Beginning of a New Species of Cabbage

The beginning of a new species of cabbage.

At "Rijk Zwaan" in Marne they are investigating and cultivating new sorts of cabbage and other foods. They supply a lot of farmers around Europe's greatest cabbage area with bedding plants and various other seeds.

The greenhouses are totally controlled so no insects, worms or other influences will interfere. They are also separated with pollen-tight entrances.Bees are replaced by humans that go around and pollinate every single blossom.

This view from the cabbage is quite a unique one. The lower leaves are cut off constantly so they look more like palm- trees than cabbage. When in blossom and seeds afterwards they provide basis for the next generation of bedding plants.

I first though it would be an easy shot - but far out. The little tripod did not carry the load of the camera & lens and could not be stabilized in the tiny space, so it had to be stabilized with stones. The underground was of weak plastic grids which bend heavily, also the plants where touched by the camera so they had a differnet position & form in every shot.

See more of Rijk Zwaan and the human bees at: http://www.netzserver1.de/pg8/index.php?region=Rijk-Zwaan

Europe / Germany

Lat: 53° 57' 36.36" N
Long: 9° 1' 29.53" E

→ maps.google.com [EXT]

Precision is: High. Pinpoints the exact spot.

Canon 40D / Sigma 8mm, Manfrotto Tabletop