What Asur Plant Breeding does

ASUR Plant Breeding SAS is a French cereal seed company founded in 1997 (originally as SAATEN-UNION RECHERCHE) and headquartered in Estrées-Saint-Denis, Picardie, approximately 80 km north of Paris. It operates within the SAATEN-UNION Group and is jointly owned by three German family-owned plant breeding companies (Nordsaat, P.H. Petersen, Südwestsaat) and three French agricultural cooperatives (CERESIA, CAVAC, Terre Atlantique). The company specializes in the genetic improvement, production, and marketing of straw cereals — primarily winter wheat (both line and hybrid varieties) and hybrid barley — and has registered 105 wheat varieties over the past 25 years, including more than 90 hybrid wheat varieties since 2002. Its flagship line wheat CHEVIGNON has been the most multiplied winter wheat in France and Europe since 2016. The breeding program is supported by a molecular biology laboratory in Amiens, drone-based phenotyping (VISIONAIR), and marker-assisted selection (KASP/Taqman qPCR).

The company's core technology stack includes the proprietary Croisor®100 hybridization agent (active substance SINTOFEN, EU-approved), which enables >95% hybridity in hybrid wheat seed production — a competitive alternative to cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) methods. Two subsidiaries commercialize adjacent seed technologies: Tamia Pack (wholly-owned, 2019) sells Safet'Hy vacuum storage packaging for seeds and grains, and Pollinova (joint subsidiary with Syngenta and INRAE, 2020) holds a worldwide patent on pollen flow optimization technology. ASUR monetizes through three channels: (a) licensing royalties from ~15 partner seed producer establishments (EPS) that multiply basic seeds for line wheat and barley; (b) direct certified hybrid wheat seed sales across six European countries (France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, Italy) via its own commercial teams since July 2025; and (c) packaging/professional services through Tamia Pack. The company employs approximately 50 people and reaches farmers in 30 countries via the broader SAATEN-UNION distribution network.

Name

Asur Plant Breeding

Legal name

ASUR PLANT BREEDING SAS

Website

https://asur-plantbreeding.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ASUR Plant Breeding SAS is a French cereal seed company (founded 1997) that breeds, produces, and markets line and hybrid wheat varieties across Europe. Owned jointly by German breeding firms and French agricultural cooperatives within the SAATEN-UNION Group, it serves farmers and distributors in 30 countries with proprietary hybridization technology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Seed Production

NAICS

Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating (115112)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Wholesale-Farm Product Raw Materials (5150)

akta.pro primary industry

Plant Breeding & Variety Development (Conventional) (AFAGAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hybrid Seed Production (AFAGAIAD), Registered Seed Production (AFAGAIAB), Seed Distribution & Wholesale (Channel Sales) (AFAGAIAM)

Keywords

• Hybrid wheat breeding
• Cereal seed production
• Plant variety development
• Seed marketing services
• Agricultural biotechnology

Headquarters

HQ city

Estrées-saint-denis

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Seed Sales - Licensed Production: ASUR produces basic seeds and grants licenses to seed multipliers (EPS) for large-scale multiplication of line wheat and barley. Seeds are processed and packaged by partner producers.
2. Certified Seed Sales - Hybrid Wheat: Direct sales of certified hybrid wheat seeds across Europe, packaged in quantities ranging from 500,000 to 12 million seeds per dose.
3. Tamia Pack Vacuum Storage Services: Subsidiary Tamia Pack provides vacuum packaging services for seeds and grains in heat-sealed aluminum bags (200g to 1.2t big-bags), at headquarters or on-site via mobile machine.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ASUR Plant Breeding is a French plant breeding company that develops and commercializes hybrid and line wheat varieties, as well as hybrid barley, for the European market. The company combines plant breeding programs with proprietary seed technologies, including the Croisor®100 hybridization agent (SINTOFEN-based) for hybrid wheat production. It operates as a member of the SAATEN-UNION Group and markets its varieties through a mix of direct sales in 6 countries, channel partners, and licensed production by partner seed multipliers.

Product overview

ASUR Plant Breeding is a French seed company and member of the SAATEN-UNION Group specializing in plant breeding, seed production, and marketing of cereal varieties. The portfolio includes three product categories: hybrid wheat varieties (marketed under SU prefix names like SU HYREAL, SU HYNTACT, CHEVIGNON, HYSUN, HYSTAR, HYLIGO, HYACINTH), line wheat varieties (including SU MOUSQUETON, SU ADDICTION, CHEVIGNON, SU ECUSSON), and hybrid barley (SU HYLONA). The company also offers seed technology products including Croisor®100 hybridization agent, vacuum storage technology via subsidiary Tamia Pack, and pollen flow optimization via subsidiary Pollinova. Additional technology initiatives include drone-based phenotyping (VISIONAIR) and marker-assisted selection (SAM). The company operates from Estrées-Saint-Denis, France, and commercializes varieties across Europe through the SAATEN-UNION network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hybrid Wheat Varieties Portfolio of hybrid wheat varieties including SU HYREAL, SU HYNTACT, SU HYCARDI, SU HYTONI, HYXPERIA, HYSTAR, HYLIGO, HYKING, HYDROCK, HYACINTH, HYVEGA, SU ASTRAGON, MACARON, CENTURION, JOHNSON, and 2025 launches SU HYANKEE, SU HYCLASS, SU HYSTORIC, SU HYBISCUS, SU HYLORD. Hybrid varieties combine high productivity, disease tolerance (including triple trait combinations like midge/mosaic/worm-eating resistance), and quality profiles. Targeted at farmers and seed distributors across Europe.
• Line Wheat Varieties Portfolio of line (conventional) wheat varieties including CHEVIGNON (the #1 winter wheat in Europe), SU ECUSSON, SU BLASON, SU MARMITON, SU MOUSQUETON (recommended by French milling industry), and SU ADDICTION. Line wheats offer stable yields, disease resistance, lodging resistance, and milling/baking quality profiles (BPS classifications with protein, PS, and GPD characteristics). Targeted at farmers and milling industry.
• SU HYLONA Hybrid Barley Hybrid barley variety SU HYLONA featuring good yields, very good health profile, lodging resistance, and good straw productivity. Part of ASUR's expansion into winter barley breeding launched in 2024.
• CROISOR®100 Hybridization Agent Exclusive hybridization agent (plant growth regulator) containing SINTOFEN active substance used to induce male sterility in female parent lines for hybrid wheat seed production. EU-approved and central to ASUR's proprietary hybrid wheat system achieving over 95% hybridity.
• Tamia Pack Vacuum Storage Service Subsidiary providing Safet'Hy vacuum packaging services for seeds and grains in heat-sealed aluminum bags ranging from 200g to 1.2t big-bags. Protects seeds from environmental changes, insect and rodent attacks, and reduces energy consumption versus conventional warehouse storage. Available at ASUR headquarters or on-site via Tamia Mobile.
• Pollinova Pollen Flow Optimization Technology Joint-venture technology enabling collection of pollen from pollinating plants, transportation and controlled distribution to male sterile recipient plants. Reproduces gentle breeze conditions and controls pollen flow to secure hybrid seed production. Holds worldwide patent.

