Bred for success

Innovation is a key driver for the fresh produce industry and many seed companies plan to build on their recent successes in the never-ending quest for better-tasting fruits and vegetables.

“Seeds are a critical input that have huge impact on the efficiency and profitability of producers,” says Stuart Cox, sales and marketing manager at Sakata UK. “We have to take on the challenge to breed, select and produce high-quality seeds that deliver the potential of profitable production.”

Many seed breeders will introduce a number of new varieties in 2009 Rijk Zwaan, for example, will aim to introduce about 150 new varieties in around 20 different crops, worldwide. Vincent van Wolferen, from the Netherlands-based breeder, says the firm is set to unveil its new Cos lettuce line this year, to follow on from its success with the Caribbean melon.

The new melon variety has become a top choice in leading Cantaloupe melon-producing countries such as Honduras, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Brazil, only four years after initial tests. The variety is a result of an eight-year breeding programme and, over the next 12 months, trials and demonstrations will be held to promote the variety. “Under the Caribbean range, we now have Caribbean Gold RZ, Caribbean Giorgio RZ, Caribbean 34-794 RZ and Caribbean 34-720 RZ,” says Van Wolferen. “All of these varieties have orange flesh and that special combination of high levels of sweetness, productivity and firmness.”

Caribbean Gold RZ is primarily grown in Central and South America, while Caribbean Giorgio RZ is a summer crop for growers in Spain and Italy.

Syngenta is gearing up for the next 12 months, when it will launch several new varieties. “Our extensive consumer research is generating better insights into market demands and, year on year, we are able to breed attractive new varieties that meet market needs,” says Jan Romijn, head of communication.

Syngenta enjoyed a positive response to its tomato, melon and brassica websites last year. “Our target audience appreciated the quality and frequency of the information, as well as its relevancy,” Romijn tells FPJ. “The constantly updated informationthrough the whole value chain is one of the main reasons for people toreturn, as is product information.”

The global company has recently opened a new trial station in Turkey and is extending its production and trial facilities in Kenya.

The vegetable seeds sector is indeed a growing market. The increase in world population and rising demand for nutrition offers the sector a series of opportunities to develop new products and markets. Challenges such as water and surface scarcity will drive innovation, as will growing demand for more vegetable diversification.

The brassica sector, in particular, has seen consistent investment and a number of promising developments, on lines such as broccoli, cauliflower and white cabbage.

Rijk Zwaan markets a wide-ranging assortment of cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and kohlrabi, following many years of breeding and selection. “The cauliflower Dexter RZ and the intense red cabbage Rodima RZ top this segment,” says Van Wolferen.

Elsoms Seeds has introduced a number of new broccoli varieties in recent years and several new varieties will be introduced in the future, says the company’s John Constable. Sales of purple sprouting broccoli have held up well. Constable also says Bordeaux and Santee have yielded well, although the mild, wet autumn last year resulted in a delayed harvest of both crops in some areas.

BE2783 is Elsoms Seeds’ new numbered hybrid. This early type, with a taller plant habit than Santee, will be available for trial in 2009.New varieties for spring maturity will also become available in the near future.

Other developments in the broccoli arena include the commercial release of Sakata’s Naxos broccoli last year. Naxos performs best in warm, dry summer conditions, so the wet summer of 2008 was not the ideal launch season. But despite the adverse weather, many growers who tested Naxos appreciated the deep blue-green colour, as well as tolerance to summer stress problems such as leaf bracting and premature flowering, says Cox. “Organic trials also proved successful, as the natural vigour, improved head colour and field-holding ability of Naxos are key advantages for organic growers,” he adds.

Sakata predicts that the area devoted to Naxos will grow this year, as the variety provides a consistent supply and quality that all growers require through the mid-summer period. “Along with broccoli Parthenon, Naxos has raised interest with growers looking to reduce the quantity of nitrogen fertiliser applied, as both varieties perform very well in low-input systems,” Cox says.

Savoy cabbage Caserta F1 also looks promising. “This new late summer-autumn variety is very flexible across its harvest slot, fits very well with the trend for smaller head sizes and has a very high percentage of marketable yield,” says Cox.

Swiss chard Galaxy F1 performed well in 2008 and Cox says its hybrid vigour and improved leaf disease resistance helps conventional and organic producers achieve the necessary yield and quality in what can sometimes be a very difficult crop to produce.

Galaxy F1 will be joined by two new hybrid red Swiss chards in 2009, which will be available for grower trials.

Sakata has made progress in developing and launching the new beetroot variety Cardeal F1, which offers a sweet taste, long-term storage potential and excellent root shape and quality. This will be further developed this year.

