The Little Seed that Can - Chen Wen-yu and His Work in Variety Improvement of Seeds／一顆種子 行銷全球 西瓜大王 陳文郁
The Little Seed that Can -
Chen Wen-yu and His Work in Variety Improvement of Seeds
◎English translation by Peng Hsin-yi
◎Photos by Chen Chen-yi
Known-You's seed kingdom headquartered in Dashu District with several R&D farms in Fongshan District, as well as in Pingtung and Chiayi counties germinated in a small company with just five staff. Known-You Seed Co., Ltd. has been in the business of variety improvement of seeds for 43 years. With more than 200 kinds of watermelon to its name, Known-you is now a world leader in developing watermelon seeds. But watermelons are just a small part of a big picture: Known-You has developed over a thousand different varieties of fruits and vegetables, including some of the most popular varieties of seedless watermelons and cherry tomatoes in the world. Today, the company has eight overseas offices, and a sales force which reaches more than 80 countries. The legendary founder of the company, Mr. Chen Wen-yu, has been featured in a mini-documentary on the Discovery Channel.
Mr. Chen, who grew up in a farming family, devoted over 50 years of his life to variety improvement. He used to work as a researcher in Fongshan Tropical Horticultural Experiment Branch, where he focused on variety improvement. The year he turned 42, he decided to leave the branch and start his own business. It was a big gamble. Since variety improvement of seeds takes time, no one can predict when a new variety will emerge. But he kept at it, doing it for the love of research and little else. He never thought about giving up, saying he had read stories of people in the USA and Russia who had successfully developed new varieties which benefited humanity. He took those stories to heart and wanted to do the same. Finally, six years into the work, Known-You's new watermelon seed was ready to hit the market. It was an instant success, being embraced by farmers because it was easier to grow. This was a turning point for the company; Mr. Chen's success with the watermelon seed gave him the confidence and resources to take his work to the next level, and experiment with more fruits and vegetables.
Even in the earliest days, Mr. Chen set the bar high for his company; he wanted to provide the best seeds in the world. Choosing to specialize in watermelons was logical; Taiwan's long, hot summers mean the island is an ideal environment for growing the fruit. His work received international recognition when he attended the All America Selections (AAS), in which not one, but six varieties of his watermelons received awards from the organization. Mr. Chen's eyes sparkle when talking about his favorite subject: the watermelon. He says most people are not aware that the watermelon is rich in lycopene and helps the absorption of calcium. He shows off a new watermelon that is about to reach the market called "The Drunken Beauty." It is so named because the flesh of the fruit appears to be a blushing pink, its fine grains almost melt in your mouth, and it is full of sweet juice. It is truly a watermelon that pleases both the eyes and the palate.
Mr. Chen said variety improvement requires a wide array of specialized knowledge; one has to know a good deal about pedology, chemistry, and meteorology and take all of those factors into consideration. The most challenging thing in the industry is to develop new varieties that are disease-resistant. At the age of 88, Mr. Chen is no longer active in the company, as he officially retired when he reached 75. However, he is still very hands-on when its comes to the company's future plans, and he remains proud to be a Taiwanese farmer, and proud to represent the core spirit of Taiwan's farming industry.
一顆種子 行銷全球
西瓜大王 陳文郁
◎文／張嘉玲
◎攝影／陳振義
從五個人的小公司，發展到如今除了矗立於大樹區的公司總部，外加數個散佈於鹽埔、萬丹、鳳山、嘉義等地的研究農場，農友種苗股份有限公司的創辦人陳文郁，43年來從事品種改良工作，帶領公司在西瓜育種方面獨步全球，培育出兩百多種西瓜新品種，所培育出的新品種蔬果，總數超過一千種 ，包括家喻戶曉的無子西瓜、聖女小番茄等蔬果，不僅海外分公司多達8個據點，更將種子銷售至全球逾80個國家。耀眼的成績，連Discovery頻道也來拍攝陳文郁的故事。
從事育種工作長達半世紀的陳文郁表示，從小家中務農，42歲時，他離開鳳山熱帶試驗所的品種改良研究工作，自己投入資金創業，育種研究需要時間醞釀，難以預測新品種何時能夠成功培育 。陳文郁說，因為是做自己喜歡的研究項目，從不輕言放棄。他表示，美國及俄羅斯曾有人研究品種改良因而造福鄉里，典範在前亦鼓舞他繼續堅持走自己的路。六年後，農友改良的種子正式培育成功，比原先種子更易栽種的西瓜品種受到農民的肯定，也奠定農友大鳴大放的基礎。創辦公司初期，陳文郁曾立志要將特定品種的種子做到全世界最好 。配合臺灣的炎熱氣候，他選定西瓜種子作為品種改良的重心。在全球最具規模的品種選拔比賽「全美園藝新品種比賽」(All America Selections，AAS) 項目中，農友的西瓜品種就有6個品種獲選，是農友種苗公司在世界育種的舞台上，一場亮眼精彩的演出。一談到西瓜，陳文郁神采奕奕的說，西瓜除了含有豐富茄紅素，還可以幫助鈣質吸收。他並介紹今年即將出現在市面上的新品種「醉美人西瓜」，剖開西瓜內層，果肉呈現粉紅色，入口即化；相當美味。
陳文郁說，育種工作需要對土壤學、化學、氣象學等相關知識有全盤了解，最具挑戰性的部份莫過於培育出更具有抗病性的品種。今年88歲的陳文郁，早已在75歲時退休，但直至今日，他仍親自關心育種研究計劃，陳文郁表示，他代表的是，生長於台灣這塊土地的農民精神。