SPECIFICS OF ORNAMENTAL SEEDS PRODUCTION IN POLAND BASED ON CHINA ASTER (CALLISTEPHUS CHINENSIS NEES)AND PANSY (VIOLA WITTROCKIANA HORT.)

Abstract

Poland has been a serious producer and seller of s eeds of ornamental plants in the European Union. The aim of this work was to describe specifi cs of Polish flower seeds production based on two v ery important and different in seed production species: China aster ( Callistephus chinensis Nees) and pansy ( Viola wittrockiana hort.). The research included their seed productio n technology and profitability. It was based on the detailed analyses of 12 seed growers' farms located in western (near Wschowa) and northern (near Brze śc Kujawski) Poland, the most important ornamental seed production areas in the country. The main differe nces in seed production technology concerned time of seeds sowing, risk of killing plants by winter, healthy s tatus of the received plants, number of off-type selections, fre quency of seed harvesting, seed yields and germinat ion capacity of the received seeds. The profitability o f China aster and pansy was 865 zand 515 z¯ (1 euro=3.2 z¯)/0.1 ha, respectively. Although, the seed yield of China aster was high, and seed harvest easy to c arry out, the received seeds did not germinate well and thereby t he received price for seeds was low. In the case of pansy seeds, it was opposite: the crop was risky due to w inter killing of the plants, seed yield was low, co sts of the seeds harvest were high, but the seeds germinated w ell and the price paid for the seeds was high.