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at Tozer Seeds Direct
Tozer Seeds are committed to achieving our commercial goals in a socially responsible manner. As vegetable breeders and farmers we take pride in ensuring our crops are grown to the highest standards, using ethical working practices and with regard to the protection of the natural environment. We also promote the consumption of healthy vegetables and engage in philanthropic activities with many organisations.
Due to the long term nature of vegetable seed crops, a hotter, drier climate than the UK is generally required for successful seed multiplication. Tozer Seeds utilises specialist growers all over the world for seed production; many based in Italy, France, Chile, USA and Australia. In most instances we work with a subcontracting multiplication company which directly contracts our seed production to local growers. These growers are often part of a cooperative and are generally small, family run businesses with specialised skills in seed production.
Placing our seed production in multiple countries not only spreads the risk of crop failure, but also helps support small local growers. In addition, growing seed in countries where the weather is dry at harvest means we don’t have to use artificial drying techniques, reducing our fuel consumption and carbon emissions.
Tozer Seeds is a member of the International Seed Federation who issue rules on how seed should be produced and creates policies on seed health to which we adhere to.
Tozer Seeds endeavour to farm in a responsible manner, taking into account the natural environment and our natural resources.
On our own nurseries we adhere to strict crop rotations to prevent build up of disease and imbalance of nutrients. We regularly utilise green manures and recycled municipal compost to improve the soil organic matter in both our open field production areas and under glass.
Plant health is important when vegetable crops are grown for seed, as they are in the soil for a considerably longer time than food crops. We therefore have to use a number of pesticides to maintain the high quality of our products. All our spray operators are highly trained and hold current relevant qualifications. Our BASIS and FACTS certified agronomist ensures that sprays, fertilisers and field operations are carried out responsibly and that we adhere to Good Agricultural Practice guidelines.
We endeavour to reduce our usage of chemical pesticides by making extensive use of natural alternatives. We routinely use biological predators in our protected cropping areas to control certain insect pests, plus blow flies, bumble bees and our own honey bees for pollination of seed crops. The use of these biological controls and pollinators restricts the pesticides we can apply and hence we use the minimum necessary. We also use wherever possible, reduced risk products for pest and disease control (those products which have a reduced impact on the environment, the spray operator and non-target insects).
We monitor and try to reduce our water usage by using metered irrigation drip lines, which are not only more efficient at providing water where the plant needs it, but also reduces leaf wetness and hence disease. Our usage of fungicides is therefore greatly reduced.
We manage our farms in such a way as to encourage and protect a wide variety of wildlife. Sensitive use of grass margins and green manures on bare soil create green corridors for mammals and insects to use as well as protecting hedgerows and waterways from spray drift. Lapwings are often observed breeding in-between our long season row crops and we support a host of other mammals and birds. Some wildlife can be detrimental to our crops so we try to avoid damage by the use of fencing and covering our crops with hard wearing and long lasting netting, lessening the need for gas ‘bangers’ and unsightly deterrents.
We are actively developing our relationships with the growers who perform our seed multiplication, encouraging them to reduce pesticide usage by reducing disease incidence in crops, for example, reducing the use of some herbicides on onion crops which remove the protective waxy layer on the leaves. Preserving this waxy layer makes the plant more resistant to disease.
In our breeding programmes we are constantly looking to breed pest and disease resistance into our varieties, particularly downy mildew resistance in leafy salad crops such as lettuce and rocket, canker resistance in parsnips, resistance to rust in leeks, various virus resistances in cucurbit crops and greater tolerance to root fly attack in carrots. Plants with greater resistance to pest and disease require considerably less pesticide applications, benefiting the growing of our own seed crops, and the food crops produced from our seed.
Tozer Seeds do not currently genetically modify varieties in our vegetable breeding programmes. All our vegetable varieties are bred using traditional hybridisation and cross pollination techniques.
Tozer Seeds are committed to positively contributing to the communities in which we operate. We frequently sponsor local activities by offering seed to good causes in the form of raffle prizes and donations.
Tozer Direct are currently sponsoring a social enterprise scheme run by North Hertfordshire College. Local adult learners with learning difficulties are involved with growing vegetable and herb plants for sale to members of the college and local businesses.
Dr Dawson is a frequent judge at local vegetable competitions and Tozer Seeds often supply and give help to ‘seeds for schools campaigns’ and other worthwhile projects.
