About us

ASUR PLANT BREEDING, formerly named SAATEN-UNION RECHERCHE, is a France originated company established in 1997. It is co-owned by 4 of SAATEN-UNION's members, the family-owned German plant breeders Nordsaat, Ackermann, Petersen and Südwestsaat. Three french distributors recently joined the shareholding: Acolyance, Terre-Atlantique and CAVAC.


Asur's headquarters and main research facilities are in Estrées-Saint-Denis, a small town west of Compiègne and about 80 km north of Paris. ASUR PB also has a medium size seed plant that processes 3,500 tons of basic seeds mostly, as most of the commercial seeds are sub-contracted (hybrids) or out-licensed (lines).

There are currently 40 employees.

ASUR PB is one of the three shareholders of the wheat breeding collaboration Elsoms Wheat Ltd (EWL) in the United Kingdom. It is also a shareholder of the Mezöseed seed production company in Hungary.


Milestones

SAATEN-UNION shareholders continuously take part in development of plant breeding innovations since 1965.
  • 2018

    SAATEN-UNION RECHERCHE becomes ASUR PLANT BREEDING and welcomes three new shareholders: Acolyance, Terre-Atlantique and CAVAC. Nordsaat's CEO, Wolf Von Rhade, was named president of ASUR PB.
  • 2018

    SAATEN-UNION RECHERCHE's varieties' quality is rewarded: no less than 16 are recognized by the french milling industry as quality wheats, of which 13 are hybrids.
  • 2017

    SAATEN-UNION RECHERCHE is the first breeder in France by the number of registered varieties : 30 between 2012 and 2017.
  • 2016

    Registration of CHEVIGNON, 1st winter wheat multiplicated in France
  • 2014

    Construction of new glasshouse and office facilities
  • 2013

    Setting up of Elsoms Wheat Limited in England. Acquisition of a hybrid barley program from shareholders Ackermann and Nordsaat
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  • 2012

    Registration of HYFI
  • 2009

    Acquisition of the Pont-Roy seed production company
  • 2008

    Registration of HYSTAR, which will be eventually marketed in more than 10 European countries
  • 2004

    Registration of the hybrid wheat HYSUN, an immediate success in France and south Europe
  • 2002

    Acquisition of Hybrinova hybrid wheat business
  • 2000

    Registration of WW BOSTON, SUR's first variety
  • 1997

    Nordsaat, Petersen and SWS join the original effort to establish SAATEN-UNION RECHERCHE
  • 1993

    Ackermann starts breeding wheat for the French market on a family farm in Estrées-Saint-Denis
  • 2018

  • 2018

  • 2017

  • 2016

  • 2014

  • 2013

  • 2012

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  • 1997

  • 1993