For 18 months now, Sylvan has been running a new breeding programme to test new varieties.

The varieties will also be tested under local Dutch and Belgian conditions. This phased programme can be split into three main components as Theo Lauwers and Harry Hesen of Sylvan Nederland explain; improving the varieties for the picking market and the conserving market (white hybrids) and brown varieties.

“Trials performed by growers are very important, as a new variety doesn’t always immediately perform better in practical circumstances than an existing one. There are so many variables that you can only draw any conclusions after a certain time and enough growing cycles”, says Hesen. “Plus, at the moment growers are occupied with other matters than the introduction of new varieties”, adds Lauwers, referring to the financial situation and the fact that certain European companies slow down production in the summer.

A spawn producer has to convince both growers and composters. The introduction of a new variety usually proceeds more smoothly if Sylvan can negotiate with a player involved in every link in the chain.

The introduction of caccing spawn (C.I.), launched on the market by Sylvan in 2006, is a gradual process. “The usefulness of C.I in practice is becoming apparent step by step. If compost cac fails to give the required effect, using C.I. can definitely result in a far more even development process. The product can be easily distributed through the compost, only costs 40 eurocent per m2, creates more uniform quality, and boosts production. In the second flush the piece weight is also better”, summarises Hesen the advantages. Caccing spawn is mainly used on phase III farms to improve uniformity, despite the good quality of Dutch incubated compost. Due to the financial situation and the longer growing schedules C.I. is slightly less in the picture at the moment. “But there are enough innovative growers looking to rediscover the subtle advantages.”

Both men are happy about the introduction of the sporeless oyster mushroom. “It is literally a relief for the sector”, says Hesen. In South-Europe growers think the colour of the variety too erratic. In addition, royalty considerations (PRI/Bromyc) also play a role, but what applies all over the world is; ‘once growers with a closed system have worked with the variety, they never want to use anything else again’.

In the picture: Sylvan D 460