Breeder Sadrach Talahatu
"I look forward to seeing if my selections, hybrids and choices give the results I wish for."
Plants, animals, people, ecology. Initially, Sadrach Talahatu had great difficulties in choosing his field of work. After a research internship at Schoneveld Breeding, the pieces fell into place. “I stood between the plants and realized this was what I wanted. I made a very deliberate choice for plants, thanks to Schoneveld.”
“I never really knew what I wanted to do. The social sector dropped pretty quickly. And animals, well, I find them interesting, but mainly as a hobby. For my study Applied Biology in Den Bosch I had to choose between plant, animal or ecology. During my internship at Schoneveld the optimisation of seed-cleaning techniques was my focus. Besides that, I got the chance to work in the greenhouse as well. I got the opportunity to see all parts of the company. In that internship everything got clear to me, after that I made a deliberate choice to finish my education in the direction of plants.”
Chance
“The first time I walked in at Schoneveld, the warm ambience really stood out. I felt welcome and you feel everywhere: it doesn’t matter who you are here, it’s about what you do. Even as an intern I was fully part of the company. After my studies, I worked as an assistant breeder in the potato branch at first. A few years later, Schoneveld asked if I wanted to join the team as a breeder. It felt like an honour. A job with more responsibilities and closer to my home and family. And I would join a team that I already knew. It was a chance I couldn’t let pass.”
Create varieties
“Now, as a breeder, I’m responsible for new crops of Schoneveld mainly. I’m also responsible for some specialties within the crop of Cyclamen. When I must explain what my job entails, I often make a comparison with dogs and cats. There you have different breeds as well, all dog, but all with distinctive features and looks. With plants, it works for a great deal the same. I explain the process from seed to seed and tell people that we as a breeding company are at the beginning of the chain. The consumer is at the far end.”
The breeding process
“At first, it is my job to determine the breeding goals, based on questions out of the market for example. When you have all goals clear, I start selecting. It starts at the so-called parent lines. You search for characteristics that contribute to realising breeding goals all the time. With the selected parents I make hybrids and I harvest their seeds to use them later. If the result of a hybrid is not what I expected, I continue with the selection process. Is the hybrid what I wished for? Then it is necessary to see it more than once. You really want to be certain. In the end, a variety needs to meet many demands and requirements and needs to be stable in various locations in different climates before you can introduce it properly. The pleasant thing about my job is the variation. Furthermore, I am at the basis of new products within the crop I’m responsible for.”
“It makes me proud that my efforts contribute to the introduction of brand-new products.”
Lengthy process
“I had to adapt to working in the horticulture sector. The sector is more commercial than I was used to. At the same time, it is what makes it so interesting. I am searching for solutions to what the market demands. On the other hand, I bump into something extraordinary during the review and selection process. It is challenging to make something uniform and appealing out of it. In the end, it can result in a completely new product on the market.”
Own introductions
“The breeding process takes a few years. Every time, I look forward to seeing if my selections, hybrids and choices give the results I wish for. I have not been working at Schoneveld long enough to see my ‘own’ varieties in the garden center. When that moment arrives, I will be checking it out. It makes me proud that my efforts contribute to the introduction of brand-new products.”
Keep on learning
“We work with 4 breeders in a team. We all have, besides the main crop Cyclamen, our own crops to take responsibility for. So, the details differ, but our ways of working are much the same. Therefore, it is helpful to learn from colleagues. How do they approach something? Which steps do they take? The ambience within the company is really about learning from each other. I like that. You don’t become a breeder in a year. I am still learning every day, even after over 4 years of working here.”
“You don’t become a breeder in a year. I am still learning every day, even after over 4 years of working here.”
Good choice
“The contact with other departments is also a great plus about my job. Being a breeder, you are very central in a breeding company. I collaborate with people from all other departments. That makes my work interesting. Sometimes I have more office days, other periods I have more tasks in the greenhouse. My work is in all ways very varied. I like my colleagues, the atmosphere is warm. I go to work full of joy every day. The choice for Schoneveld turned out good. I am in my element here.”