Articles
BREEDING AND EVALUATION OF SAKATA’S NEW FLOWERS
I have worked as a flower seed breeder in Sakata’s Flowering Breeding Station from 1966 for thirteen years, working on Petunias, Carnations, Dianthus, Brassica (Flowering Kales and Flowering Cabbages), Cinerarias, Stocks, Poppies, Lagerstroemeria (Crape Myrtle) and other items and in 1979 became flower seed export manager of the International Division.
I firmly believe we are one of the foremost flower breeding companies in the world today, working on at least fifty different species of flower seed items and at the same time maintaining two flower seed breeding stations, one in a warm location and the other in a cooler higher elevation.
We have a total of ten flower seed breeders who coordinate their work and trials to offer to the horticultural trade the best in flower seed items.
Sakata is responsible for introducing to the world’s horticultural trade a number of outstanding and important flower seed items, including 29 items which won awards from the famous All-America Selections.
A few are:
1932 – The world’s first 100% Double Flowering Petunia from seed.
1965 – Snapdragon F-1 Extra Dwarf floral Carpets
1966 – The world’s first F-1 Hybrid Pansies, Majestic Giants
1971 – The world’s first Giant Annual Flowering F-1 Hybrid Hibiscus from seed.
1972 – The world’s first Picotee Petunia – Blue Picotee
1975 – The world’s first F-1 Hybrid Carnation – Juliet
1981 – Dwarf Pot Gerbera "Happipot"
1982 – A new pace-making cutflower, F-1 Hybrid Lisianthus
1983 – The world’s first Dwarf Growing F-1 Hybrid Ranuculus
These are only a few of our outstanding flower introductions.
Since our establishment more than 70 years ago by the late Mr.
Takeo Sakata, we have concentrated our efforts to breed, produce, market and supply top quality flower seed to the world market.
Now a brief summary of the more important varieties and their development procedures:
First are Pansies as they are one of the most colorful flowers for early spring bedding.
We are probably today the largest Pansy breeder in the world.
In 1966, introduced the world’s first F-1 Hybrid Pansy