Tambogrande
Three generations
We opened a new station in Peru 10 years ago. At the time, that seemed strange to the local population, but it had practical benefits for our corn breeding.
Greenhouse without glass: Only a roof provides protection in the hot Peruvian summer.
There’s no money to be made here with corn and sunflower – or so the people in the northern Peruvian village of Tambogrande thought when KWS acquired agricultural land there in 2013. “Most companies grow mangoes and lemons here,” says Gabriela Gutierrez, who has managed the station from the very beginning. “We first had to explain to people that we grow corn and sunflower for breeding and not to sell.”
And that did indeed take quite a bit of time: “With the beginning of work in 2014, the workers stayed with us until September and then moved to other companies between October and February for the mango harvest.” Step by step, however, Gabriela Gutierrez gained the trust of the people and made it clear to them that they could plant, care for, pollinate, harvest and return breeding material for KWS all year round – with all the benefits of permanent employment that they had never experienced before in their working lives.
Number of employees: 28
Size: 77 hectares
In operation since: 2013
Activities: Support in research and development
Crops: Corn (95 percent), sunflower (5 percent)
Three generations a year
The fact that there’s always work here in northern Peru is due to the climatic conditions. “We chose this region because we can produce three generations a year here,” says Gabriela Gutierrez. When it’s winter in Europe, it’s summer in Peru – and the temperatures are a hot 27 to 38 degrees. Recombinations for normal breeding are possible in this heat. On the other hand, the rainy Peruvian fall and the winter with its mild temperatures between 15 and 28 degrees are ideal for breeding doubled haploids.
And it was precisely these breeding programs that caused KWS to train its sights on Peru. For many years, the only winter breeding nursery for corn was in neighboring Chile. However, the climatic conditions only allow DH lines to be bred there once a year in winter. KWS therefore needed another location – especially as the 12-hectare area under cultivation in Chile was utilized to the full.
In the 10 years since it was established, the station in Tambogrande, with 77 hectares of area under cultivation, has now become the most important location for KWS’ doubled haploid breeding worldwide. “Peru now produces 50 percent of DH corn lines,” says Gabriela Gutierrez – mainly for European breeding programs from Italy, Serbia, Türkiye, Germany, Romania and France, but also for the U.S. and Argentinean markets. The other fifty percent is divided between Petrolina in Brazil, the Spanish island of Gran Canaria and Chile.
In these 10 years, the team has grown to 28 employees and an average of 200 seasonals, and the initial amazement has long since given way to identification with KWS. “Many employees have now been with us for six, seven or eight years.” Gabriela Gutierrez adds that this loyalty and the experience they have gained is vital for the station. |
© KWS SAAT SE & Co. KGaA 2025
