Syngenta Boosts Begonia Business Through New Collaboration

Posted by Brian Sparks|December 16, 2020

Syngenta Flowers has entered a global breeding collaboration with McLeod Valley Greenhouses in Whitecourt, Alberta, Canada. Through the agreement, McLeod Valley will work exclusively with Syngenta Flowers to breed and develop innovative begonia genetics for Syngenta Flowers’ global markets.

McLeod Valley’s breeding brings innovative genetics and groundbreaking varieties to modern begonias. The new collaboration with McLeod Valley will support Syngenta Flowers’ strategic ambition to grow and transform the vegetative begonia category.

“McLeod Valley’s breeding is truly cutting edge and sets a strong foundation for Syngenta’s continued growth in the begonia class,” says Mark Schermer, Global Head of Syngenta Flowers. “Cathy Knoblauch’s vision for the potential of this genus, and her accomplishments thus far, bring much excitement to Syngenta Flowers and our customers. We are so excited to take this next step to represent this breed worldwide with Cathy Knoblauch and Grant McDonald of McLeod Valley Greenhouses.”

The agreement will allow Syngenta Flowers to have exclusive global rights to produce and market McLeod Valley’s innovative begonia genetics. This collaboration on vegetative breeding will complement the existing class-leading seed begonias at Syngenta Flowers, such as the innovative Tophat Begonia series, launched in 2018. McLeod Valley Greenhouses and Syngenta Flowers aim to launch their first varieties in the coming seasons, as continued research and trialing are completed.

“We are delighted to be working with the dedicated and professional team at Syngenta Flowers,” says Cathy Knoblauch, owner of McLeod Valley Greenhouses. “We look forward to many years of collaborative efforts to bring to the market a range of easy-to-grow, versatile and beautiful new begonia hybrids.”