Unlimited
in yield.
Soybean & sweet corn.
Bred for Northwest Europe.
We breed grain soybean and sweet corn in Belgian Limburg. Field selection, genomics and our own breeding tools work together — from the first cross to the crop a grower harvests.
soybean programme
Belgian Limburg
From the cross to the crop.
Build a programme.
Or change its trajectory.
Not advice from the sidelines. Hands-on programme design and transformation, informed by breeding work of our own.
Explore our servicesDesigned for seed companies,
breeding teams and crop innovators.
From a market need to your first crossing plan.
Define the crop, the customer and the variety you need. Build a practical programme around those targets, with the germplasm, selection methods and infrastructure to carry it through.
A breeding blueprint
Target product profile, trait priorities and germplasm strategy.
A working programme
Crossing design, population structure and stage-by-stage selection gates.
A delivery plan
Facilities, people, data workflows and an implementation roadmap.
Keep the fieldcraft. Change what is possible.
Turn a conventional breeding programme into a connected, speed-breeding and genomics-driven operation. Start with the bottleneck, preserve valuable germplasm and make each new capability serve a breeding decision.
An honest diagnosis
Review the breeding cycle, trait assays, data quality and decision points.
A connected system
Link markers, controlled generations, phenotyping and pedigree data.
A team that can use it
Pilot workflows, practical protocols, training and a phased rollout.
The right intervention. Where it matters.
A trait that will not move. An assay that will not separate. A genome that has not yet become a useful marker. Bring a specific breeding problem and build a focused route to a decision.
A testable question
Define the trait, the material and the evidence needed to make progress.
A targeted workflow
Genome analysis, marker design, phenotyping or accelerated introgression.
A clear handover
Interpretable results, documented methods and the next breeding decision.
A breeding system.
Not a collection of tools.
Genomics does not replace a breeder’s eye. Speed breeding does not replace the field. The value lies in connecting them.
Choose the right starting point.
Genebank accessions, landraces and wild relatives widen the options beyond elite-by-elite crosses. The starting material should answer the breeding question, not simply be what is already on the shelf.
Make genetic variation usable.
Reference genomes, resequencing and KASP marker design connect genetic variation to selection. Markers are evaluated in the relevant breeding backgrounds before they guide decisions.
Measure what the variety must do.
Field observations and controlled assays address the traits that matter: adaptation, standing ability, disease response and market quality. Good phenotyping remains the test of any genomic prediction.
Shorten the cycle. Keep the purpose.
We help breeders set up speed-breeding environments and crop-specific protocols, from lighting and temperature to generation management. PROTISEM does not own a speed-breeding facility.
Keep every decision traceable.
Connect plants, pedigrees, samples, markers and plots in one information flow. An in-house LIMS and bioinformatics server connect pedigrees, plants, samples and plots, keeping selection decisions traceable.
PROTISEM · Internal developmentFlamingo — our breeding platform
Flamingo is PROTISEM’s internal breeding platform. Developed in-house, it connects the work from seed lot to field plot to marker call, keeping records together as material moves through our programmes.
Germplasm and seed inventory connect to trial design and geo-referenced plots. Field phenotyping, KASP genotyping results and pedigrees across generations provide the context for selection and the next cross. The map-based field view gives each plot a row and column position; crop protection and fertilisation registers sit alongside the breeding records.
Our next step is to integrate these modules into an AGI-driven breeding programme. That integration is being developed initially for internal use at PROTISEM. Flamingo runs on our own servers in the EU.
Selected Flamingo modules can be made available to other breeders and seed companies. Contact us to discuss a specific module and how it could fit your work.
- Seed lots, plots and pedigrees connected
- Field phenotyping and KASP results
- Crop protection and fertilisation registers
A breeder’s eye.
A complete toolkit.
Plant breeding, genomics and phytopathology — connected by one practical question: what makes the next generation better?
PROTISEM is founded and led by Hendrik Rietman. Our own crop programmes keep the work grounded in real breeding decisions. Our services bring that same approach to yours.
Breeding, in view.
Selection notes.
Future directions.
Purple and supersweet: breaking the linkage
Why combining colour and sweetness takes more than a cross. The A1–sh2 challenge behind purple supersweet breeding.
Read the breeding story ↗2026 sweet corn harvest: selecting the ear
From tip fill to a husk that stays green. The fresh-market traits behind our sweet corn selection.
Read the noteGuess the crop. Coming in 2027.
In 2027, we revisit a familiar crop with a different set of breeding questions.
Read the noteWhat would you
breed differently?
Tell us where you want to go.
Let’s work out what it takes to get there.
Marktplein 11
3940 Hechtel-Eksel, Belgium