Together with national and international companies, organisations and governments we share our knowledge and expertise to promote learning and innovation.
Training courses
Naktuinbouw offers workshops and training courses that companies can immediately apply in practice. A selection of the 2024 workshops and training courses is shown below:
- Seed, Soil and Plant Sampling (also in English)
- E-CertNL training for seed exports
- Plant Breeders’ Rights
- Seed determination training
- Seed Analysis
- Following the Seed Trail
- Plant Breeders’ Rights for Food Security and Economic Development, online course
- Phytosanitary training for inspectors
- Seed Real-time PCR for the green sector
We organised 44 training courses, including 18 customised training courses that took place on site and were commissioned by companies. There were 409 participants in the 26 regular training courses, 117 participants in the customised training courses. They rated the quality of Naktuinbouw training with an average score of 8.2.
New offer
Due to the changes to NAL standards, we are developed an e-learning course ‘Sampling of fruits, small seed lots and compartments’. Two new modules, that handle new families, have been added to the Seed Determination course. We also developed ‘Biosafety‘ training for various groups of Naktuinbouw employees.
A week of English language study programmes
We organise English language study programmes, such as Professional Seed Sampling and Professional Plant Sampling for foreign employees of Dutch companies (based in the Netherlands or abroad). In June 2024, participants were able to participate in the Inspection, sampling and hygiene in horticultural productions training course. Over the space of four days, this programmes covered the main topics in the company hygiene, field inspection and plant sampling training courses.
Various visits by students and excursions
Institutes of secondary vocational education and universities of applied sciences regularly request an excursion so students can discover more about what we do. The students are very enthusiastic and the schools appreciate being able to see our work in practice. Aeres and Curio students visited Naktuinbouw in 2024.
Primary school project
We have worked with local primary schools for years with the aim of introducing primary school pupils to the horticultural sector at a young age. As part of the Sowing and Germination project, two primary schools also visited Naktuinbouw in 2024.
LTO Youth Day
Naktuinbouw participated again in the National Youth Day Tree Nurseries organised by the Netherlands Agricultural and Horticultural Association LTO sector group. The event was held on 6 September in the Opheusden region. The aim was to maintain and promote enthusiasm among the younger generation for the tree nursery sector. According to the LTO, the event was a resounding success. Almost 200 enthusiastic young adults between 18 and 35 years visited the event to watch demonstrations and join in workshops and social activities.
Naktuinbouw participated to show its support for the tree nursery sector and to raise the profile of our organisation and our role in the sector with the younger generation. Our inspectors explained more about the nature of their inspection work and demonstrated what inspection involves in practice.
Trade fair calendar
In January we attended the international IPM fair in Essen again. Every year, Naktuinbouw shares a stand with the German, Polish, Hungarian and French research stations for DUS testing and the CPVO (Community Plant Variety Office). This collaboration between the various research stations enables the organisations to provide information across the entire spectrum of all existing ornamental and arboricultural crops.
Podcasts
We recorded a series of podcasts in connection with retirement of director John van Ruiten. John van Ruiten was director at Naktuinbouw for almost 40 years. In a series of interviews, he shared his vision on five different topics: Naktuinbouw, Plant Breeders' Rights and breeding, plant health, technology and accreditation systems.
Knowledge platforms
In 2024 Naktuinbouw organised two knowledge platforms for companies and board members.
- On 6 June, there was a great deal of interest for the topic ‘Ultra-sensitive detection techniques: opportunity or risk?’
- On 21 November, a knowledge platform was organised around the theme ‘More responsibility for tree nurseries?!’. The conclusion of this knowledge platform is that collaboration, knowledge sharing and digitisation are the answer to further professionalism of the arboriculture sector.
