Rijk Zwaan opens new trial centre for open-field crops

The Trial Centre Open Field houses practical research and demonstrations covering 20 open-field crops, including various types of lettuce and brassicas as well as spinach and chicory. At the facility, varieties are tested and evaluated under a wide range of conditions. For example, there is a digital phenotyping lab and a darkroom for chicory trials. There are also other trial areas, such as for asparagus breeding and seed production.

Moreover, the Trial Centre Open Field is the primary location where Rijk Zwaan showcases its open-field range and shares its knowledge and insights with customers. The annual autumn demo in September will be an ideal opportunity for many of them to visit the Trial Centre.

During the tour, visitors discover how seed production trials are carried out

Innovating open-field crops

Open-field crop cultivation is changing rapidly. Mechanisation is on the rise, demand for disease-resistant varieties is growing, and new production regions and systems are emerging. All of this calls for future-focused varieties that meet growers’ increasingly specific cultivation needs.

“By combining practical research with data-driven techniques such as digital phenotyping, we can evaluate varieties faster and with ever-greater precision,” says Marco van Leeuwen, one of Rijk Zwaan’s managing directors. “Together with growers and partners, we translate those insights into varieties that make a real difference.”

During the tour, visitors see a laser weeding machine for sustainable weed control

Official opening

The Trial Centre Open Field has been operational since early May and was officially opened on 11 June in the presence of construction partners and colleagues. Tom Hollemans, Station Manager for Open Field Crops, was closely involved on Rijk Zwaan’s behalf, from the planning stage through to completion. He reflects on the strong collaboration throughout the project: “It’s great to stand here today and see how we have turned this new facility into reality together with our partners.”

Rijk Zwaan’s trial centres

Rijk Zwaan has continuously invested in the further improvement of its facilities for hosting customers and partners in recent years. Previously, for example, the company opened the Trial Centre Hydroponics in Dinteloord (the Netherlands), which among other things focuses on water-based lettuce cultivation systems. Meanwhile, the Trial Centre High Tech in De Lier (the Netherlands) showcases cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers grown in carefully controlled environments.

With the new Trial Centre Open Field, Rijk Zwaan now has a futureproof research and demonstration site that supports the international development and presentation of open-field varieties. The company’s former open-field demo site in Fijnaart, which had been in use for over 25 years, is being repurposed and will be used for breeding-related and field trials.