High INSV Resistant Romaine Lettuce Portfolio
Meet Stampede and Renegade, two romaine lettuce varieties with High Resistance to Impatiens Necrotic Spot Virus (INSV).
Romaine Lettuce Built to Help Protect Against INSV
When INSV pressure is high, the variety you choose matters. Syngenta Vegetable Seeds offers two romaine varieties with high resistance to INSV, Stampede and Renegade, giving growers the flexibility to build diversified growing programs backed by a comprehensive INSV-resistant romaine lettuce portfolio. Whether you're growing for fresh market or processing, Stampede and Renegade deliver the proven performance, market-ready quality, and comprehensive disease protection you need to keep your operation moving forward through the summer season.
Stampede
Stampede is a multipurpose romaine lettuce variety with high resistance to Impatiens Necrotic Spot Virus (INSV). This summer Salinas variety features an upright plant habit with a nice shape and attractive bottom quality with smooth and straight ribs. Stampede offers Salinas Valley growers strong disease resistance, bolting tolerance, and an attractive horticultural type well-suited for carton, hearts, and processing applications.
Features & Benefits
- High resistance to INSV
- Multipurpose: carton, hearts, and processing
- Bolting tolerant
- Comprehensive disease resistance package
- Extended planting window: April 1 through August 31, Salinas Valley
- Tall and upright plant frame
Disease Resistance Package
- High Resistance: INSV, Downy Mildew (multiple races, including Race 10), Tomato Bushy Stunt Virus (TBSV)
- Intermediate Resistance: Fusarium Wilt race 1
- Added protection against Race 10 Downy Mildew
Renegade
Renegade is a romaine lettuce variety with high resistance to INSV, purpose-built for Salinas Valley growing conditions. Combining exceptional bolting tolerance with comprehensive disease protection, Renegade's planting window gives growers flexibility across the summer season. Whether for processing or fresh market, Renegade's attractive type and strong disease package help growers minimize risk while maximizing their summer production potential.
Features & Benefits
- High resistance to INSV
- Multipurpose use and flexibility: fresh market and processing
- Bolting tolerance for summer Salinas conditions
- Comprehensive disease resistance package
- Extended planting window: April 1 through August 31, Salinas Valley
- Nice type for dual-purpose markets
Disease Resistance Package
- High Resistance: INSV, Downy Mildew (multiple races, including Race 10), Tomato Bushy Stunt Virus (TBSV)
- Intermediate Resistance: Fusarium Wilt race 1
- Added protection against Race 10 Downy Mildew.
Renegade was developed by working hand in hand with growers and validating performance through independent trials with organizations like UC Agriculture and Natural Resources. Salinas Valley growers need varieties they can count on, and Renegade delivers that."
- Justin Goodwyn, Product Specialist, LBO, West US
Middle Row: INSV Resistance | Left and Right Rows: No INSV Resistance (Salinas Valley, 2022)
The Proof is in the Field.
Captured in the Salinas Valley in 2022, this image shows INSV resistance in action. The middle row shows Stampede romaine growing strong and healthy under real-world INSV pressure, while the unprotected varieties in the rows on either side show the kind of collapse and crop loss that has cost Salinas Valley growers an estimated $150 million. Renegade, Syngenta's newest INSV-resistant romaine variety, delivers the same high resistance to INSV, giving growers a second proven option to protect their operations through the summer season and beyond.
What is INSV?
Impatiens Necrotic Spot Virus (INSV) is a virus spread by western flower thrips. As thrips feed on plant tissue, they can transmit INSV from infected plants to healthy crops, causing rapid yield loss and unmarketable produce. Managing INSV starts with the varieties you choose. Stampede and Renegade are both bred with high resistance to INSV, giving Salinas Valley growers a proven, proactive tool to protect their operations before pressure hits.
Resource Links
Learn more about INSV and thrips management: Keep Thrips Away from Leafy Greens via Syngenta Thrive
For the latest field observations from the Salinas Valley: Reflections on Thrips and INSV During the 2025 Lettuce Season via UC Agriculture and Natural Resources
Growing Better Together: Syngenta and D'Arrigo California Romaine Lettuce Success Story
Discover how Syngenta Vegetable Seeds is transforming romaine lettuce production with innovative solutions. This grower testimonial features D'Arrigo California sharing their experience with Syngenta's high-quality romaine varieties, including Stampede. Learn how Syngenta's partnership approach and rapid response to challenges like INSV are supporting long-term success for lettuce growers.
By understanding growers' challenges, Syngenta develops targeted solutions for their long-term success and evolving agricultural needs.
“We’d seen Stampede hold up to the INSV in trials, so we decided to move forward with it. When Syngenta saw there was a need for Stampede, they were able to move pretty quickly in terms of getting seed out there for the growers.” - Michael Morris, D’Arrigo California, Production Variety Development Supervisor
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© 2023 Syngenta. Some or all of the varieties may be protected under one or more of the following: Plant Variety Protection, United States Plant Patents and/or Utility Patents and may not be propagated or reproduced without authorization. The trademarks or service marks displayed or otherwise used herein are the property of a Syngenta Group Company. All other trademarks are the property of their respective third-party owners.