Seed company Syngenta has unveiled eight new varities of courgette which it says will enable producers in Italy, Europe's leading market for the vegetable, to benefit from increased disease resistance and higher yields.
According to figures published by Consorzio Servizi Ortofrutticoli, there are around 9,500ha of courgette production in Italy, with a market penetration of round 91 per cent and average consumption of 12kg per household.
For that reason, Syngenta is aiming to provide the country's growers with varieties that can be grown in open-field production while offering excellent results in terms of productivity.
'It's essential that the Italian fresh produce trade can benefit from varietal innovation, a unique resource which can guarantee an effective competitive advantage in terms of productivity, virus resistance, quality and marketability,' explained Enrico Rappuoli, Syngenta Seeds-Vegetables' marketing manager for vegetables in south-west Europe.
The new cultivars include: green varieties Rhodos, CV3963 and Vitulia; streaky/grey variety Ortano; Augusto and Tirreno in the Fiorentino/Romanesco category; white cultivar Shorouq and Brice in the round segment.
According to Syngenta, each of the eight varieties offers the best possible combination of cultivation-related traits such as productivity, plant behaviour, hardiness and genetic resistance, quality characteristics and compatibility with the commercial requirements of the entire value chain.
Giuseppe Circella, product manager for squash and peppers at Syngenta Seeds-Vegetables commented: 'Thanks to the introduction of these new varieties, Syngenta's open-field courgette range offers a stronger guarantee than ever of appropriate solutions for the growing profession, as well as the best possible opportunity to ensure a successful future for one of the stars of Italian horticulture.'
No comments yet