Nachtvlinder BV is a true family business that was recently featured in the CPVO Plant Breeding Success Stories edition. Together with their daughter Ellen Akerboom, Peter and Gerda Akerboom are engaged in the breeding of various crops. In 1980, Peter Akerboom started breeding Asters for cut flowers. Nowadays, the Asters are the company's main specialty next to Helleborus and they also do some work in breeding Eryngium and Solidago. The company is based in the village of Ter Aar in The Netherlands.
How many of your aster varieties are being protected by CPVO and in which countries they are being cultivated?
About 20 aster varieties are already being protected through CPVO and further we have about 50 varieties in final testing stage with numerous others still in development. Our species are grown in Kenya, Zimbabwe, Ecuador and the rest of the world. These are mainly well-known varieties whose plant breeders' rights have expired.
Initially, our varieties are all grown commercially in our own greenhouse to see if they are suitable for large-scale cultivation. We select species that still contain the natural resilience of the Aster genus, leaving us with the strongest possible assortment. If these are met, we are then looking to see whether the flower shape and growth are also suitable for the market. The aim is to keep as much genetic variation as possible in order to be able to use all possible natural characteristics the genus contains, which allows us to grow almost without chemicals and energy. This has always been our starting point but it is now becoming even more important.