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Winter Farm Services

Augment your seed development R&D and achieve faster speed-to-market with Illinois Crop Improvement’s counter-season services that offer year-round breeding, growout and research expertise. In fact, continuous nursery options allow for three generations in one calendar year.

It all happens on Illinois Crop’s dedicated farming operation in Puerto Rico, where the growing conditions are ideal due to the region’s warm climate, rich soil and drip irrigation system.

Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Hawaii
Hawaii

Why Puerto Rico?

For winter farming, Puerto Rico’s only considerable rival is Hawaii. But there really is no rivalry.

Puerto Rico’s consistent daytime temps in the high 80s, with evening temps never falling below 60, means no risk of freeze damage. But, unlike Hawaii, it also creates a tropical speedup phenomenon for faster turnaround times.

In a direct comparison of the same seed planted in both regions on the same November date, the Puerto Rican plot was almost two weeks ahead of the Hawaiian plot at harvest.

Not to mention the Midwest commute to Puerto Rico is shorter and less costly, and the shipping of product is faster and less expensive.

Finally, as a Commonwealth of the United States, Puerto Rico operates under Federal laws and agencies providing a regulatory framework familiar to companies from the U.S. and around the world.

Winter Farm Staff

Lizandro Perez, Licensed Agronomist
Station Manager
Contact

Delvin Marrero, Licensed Agronomist
Farm Supervisor

Natalie Bracero, Licensed Agronomist
Trait Introgression Supervisor
Contact

Marilys Rivera Santiago
Agronomist

José Cabrera
Agronomist

Lucy Cirado
Office Manager

Eddie Rivera Torres
Supervisor