Leafy Vegetables
Standout lettuce and spinach seeds
Providing an ongoing wider range of leafy varieties with the best agronomical package for the grower is what we are keen to do and we don’t forget the consumer. Growers see that our varieties being high in marketable heads combined with disease resistances and abiotic tolerances. These are solutions to cope with an ever growing environmental pressure to grow fresh produce successfully.
We also take supermarket and grower needs into account with varieties looking and staying good in the bag or in the box to enjoy and of the chain a nice fresh salad on the plate.
We’re excited to listen to your concerns and find the best way to address them through breeding and agronomic advice. This guiding principle has helped us to develop new varieties combining resistance and other traits through research and local screening to help growers like you to succeed.
Being in the market
You will see our experts in the market, either our breeders, technical sales specialists or from product development. We need are keen to learn, listen to the needs and above all to anticipate on trends and to translate these into innovative varieties. We are prepared with advice taking benefit from our global network. Good examples of how we listen to the market are found in various lettuce varieties being strong against tipburn, bolting and also to perform under warm growing conditions.
New disease resistance strains in downy mildew are frequently appearing in both lettuce and spinach which we answer with products having the best resistance pack.
Another new element in the development of reliable varieties is that we are combining more and more disease resistances in one and the same variety. Growers will increasingly make us of our varieties combining in lettuce 3 or more disease resistances against pest and disease. In spinach we combine next to resistance against Peronospora now also resistance against Stemphylium being a welcome addition for growers in several parts on the world
Building strong relationships and listening carefully to what you’re telling us – and acting on these insights - is what gives our community of growers an edge.
Resilient leafy greens
Whether you’re challenged by dry, hot weather, or excessive humidity, there’s a high chance you’ll find a variety in our excellent growing portfolio to help deliver a reliable crop. For example, to help growers in to produce under hot summer conditions, breeders developed varieties in for example the Romain and Iceberg varieties with desirable traits that address climatic adversity. Disease traits are key but for leafy crops but abiotic resistance traits are as important such bolting tolerance for spinach and lettuce and tipburn in lettuce.
Early maturity, good field stand and bolting tolerance are found in several varieties of our range. Our babyleaf lettuce range is popular for those companies active in the fresh prepared business for reason of the excellent shelf life
A lettuce for the hamburger bun
From the farm to the grocery market shelf, we’re passionate about creating varieties that meet the needs in the value chain. We breed with taste and appearance in mind. For example, our romaine burger leaf lettuce’s uniform small and compact shape fits perfectly in a bun which makes it perfect for burgers, aided by its crisp bite and excellent flavor. It’s a low-waste product, too, with 75% of the leaves usable for processors and consumers.
Spinach for a year-round cropping program
Growers had seen a growing range of spinach varieties for processing, bunching and babyleaf. We can offer now a full babyleaf spinach range with a good resistance package combined with right type like nice dark color, round leaf shape, speed, bolting tolerance and different levels of leaf smoothness all depending on the market and consumer needs.
Growers prefer our seeds for lettuce and spinach because the support doesn’t stop after the sale. Whether it’s sharing insights that help you choose a new variety or providing information that will help you to optimize your agronomic practices, our knowledgeable specialists are ready to answer your questions on crop planning, price positioning, local market dynamics, export opportunities and more.