Chinese cabbage is a relatively minor crop in the UK, but on a global scale it is big business for Sakata. “From our extensive breeding programme, Tabaluga F1 has been introduced,” says Cox. “This new variety has outperformed current standards, particularly with regard to internal and external colour, percentage of marketable heads and storage potential.”

Sakata will continue to develop new varieties in 2009 and growers will be able to view many of these in trial on commercial sites and at Sakata’s own trial site in Lincolnshire throughout the year. The company will shortly commission the expansion to its research and development glasshouse facilities, which will double the area of glass available for plant breeding.

On the root crop front, Elsoms Seeds has been “very pleased” with the progress of its hybrid parsnip and swede breeding programmes. “Our parsnips are gaining market share, with Picador and Pinnacle giving outstanding results,” says Constable.“Pinnacle is finding a solid niche in the pre-pack market, while Picador is giving good results for a wide range of uses.Both have good resistance to plant disease canker.”

Elsoms Seeds will be introducing the first-ever hybrid swede in 2009. Tyne F1 has been developed entirely for the culinary market and, according to Constable, it has a purple skin and cream flesh, producing a high yield of pre-pack sized roots.

Other new varieties on the agenda include the launch of a new, early maturing but long-term storage Rijnsburger onion (BGS266), four new cauliflowers - Tarifa and Arano for late summer to early autumn, and Salou and Santa Fe for late autumn - as well as several other brassicas.

The Bejo carrot-breeding programme continues to produce new material, while the firm has a new autumn leek hybrid called Runner.

But seed houses are keen to emphasise that the results of investment in breeding can take decades to materialise.

Elsoms Seeds is looking at new techniques that will help it to move more quickly to respond to the market.“We believe in seed enhancements, in particular cleaning, priming and pelleting, and we have invested substantially to be able to do that in the UK,” says Constable. “We are in the process of upgrading our seed enhancement facilities.”

But while seed breeding companies are optimistic about the new year, many acknowledge that they will face a series of challenges. The weak sterling continues to put pressure on activity, as does the economic downturn. “In line with all UK businesses, our operating costs have risen substantially,” says Constable.“In addition, a significant proportion of the seed we supply is bought in euros - that has naturally affected us too.”

Cox argues that while currency volatility is certainly an important issue for all businesses, careful management and communication with customers is important to help purchase planning and minimise the impact of price fluctuations.

The UK remains an important and competitive marketplace for Sakata. “Many Sakata products fit very well with the climatic and consumer demands of the UK and this provides opportunities for growers and retailers to exploit Sakata genetics that often present attributes appreciated by the UK market,” Cox explains. “The UK and Japanese retail markets share many common requirements, particularly at the premium end of the scale. Sakata UK continually looks to develop lines that fit the demanding UK marketplace.”

Syngenta spends roughly 10 per cent of its sales on R&D and, in 2008, its investment exceeded more than $900 million (£619m). “The financial crisis has had no impact on our R&D strategy and hence our commitment to R&D remains unchanged,” Romijn says.

Van Wolferen says it will be interesting to follow consumer shopping behaviour in 2009. “The difficulty is, what influence will the current economy have on the coming years and will the set breeding goals and ideas still fit the future trends and demands after the crisis?” he asks.

However, Van Wolferen argues that although the economy influences consumer behaviour, consumers will continue looking for good-quality, healthy, easy-to-prepare, tasty vegetables.

How the credit crunch will impact on R&D remains a concern, but seed breeders are optimistic. “If necessary, we can cut down our investments a little, but for now we do not see many reasons to change our plans,” Van Wolferen says.

Indeed, one of Rijk Zwaan’s new investments is the Fythopathological laboratory, which will be in use from May. “This state-of-the-art laboratory is one of a kind in Europe and will significantly contribute to breeding resistances,” Van Wolferen says.

Despite the ongoing economic gloom, seed breeders are focusing on the business at hand. “Our role as seed breeders and suppliers is to provide our customers with innovation, reliability and service,” says Constable. “We have a responsibility to our customers to provide them with a consistent product.”

TOMATOES TAKE CENTRE STAGE

De Ruiter Seeds will be introducing its latest developments in tomatoes at this year’s Fruit Logistica. The evening event will bring together retailers and traders from north-western Europe, as well as growers and co-operatives from southern Europe.

Three speakers within the tomato chain will discuss a range of topics. Kees van Beek, branch manager for horticulture at ING Bank, will analyse the flow of tomato traffic from south to north during the winter; David Ucles of Spanish bank CajaMar will eye the opportunities for southern European countries such as Spain, Morocco, Italy and Israel; and Harry Klee, a professor at the University of Florida, will take a close look at the relationship between flavour and consumer purchases.

Taste samples will be available for those attending the event.