27.10.2021

AURELIUS goes international

AURELIUS received its Austrian license in winter 2016. This was no surprise to us, but not even we at SAATBAU Linz would have imagined the impact.

AURELIUS received its Austrian license in winter 2016 and was ready for distribution. This was no surprise to us, but not even we at SAATBAU Linz would have imagined it would make such an impact and achieve such widespread expansion.
For five harvests now, AURELIUS has delighted cultivators throughout Europe. The new variety started out with an Austrian licence in December 2016 and was first sown in the autumn of 2017. Back then we suspected that we might be bringing something very exciting and big onto the market. Today – 5 years later – AURELIUS is licensed in Austria, Hungary, Slovakia and Ukraine. In addition to all the Eastern EU countries, AURELIUS is also available in Germany, France, Italy and Canada.

What made AURELIUS so successful?

AURELIUS is an awned classic quality wheat variety (BQ 7) of the Pannonian type. Its strengths are particularly obvious in Eastern Austria and the (South)-Eastern countries. AURELIUS does not excel in one specific trait; it is the sum of all its positive characteristics which makes this variety so successful.

The data of the Austrian variety description shows that AURELIUS exhibits a very high protein content (14.5 %) while at the same time granting very good yield ratios. This combination is currently unsurpassed by any other variety, which either present higher yields but lower protein contents, or vice versa. This is what makes AURELIUS unique. The data which this conclusion is based on, has been accumulated from 2015 all the way to 2020. AURELIUS is thus not a flash in the pan or a fortunate coincidence, the variety keeps delivering excellent results, consistently and reliably.

Its early maturity, convincing health characteristics and reliability in delivering solid yields even under dry conditions, make the variety attractive for cultivators across Europe – AURELIUS works, always and everywhere. Thanks to its confirmed health qualities, AURELIUS is also marketed as organic seed, with organic farmers cherishing its advantages. Dr. LÖSCHENBERGER, the breeder from SAATZUCHT DONAU has shown incredible talent with this variety.

Austria

While international success is of course a plus, we are particularly interested in a good development of the variety in Austria. Backed by the official figures of the Austrian Agency for Food Safety (AGES), motivated by the good test results of the Chamber of Agriculture of Lower Austria and by the marketing campaign, we have been able to catapult AURELIUS to the very top of the Austrian quality wheat varieties in a very showrt time.

As a quality wheat (BQ 7), AURELIUS is cultivated in the extensive wheat growing areas of Eastern Austria, but it is also the first choice for farmers in the foothills of the Alps who seek high protein contents. This shows that AURELIUS works in all regions. And this is the reason why AURELIUS was awarded the KLIMAFIT® -label

International situation

Outside of Austria, AURELIUS is marketed in many other countries with a special emphasis on its success in Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Ukraine. Subsidiaries of SAATBAU LINZ or reliable partner companies are marketing AURELIUS in all these countries, so that both turnover and multiplication surfaces have been increased significantly over recent years. And this variety is still growing, with interest in AURELIUS rising continuously.

Multiplication surface

We are keen on allowing maximum value creation for our owners and producers. This is why in Austria alone, AURELIUS was produced on more than 900 hectares in 2020. This means that AURELIUS leads the Austrian multiplication statistics with a considerable margin. Continuous Z-seed sales ensure multiplication on great surfaces. From there, it is obvious that we are investing considerably in convincing cultivators to use certified seeds.

Worth its weight in gold

The name AURELIUS is derived from Latin „aureus“ – which means „golden”. Its many positive characteristics can be summarised under the heading „worth its weight in gold“ – which became clear quite early in the process!

We are doing everything in our power to further AURELIUS. We have not yet been able to convince all cultivators, traders and mills and many of our colleagues are still working on promoting the message. In 2021/2022 we will continue to develop new ideas to make AURELIUS even more popular and to market the variety with even more intensity in order to help farmers make the decision to cultivate AURELIUS.