Breeding Programs

Targeting Desirable Characteristics

We strive to supply the right varieties to build a healthy business case for seaweed farming. Breeding programs are time-consuming and labor-intensive, but a proven way forward to build a healthy industry.

Techniques developed in-house to identify the best performers

Selecting for Success

The common practice of using wild population material in farming brings genetic diversity, but also undesired fluctuations in performance and quality. Breeding programs offer deeper insights into performance of source populations and allow selection of particular traits according to the needs of the client.

Breeding is a tool to improve traits such as biomass, growth, polysaccharide content, flavour, and phytohormone production.

A breeding program can take several years and its foundation is a diverse genebank. Experience shows significant improvements after five years of consistent effort. We provide regular updates and reports to our clients, allowing for joint decision-making to enhance production.

Currently, we are working on improving the biomass of Saccharina latissima, Alaria esculenta, and Macrocystis pyrifera. Preliminary results demonstrate notable differences in size and morphology among various crosses.

Our Breeding Process

Your choice to optimise specific traits

Developed by Experts

Proven Track Record
Large International Team
Specialised Expertise
Trust and Open Communication

Advanced R&D

Fundamental Discoveries and
Ongoing Optimisation
Collaborating with Leading Institutes
Specialised Facilities
Transferring Plant Breeding Methodologies to Seaweed
Practical Mindset
Client Focused

Quality Assured

Four-Eyes-Principle
Built-In Redundancies and Backups
+ 17.000 Quality Checks throughout the Year
Culture Health Checks
Production Capacity Forecasting
Seedling Quantification and Density Control
In-house Outgrowth Validation for Farm Performance

All registered and commercially available Hortimare varieties were obtained by using traditional plantbreeding methods. Hortimare has no genetically modified varieties available for commercial use.