Address Spinach Disease with Resistant Genetics
Spinach is a rising superstar of the fresh produce aisle, driven by consumer focus on health, nutrition, and plant-based diets.
Capitalizing on spinach’s popularity demands that growers and the food chain navigate one of the most destructive challenges in leafy greens: downy mildew.
New Races of Downy Mildew
Downy mildew is an ever-present concern for the spinach sector. It can devastate crop yields and quality in a matter of days due to the aggressive adaptability of the pathogen, Peronospora effusa. P. effusa rapidly mutates and spreads via seed and infested leaf debris, frequently overcoming the genetic resistance of commonly grown varieties.
Today, new races are constantly emerging - with the pathogen recently advancing to race Pe: 20 - threatening fields globally.
“Downy mildew is a serious worry in baby leaf spinach,” said Justin Goodwyn, Syngenta Product Specialist for the US West. “Our growers are looking for disease resistance to downy mildew, and we are developing that disease resistance and staying relevant.”
Syngenta Stays Ahead of Fast-moving Pressure
Justin said: “When new races come up, our genetics can stay on top of those needs. It’s a rapidly evolving disease pressure situation, and so we need to keep our breeding efforts on top of developing that resistance.”
Syngenta takes a dynamic, localized approach to breeding. Developing durable resistance means looking worldwide for the strongest traits and rigorously testing them in the real-world environments where they will be grown.
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The global-local collaboration serves growers best, said Gerardo van den Hoek, Product Placement Specialist in Salinas, California. “We source our varieties from breeders globally and then trial them locally to determine the performance of these varieties for our local markets’ conditions and climates.
“The scientist’s role brings in global germplasm to find the most suited varieties for our local farmers and growers.”
Complete Packages: Yield, Resistance, and Quality
Syngenta’s robust pipeline delivers field-level security through a strong portfolio of highly resistant spinach varieties.
Varieties like El Majestic, El Macarena, and El Kuduro provide high resistance to downy mildew (Pe: 1-20), alongside robust defenses against Stemphylium leaf spot. By providing targeted solutions for transition, summer, and winter segments, Syngenta helps protect spinach all season long.
Tenderness and Premium Color
Disease resistance is vital, but a successful variety must also deliver on the plate. Syngenta’s breeding program emphasizes eating quality, and new resistant varieties maintain tenderness, thick leaf texture, and vibrant, dark green color that premium fresh and baby leaf markets demand.
Syngenta’s approach secures yields for growers; for the food chain, it means a reliable supply of the tender, high-quality spinach consumers love.
