2013 CIOPORA Chronicle

E-Brida
Everyone knows
that paper field
books are outdated.
Smartphones and
tablet computers
are appearing
everywhere.
Anno 2013 you
use a tablet or a
smartphone with
a direct access to
a sophisticated
database. This
brings all relevant
information in
hand and saves
a great deal of
time by providing
new opportunities
in breeding and
process analysis.
by Berno van der Geest
Breeding 2.0: from
field book to tablet
As the processes within breeding
companies become more
sophisticated and complex,
it is vital for breeding businesses not
only to remain up-to-date on the
latest developments in breeding,
but also to develop high performance
knowledge sharing processes
for their companies.
Wealth of opportunities
These days, breeders record more
and more information about
their breeding processes: in the
greenhouse, in the field, but also
in the laboratory. Additionally,
the recorded information must be
available at a glance: information
about which parents have been
crossed and about the selections
made. Furthermore, pictures are
becoming increasingly important.
A vast quantity of information and
a desire to have this information
at hand, whatever the location,
presents a challenge to modern
breeders.
Luckily, the new digital age
presents a wealth of opportunities.
By using modern tablet computers
and smartphones, breeders
are no longer tied to their desks.
Wherever they are, they can
record information directly in
digital format, easily share it with
colleagues and look things up in
their own information system.
This article sketches some of new
options the digital age presents to
the benefit of the breeders.
Saving time in
the working process
Breeders spend a lot of time in a
field or in a greenhouse. Some even
consider time spent at the desk as
a waste of time. In our modern
digital era with the omnipresence
of the Internet, breeders also appreciate
the convenience of being
able to look something up in their
breeding database using a tablet
or a smartphone. They want to see
the pedigree trees and the pictures
of the breeding material and,
while still in a greenhouse or out
in a field, to be able to update the
information and add actual observations,
crossings, selections and
images. This saves a considerable
amount of time and offers breeders
the option of making decisions on
the spot.
Improving the
analysing process
To simplify the breeder's work, even
behind the desk, a sophisticated
database for breeding can be very
helpful. Such a database system
should include the pedigree tree
and pictures of the breeding material.
With the help of the database,
breeders can make powerful selections
and process data in graphs
or present it in their reports. Some
database programs offer an extensive
consolidation mechanism to
convert multiple observations into
a single figure for a genotype.
Tools help accelerate
variety introduction
Modern breeding databases have
powerful analysis options. These
options provide breeders with an
extra pair of eyes. Every breeder
will recognize his/her top variety
immediately, but these top varieties
are rare. These are the sub-toppers
which present a real challenge:
good parents with strong genes.
They cannot always be spotted
immediately. Modern breeding
databases can help find these
toppers. By using comprehensive
selection mechanisms breeders can
accelerate the process of introducing
new cultivated varieties.
Securing breeding
knowledge
Breeders have a wealth of
knowledge, but this is often
only stored in their heads.
Documenting this knowledge
means it can be shared within
their breeding companies.
A consistent and continuous
collection and recording of the
E-Brida tablet.
18 www.FloraCultureInternational.com | CIOPORA Chronicle April 2013