Breeding Diversity

The roots of Stargrow South Africa began in 1992. Michiel Prins and Chris Godman started a rootstock business that produced clonal rootstocks of apples, pears and stone fruits. This would develop into a business that could supply about 75% of the South African fruit industry's need for clonal rootstocks. Now the company has sophisticated propagation facilities enabling it to quickly multiply and supply rootstock cultivars. It is also conducting rootstock trials on several sites to supply the industry with accurate information.

In May 1995, Micheil and Chris started a nursery whose main purpose was to supply deciduous fruit trees to the domestic market. At the time, they also started a breeding and cultivar programme. Between 95 and 98, Stargrow diversified into a range of other agricultural crops, which has enabled them to supply a wide range of plant material.

Stargrow is currenly haning approximately 1.9million units as well as about 2.25 million rootstocks; this makes Stargrow the biggest nursery in South Africa in terms of volume and diversity.

The company is also a fruit cultivar development and management company. It's business is to identify opportunities for new cultivars globally and to breed, acquire, evaluate, control and commercialise these cultivars through a network of master agents worldwide.

Stargrow is a registered Plant Improvement Organisation (one of only three in South Africa). This means that Stargrow controls the phytosanitary and genetic requirements of plant material within the South African government's scheme.

It takes from about one year to 18 months for plant material to be realeased from quarantine in South Africa. In the case of berries, Stargrow has the option to bring several thousand plants into open quarantine, which enables it to produce commercial quantities within one to two years.Although Stargrow holds the dominant share for berries, volumes are low compared to other fruits.

With a view to developing the South African berry business into a leading winter export contender Stargrow is now a member of the Well-Pict European Marketing trust. Along with Morester Nurseries, it is working well with Well-Pict European to develop the Plant Science and Berry Genetic strawberry varieties for which Well-Pict European is master licence holder.

Winter 2004