The pioneering work Sakata have done with plants is genuinely fascinating. Over the last 110 years the global seed breeding corporation have been continually combining the best in plant varieties to create better vegetables and flora for the environment, for consumers, and for farmers. In the U.K. that work has included using AutoPot Watering Systems in cauliflower seed breeding.
After three full seasons of AutoPot growing we were excited to get an update from Sakata on their progress and news of a fresh development. Much of which has proved very pertinent indeed given recent growing conditions in the U.K.
Safe to say it’s been rather hot all over Europe of late, with the U.K. being no exception. And in the view of Sakata Breeder Rory Blackbourn, the 1Pot modules that Sakata are currently using have made a significant difference to what might otherwise be an unmanageable workload.
‘The AutoPots have proven to be most definitely worthwhile, considering the time we have gained back with automatic watering, particularly during the warmer weather in the summer – previously we would need to water everyday, including weekends!!’
As well as reducing workloads the systems have also helped to boost the health and productivity of Sakata’s plants. It’s brilliant to see such benefits proven in the scientifically exacting setting of a commercial concern. Rory was kind enough to give us a breakdown of the precise advantages.
plant health, improve seed productivity and reduce workloads
‘The system has allowed us to improve the process of plant fertilisation, with some fine tuning in the first year in the concentration applied at different growth stages, we now have a consistent improvement in the health of the plants and a higher success rate for seed recovery.’
System versatility has also been a big plus for Sakata. As Rory says, ‘with the system being modular it is easy to adjust in size and move to fit different size compartments within our glasshouse, so it can be utilised for different elements of the breeding program requiring seed production throughout the year.’
for running water or electricity the systems are incredibly flexible
As a consequence of these benefits Sakata have decided to start a new and exciting project using AutoPot in an even more challenging growing climate, as Rory explains. ‘We’re going to implement a pilot set up of the same system for the work we undertake at our Spanish subsidiary, where the weather is significantly warmer and more watering is required.’
That system will be set up and operational by the end of 2026 / beginning of 2027 and we very much look forward to bringing you updates on its progress. We’d like to offer our sincere thanks to Rory and Sakata for their insights into seed breeding with AutoPot and wish them every success with their excellent work.