“With organic innovation, we help both organic and conventional growers move forward”
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At De Bolster, seed quality is a top priority. Our seeds need to germinate well and produce as many uniform seedlings as possible. As a germination lab technician, Nanette Dijkman carefully and precisely assesses the quality and germination performance of every seed she tests.
“I find it absolutely fascinating to watch seeds germinate and eventually grow into beautiful crops”
Nanette has loved animals and being outdoors in nature all her life. And although she works indoors, she is surrounded by greenery in the Quality department and feels completely at home there. “Some of my work is very painstaking and meticulous, while the next moment I’m working with my hands in the soil. That variety is exactly what I enjoy about it.”
A great atmosphere
“I work in Quality with four colleagues and two part-time employees who work on Saturdays. We’re a great team and communication is direct and easy. De Bolster is simply a wonderful company to work for. Everyone, from the managing director to the people working in the fields, eats lunch together in the same cafeteria. And once a month, we have our Bolster Lunch, when a rotating group of colleagues prepares a special vegetarian lunch for everyone.”
“Besides the great working atmosphere, what I enjoy most is working with living material. Every time I walk into the germination chamber, I’m fascinated by the way seeds germinate and grow into beautiful crops. You sow a pea seed, and within just a few days it has become a little plant. How is that even possible? I still find myself wondering.”
Dry and pure
In addition to carrying out germination tests, Nanette first checks the moisture content of newly arrived seeds. The seeds need to be dry enough for proper storage. If the moisture reading is too high, the batch does not pass the quality inspection.
The same applies to seed lots that are not pure enough. A sample is checked for remnants of leaves or stems, as well as other seeds. If purity is below 99%, the seeds are returned to the Seed Cleaning department.
Monitoring germination performance
The Quality department conducts germination tests both on new batches and on existing stock. Stock is tested once a year, while premium varieties for professional growers, such as tomato, bell pepper, and pumpkin varieties, are tested twice a year.
Nanette explains: “This is important because germination performance declines over time, and you need to know where a batch currently stands. If the germination rate no longer meets our high quality standards, we report this to team captain Patrick and Supply Chain Manager Stefan. Sometimes these seeds can be sold through channels with different quality requirements, while in other cases a batch can still be improved.”
Germination tests on paper and in sand
Seed germination is tested in two ways: either in germination trays with moist paper or, for certain crops, by sowing the seeds in sand. When testing on paper, we usually test two sets of one hundred seeds. Depending on the crop, the paper is either left flat or folded in different ways. These tests are carried out largely in accordance with ISTA standards, the international rules for seed testing.
The seeds are then placed in germination chambers, where a specific temperature is maintained for each crop, since different crops germinate at different temperatures. After several days, Nanette manually counts how many seeds have germinated. Several days later, she performs a final count. In addition to the germination percentage, she records any abnormalities and assesses the condition of the roots. “A blunt or brownish root indicates reduced quality.”
Testing in soil
In addition to paper tests, De Bolster also tests its premium varieties in trays filled with soil to assess seedling quality. The large germination chamber is filled with seedlings from different crops, all sown by Nanette at the appropriate depth.
Nanette explains: “When you sow in soil, you can’t see how the roots are developing, but you can see how the seedlings emerge. Uniformity is very important to professional growers: they want the seeds to emerge at the same time and do so uniformly, without abnormalities. Hot pepper and bell pepper seedlings, for example, are known for sometimes emerging with their cotyledons still trapped in the seed coat, which can prevent the seedling from developing further. For growers, that means the plant falls behind, which is something you want to avoid.”Once the seeds have successfully passed all the tests, they are transferred to the seed vault, where they are stored under optimal conditions.
“If you want to grow in the organic sector, you have to keep professionalizing your operations.”
Experimenting with AI
The actual germination testing is still carried out manually by Nanette and her colleagues. To further develop her expertise, Nanette completed a Seed Analysis course at Naktuinbouw, where she learned about germination testing, purity analysis, and seed development.
“Over time, you get to know the different crops and their characteristics better and better, which helps you recognize certain abnormalities or patterns in the germination process more quickly. If you want to grow in the organic sector, you have to keep professionalizing your operations. We’ve been experimenting with AI for some time now. We take a photo of the seedlings and use software to analyze them. It takes a lot of time because we constantly have to provide input to train the system and make it more accurate. We also want to further improve the germination chambers, for example by automating irrigation.”
Proud of my work
“I’m proud that through my work—however small my contribution may be—I can help create a better world in which, ultimately, agriculture no longer needs chemical inputs to function.”
“With organic innovation, we help both organic and conventional growers move forward”
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