The Partnership no. 17

esistance genes in their

esistance genes in their genetic arsenal, we will need to first find a good resistance source. This requires testing hundreds of wild relatives in our gene bank material in order to find that one lucky charm that holds up against the new breaking strain of the virus, fungus, insect or nematode in question. These breaking strains often come directly from our diagnostics effort. Indeed, you sending us one diagnostic sample could lead to a new resistance in the commercial varieties you might be growing in the future. Our Watson Depending on the crop, it can take years before our detective work leads to a new resistance in the market. By adopting the latest technologies we are reducing the time needed to introduce resistance into our crops. We are using novel molecular techniques to speed up the process. We are using state-of-the art know-how on cell biology and plant physiology to speed up the process. We are using digital solutions to improve and speed up our communication with people in the field. And like Sherlock Holmes, we have our own Watson as a promising companion to speed up the process. Watson you say? Computational biology, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are key advances in technology that we are currently embracing. These tools often need computing power way beyond what is in your standard desktop. One such supercomputer is IBM’s Watson. Named after IBM’s founding father Thomas J. Watson, it bears no connection to Sherlock Holmes. But it will allow us to utter the iconic conclusion like Holmes did so often, when our deep learning algorithms run on Watson stump on a conclusion that fits ours: ‘Elementary my dear Watson, quite elementary’ “The diagnostic sample you send us, could lead to a new resistance in the commercial varieties you might be growing in the future.” Continuous development and innovation Amplus’ secrets to success The 100% Polish owned Amplus was established in 1992 and has its headquarters in the small village of Prandocin Iły in the Lesser Poland province. Its main activities focus on the trade of fresh fruit and vegetables. Additionally, Amplus unites growers in a corporation and also produces its own fruit and vegetables. As partner of a supermarket chain, Amplus sells its products through modern sales channels. However, the activities of this company are not limited to production and sales. A lot of time and attention is paid to the introduction of innovative products and the creation of trends. Partnership 30 | The Partnership The Partnership | 31