Consumer demand and expectation for new and exciting products is at an all time high and with so much technology and information available, it seems that unusual hybrids are featuring ever more heavily on the agenda.
The term unusual hybrid is difficult to define, according to sources. Some consider it to mean a cross between two completely different fruits, but plant breeders often cross two hybrids of the same fruit to produce a superior product.
“Practically everything the breeders here produce is a complex hybrid which has many breeding lines or species in its ancestry,” explains Ursula Twomey, communications manager for East Malling Research. “For example, the raspberry ‘Autumn Bliss’ had three other species in its parentage, but it wouldn’t be recognised as anything other than a raspberry.”
“In terms of fruit hybrids that we’ve produced, the driving factor is to produce a novel fruit which is better than anything currently available rather than the novelty of the hybrid per se.”
One hybrid EMR has been responsible for is the redcurrant Red Poll, which is a three-way hybrid. “It has been widely taken up in Europe where redcurrant is more popular, because of its lateness of ripening and the length of strig (bunch) making it a more superior redcurrant,” says Twomey.
When creating an unusual hybrid, plant and seed breeders have to consider a huge number of factors. Not only is it about producing an attractive and tasty fruit or vegetable, but there is also a question of whether it will be possible to produce in commercial quantities, marketing the product and persuading the consumer and retailer to give it a try.
“What does the consumer want and what are the main trends in the consumer market?” asks Syngenta Seed’s Laurent Péron. “How can we respond to these needs and what actions can be taken with regard to the producer, trader and retailer? What tools do we offer to respond to these needs?”
Satisfying the whole supply chain is vital for a product to succeed and, perhaps unsurprisingly, it takes years for unusual hybrids to come on to the market.
Producing superior varieties of fruits and vegetables is a priority for seed breeders and producers. Taste, nutritional benefits and attractiveness inevitably score highest on the list of consumer demands, but they would not mean much if the product was susceptible to pests and diseases.
A number of leading seed breeders are busy in the laboratories and many have unveiled new products.
Syngenta Seeds is known for its innovations and has been promoting its Kumato and Solinda seedless watermelon seeds. The famous brown tomato, Kumato, was launched in 2004, and according to the firm, has enjoyed steady sales over the last two years.
Kumato is available 11 months a year and is sold by a number of European retailers including Coop and Migros in Switzerland, Delhaize in Belgium and El Corte Ingles and Eroski in Spain. “Kumato is gaining high awareness and recognition from consumers,” says Péron. “In the speciality tomato segment, Kumatos are usually sold at a slight premium to ordinary standard tomatoes.”
Solinda was launched in 2005. This individual-sized seedless watermelon has an average weight of 1.8-2.5kg and is 15cm in diameter. Available in North Europe from May until early September, it has achieved praise for its very thin skin and few pips.
Syngenta works on a huge number of unusual hybrids and last year launched 20 new varieties of tomatoes alone.
“We offer a complete range of innovative, high-quality fruit and vegetables,” Péron says. Tomatoes, melons, watermelons, squash, cucumbers and peppers are just some of the fresh produce lines it has worked on.
As well as Solinda and Kumato, Syngenta has been responsible for a number of innovative products that have been successfully launched over the past few years. These include TYLCV resistant tomatoes, PreNova pepper seeds and Clubroot resistant cabbages.
Before reaching the consumer, Syngenta is keen to stress that a lot of work goes into coming up with the goods. “Products are produced and distributed in close co-ordination with partners who have vast experience in these types of crops,” Peron says. “We also have a well managed network of reliable, quality growers and strict and constant quality controls are carried out.”
Other seed breeders keen to make their mark include Hazera Genetics. The Israeli supplier announced the launch of its new line of seeds, Hazera Genetics’ Lifestyle, in January. The new brand and products will be showcased at Fruit Logistica, in Berlin.
“With our new Hazera Genetics Lifestyle line, we can offer retailers and wholesales a new and exciting line of products which will satisfy customers and will give retailers practical solutions,” says Eran Shafrir, head of marketing and business development. “Hazera Genetics products offer longer shelf life and can be grown in diverse climatic conditions, resulting in year round availability.”
A variety of fruit and vegetables come under the Hazera Genetics Lifestyle umbrella, which is split into three categories: taste, health and convenience.
Hazera Genetics says its greatest success to date has been its Boutique range, which comes under the taste category. This collection of premium gourmet tomato varieties includes cocktail tomatoes on the vine, tiny-plum tomatoes, mini-plum tomatoes, red cherry tomatoes on the vine, extra sweet yellow cherry tomatoes (called Summer Sun) and mini San Marzano-type tomatoes.
