This year sees De Groot en Slot, a Dutch family business and onion seed breeding and production company, turn 70. The company, founded in 1955 after a merger between brothers Jacob and Cornelis de Groot and their brother-in-law Jan Slot's horticultural companies, has a rich tradition of innovation and growth. The anniversary will be celebrated with a symposium, an open day, and the presentation of an Innovation Award.
De Groot en Slot's history, however, harks back more than 100 years, to 1913. Aagtje, the founders' mother, received an onion variety as a wedding gift. That laid the foundation for a family tradition spanning five generations. Over the years, the company has reached several milestones, like introducing the first hybrid onion in the Netherlands in 1968 and developing resistant varieties against diseases such as downy mildew and Fusarium.
This family business has been partnering with Bejo since 1970 under the name "Partners in Allium", contributing to its leading position in Western Europe. De Groot en Slot is active worldwide, with breeding and production activities in South Africa, among other places. A significant achievement is mapping the onion genome, a project completed three years ago in collaboration with Bejo, Service XS, and Wageningen University & Research. That genome contains 16 billion DNA base pairs, and the project helps identify genes that resist diseases and pests.
Rob Bekker, head of Special Projects, points out how important a long-term vision is in breeding. "We can't allow ourselves to be driven crazy by fads," he says. Developing a new variety can take 15+ years, and stability and focus on quality are essential. Onion root systems demand attention, too, especially in areas with water shortages, such as southern Spain.
Dutch onion cultivation has a rosy future, partly thanks to climate change, which is making it harder to grow this crop in other areas. The Netherlands often acts as a backup for countries such as England, which imports 20% of their onion needs from the Netherlands.
To mark this anniversary, De Groot en Slot is presenting an Innovation Award for the best idea to help the onion sector move forward. The winner will get €10,000 and publicity. There will also be events like a symposium, an open day, and the traditional cultivation competition "The Biggest Onion".
With its strong focus on innovation and quality, De Groot en Slot is looking to the future, where expansion and quality must be intertwined.
For more information:
De Groot en Slot
www.degrootenslot.nl
Tel: +31 226 33 12 00