This year BASF is in celebration mode. Its Bengala F1 watermelon has been on the market for 10 summers. A decade of successes in which many farmers have been able to verify its goodness and the perfect tandem it forms with Kalanda F1, its micro-seeded pollinator.
Its significant setting capacity at low temperatures and in short days, its earliness and lack of hollowness are some of the reasons why Bengala F1 has led the early and extra-early cycles in Almeria.
But far from becoming self-complacent, the company continues extending its portfolio with materials that rise up to the challenge agronomically and guarantee high quality, always with flavour as their priority. From its offer, names such as Premium F1 stand out: a mini/mini striped with micro-seeds for export, a benchmark on the market due to its agronomical reliability and optimum yield, as pollinator or for monoculture.
In the medium-large calibre for the fresh produce market, the Sugar baby triploid Style F1 is worth mentioning, with maximum quality for consumers. A complete reference in open air crops in its segment, thanks to its production, stability, long lifespan, regularity and organoleptic quality.
With double aptitude for fresh and processing, its winning proposals are Bazman F1 and Harmonium F1, with flavour, a clean cut and firm, crunchy flesh.
Melon: quality and sustainability 365 days a year
In the melon range, BASF have set themselves the difficult goal of recovering their space on the market again, dragged down by a consumption crisis in the category for years. In order to try to tempt consumers back, they are opting for new flavours, sustainability and ranges that allow availability for 365 days a year.
Amongst their new concepts are Sunup®, the cantaloupe range Pearl and Kukino F1 in piel de sapo. With Sunup® BASF is attempting to create a new reference in the supermarket. It is a ground-breaking proposal that is reminiscent of a cantaloupe melon due to its grooves and suture lines, but with a very different skin colour, going from pale yellow to an attractive gold colour when ripe.
In cantaloupe melons, the Pearl range stands out: a genetic line within the long-life cantaloupes, but that marks the cutting time by slightly changing colour to cream, which is very useful for producers. The range offers agronomically improved cantaloupe melons, due to the hardiness of the plant, high productivity, resistances to powdery mildew and aphids and excellent internal and external quality. Orange flesh, flavour and good eating are its assets.
This threesome of specialities is closed with Kukino F1, a small piel de sapo with the highest level of quality that is in line with the demands of both the market and today’s consumers, who are looking for smaller melons.
In the traditional area, BASF completes the open air piel de sapo cycle with Quintero F1*, for late transplanting in Murcia and medium transplants in La Mancha. It is a quality melon with a brand size, a highly attractive exterior, gold-coloured and with uniform grooves.
In the Magenta line, they close the range with Magverik F1, a complete ‘dual purpose’ melon that can be grown in the open air or in greenhouses in Almeria, in conventional and bio, and is ideal for both fresh produce and for pre-prepared ranges.
In Charentais, they are launching Saramir F1* (early), raising the flavour standard. It combines a significant organoleptic quality with resistance to aphids.
Finally, they are extending their Galkia® range with varieties that improve the yield and add resistances to powdery mildew and aphids, avoiding treatments, which reduce the impact of the crop on the environment. Additionally, the cutting indicator reduces discards to a minimum and its post-harvest contributes to minimising waste.