In the health category, Hazera Genetics has launched the Hazera Vitalis™ line of products which includes several varieties of lycopene tomatoes with more than twice the level of regular commercial varieties. A range of small peppers, which contain some two to three times higher levels of vitamins A, C and E will also be introduced.
In the convenience category, Hazera Genetics Lifestyle is offering its personal mini watermelon, a new range of colourful mini peppers and small cucumbers.
The firm has established several breeding programmes aimed at developing new and exciting varieties with a wide appeal. “The highly competitive hybrid seed business is increasingly driven by the demand of the fresh produce markets for innovation and constant improvement,” says Shafrir. “These are key success factors in the seed industry.”
In recent years, the pluot (a cross between plums and apricots) has been one of the biggest commercial hits and is guaranteed to provoke some comment at the retail checkout. Laura Gandia de Cock of Sat Royal, says attention looks set to gather pace for this unusual hybrid. “There was a clear shortage of supply during the 2006 season but strong demand is there,” she says. “We are facing a need to increase our volume offer for the coming years.”
Gandia de Cock says one UK retailer has been particularly supportive. “Clearly the leader in handling pluots in the right way last year was Sainsbury’s which was flexible and quick enough to respond to the availability of product,” she says. “Frankly, they have a success on their shelves.
“It is clear that other UK retailers like Marks & Spencer, Waitrose and Tesco will be quicker to forecast demand and be more flexible in programming their sales.”
Royal works on two to three pluots at a time. “We have to diversify and increase not only the volume but also the number of hybrids on offer,” says Gandia de Cock. “Some new types of pluots have a surprising combination of a sour skin with a very sweet, aromatic flesh.”
However, work needs to be done to improve the communication between retailers and consumers when introducing new types of pluots. Gandia de Cock says the diversity of appearance and the introduction of new tastes is a major challenge, and adds that retailers need to create excitement on their shelves by offering innovative fruit.
“In the US, we have seen the revolution pluots have made in the marketplace, creating a buzz of interest towards fashion and new tastes,” she says. “We are seeing the same phenomenon in the UK.”
Not only do unusual hybrids create a buzz at retail level but they can also offer substantial health benefits. “We are working hard on selecting types that not only are exciting to the palate but have a high concentration of healthy nutrients and antioxidants,” explains Gandia de Cock.
“The large DNA pool derived from the combination of the four different species we are using (peaches, nectarines, plums and apricots) not only gives us a fantastic range of different aromas and tastes, together with a broad range of different appearances, but also offers a fantastic source of healthy new combinations of vitamins, polyphenols, free radicals and antioxidant agents.”
BELGIUM SAVOURS SPECIALITIES
Unusual hybrids are causing a stir in Belgium, according to Vlam, Flandria’s agricultural marketing board. A wide range of hybrid tomatoes are already being marketed, including mini San Marzano and Ministar.
Ann Van Nieuwenhove, communication manager at REO auction, says Ministar is a great example of unusual fruits gaining consumer acceptance. However, she warns that such items need to earn their place in the market, adding: “Of course producers have to be patient enough to give these items a chance to grow. The balance between offer and supply is very delicate, and especially for niche products, it’s hard to find the perfect equilibrium.”
Natalie Snijers of Veiling Hoogstraten reports strong consumer interest for Kumato. “The different taste and especially the attractive colour makes this a welcome and innovative addition to other tomatoes,” she says. “Kumatos are extremely suitable as a garnish. At Veiling Hoogstraten, our growers have devoted 1.6 hectares to this variety.”
Tomato hybrids will joined by lycopene-rich varieties later this year. “The Lycoplus tomato will be produced for the first time in Belgium and will be available from March,” reveals Bert Stas, marketing and communication manager of Mechelse Veilingen. “Special tomatoes with a different shape seem to be more successful on the market.”
Stas singles out Coeur de Boeuf tomatoes as being particularly good sellers and plantings are to increase sharply this year. Stas says that production for speciality products normally starts on a small scale but when the market reacts well, growers are inevitably keen to invest and increase production.
Veiling Hoogstraten handles a range of peppers including mini square peppers which are available in the colours yellow, red and orange. These are marketed under the name Zuccherina and are sweeter than a normal pepper, with a long storage life and a high brix.
The Belgian co-operative also markets orange sweet-pointed peppers under the name Dolcepunta. “They have an extremely sweet taste and almost no seeds so are suitable as a finger food,” says Snijers.
In terms of other unusual products, yellow courgettes are becoming more widely available. “Courgette de Nice stands out from ordinary courgettes because of its shape,” Stas says. “An ordinary courgette is cylindrical and elongated but this variety is spherical.”
Potato varieties such as Vitelotte and Corne de gatte also offer consumers something special. More than 50 types of vegetables, amounting to over 440,000 tonnes, are marketed under the Flandria brand each year.
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