Quantifiable outcome

• 107.1% of controls at registration for SU SNIPPER variety
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• PollinovacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Joint subsidiary with SYNGENTA and INRAE created in 2020 to commercialize pollen flow optimization technology. The technology enables collection, transport and controlled distribution of pollen to male sterile recipient plants for hybrid seed production. Holds worldwide patent.
• Tamia PackcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Subsidiary created in September 2019 to develop commercial vacuum storage technology (Safet'Hy process) for seeds and grains. Partnered with two packaging companies to develop innovative solution for vacuum storage in heat-sealed aluminum bags from 200g to 1.2t big-bags.
• INRAE (Institut national de recherche pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement)coreTechnology or IntegrationResearch partnership for developing pollen flow optimization technology that led to Pollinova creation. Collaboration on pollination optimization in hybrid seed production.
• SYNGENTAcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartner in the Pollinova joint venture for developing and commercializing pollen flow optimization technology for hybrid seed production.
• Genius Breeding AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative platform bringing together ASUR, ELSOMS Wheat Ltd (UK) and NORDSAAT (Germany) to share tools and optimize exchange of know-how in wheat breeding for all of Europe.
• ELSOMS Wheat LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK wheat breeder specializing in maritime climate conditions. Partner in Genius Breeding Alliance with ASUR and Nordsaat. Established in 2013.
• Seed Multiplier Establishments (EPS)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of approximately 15 partner seed producer establishments cleaning, processing and packaging seeds after harvest in quantities ranging from 500,000 to 12 million seeds.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Peers

• Florimond Desprez:

Direct peers

• Deutsche Saatveredelung (DSV): DSV is a German plant breeding company with a strong wheat and barley portfolio and a member of the SAATEN-UNION Group. It is a direct comparable in cereal variety development, distribution model and channel relationships across Germany and Europe.
• Euralis Semences: Euralis Semences is a French seed company with cereal (wheat, barley) and sunflower portfolios sold through cooperatives in Southern Europe. It is a comparable French-headquartered breeder serving similar farmer and cooperative customers with overlapping crop scope.
• RAGT Semences: RAGT is a French seed company and competitor that breeds and markets wheat and barley varieties in France and across Europe. It shares ASUR's positioning as a mid-sized French-headquartered cereal breeder serving cooperatives and distributors, with overlapping variety portfolios in winter wheat.
• Nordsaat Saatzucht GmbH: Nordsaat is a German cereal breeder and ASUR's largest shareholder, with overlapping wheat and barley breeding programs. It is also part of the SAATEN-UNION distribution network and competes with ASUR in several Northern European markets.

Broad incumbents

• Syngenta Group: Syngenta is a global crop science and seed company, partner of ASUR in the Pollinova joint venture. It operates broadly across seeds, crop protection and digital agriculture, and is both a collaborator (via Pollinova) and a competitor in hybrid cereals and adjacent technologies.
• KWS SAAT SE & Co. KGaA: KWS is one of Europe's largest plant breeding companies, active across cereals (including wheat and barley), sugar beet, corn and other crops. It competes directly with ASUR in European hybrid wheat and barley breeding and represents the most comparable broad incumbent in the same crop segments.
• BASF Agricultural Solutions: BASF's Agricultural Solutions division covers hybrid wheat (e.g., the formerly Bayer / HybriTech wheat program), crop protection and digital tools. It competes with ASUR in hybrid wheat technology and seed production inputs, and is a large-cap incumbent in the same broader value chain.
• Limagrain (Groupe Limagrain): Limagrain, via its Vilmorin-Mikado and LG Seeds brands, is a leading European field seed company with a major wheat and barley breeding program. It is a direct competitor in European cereal variety development and distribution, serving similar farmers and cooperatives.
• Corteva Agriscience (Pioneer): Corteva operates the Pioneer seed brand and has been active in hybrid wheat breeding and cereal genetics. It is a broad incumbent competitor with global R&D scale and overlaps with ASUR in hybrid wheat development.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https://www.asur-plantbreeding.com

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Asur Plant Breeding