Top Seeds has made a categorical commitment to broccoli growing. Its broccoli programme is extending; proof of this is the next visit by the geneticists from its parent company, the Japanese group Mitsui, who are coming from Japan to “discover first-hand the characteristics of the market of the Region of Murcia,” since it is the most important one in Spain.
Antonio Ginés Beltrán, Product Developer and Sales for the Region of Murcia, explains that the company’s first pre-commercial variety, 21BRC00104, is already in the fields. Once the relevant evaluations of the trials have been carried out and if the results are repeated, they will start the promotion campaign and then move on to the commercial phase. The results from the first plantations in August started arriving at the end of November. At present, this material is being tested in medium elevations, such as Yecla and in the low regions such as the Campo de Cartagena, and its adaptability has been “very good.”
Everything is moving along according to plan. Last year, in the transplants from the last fortnight of August to the first fortnight of October, they obtained highly satisfactory results, with very good quality of the heads, vegetable health, average weight… “The variety responded perfectly,” he affirms.
In 2021, in addition to the trial programme of the 100 series (in which 21BRC00104 is included), Top Seeds tried out two screenings of 60 winter and summer varieties from the 400 series and two varieties were selected with which they are carrying out a trial programme with several companies this campaign. This year they are developing trials with another 60 varieties from the 500 series, with a view to selecting new material.
“In addition to the market requirements (product quality, good post-harvest shelf life, without any yellowing problems…), we are striving to find varieties that adapt to the production area’s conditions. And the topic of adaptation to climate change is particularly important.” And the fact is that this year the general trend in the fields is seeing worse quality of heads due to the excessively high temperatures.
Alongside the trials that are being developed in Levant region, Top Seeds has a development programme in Northern Spain, in the Valle del Ebro region, with both 21BRC00104 and the selection of materials from the 400 series.
