Bejo is arriving at Fruit Attraction (Hall 9, Stand 9B27) full of highly interesting new developments for the value chain. This year, the European leading seed company in carrots, will display different presentations and varieties for Imperator type crops. “Although they are more common in other sources, some companies in mainland Spain are interested and we already have projects that are very advanced,” Enrique Cadiñanos, Head of Sales and Development, explains.
Bejo holds 90% of the carrot bundle market in Spain. Its variety Bangor F1 is the most used in industry and, in counter season washed produce in Andalusia they are having great success with new varieties such as Nazaret. But the world of the carrot is not limited to bundles and washed produce (the best known), and for this reason they are working in all the niches. “There is enormous segmentation in carrots according to the different types.” Their use for snacks is becoming increasingly extended, either in sticks for eating with spreads or other processed uses such as juice, obtaining colourings, etc. One particularly important segment is the Horeca channel.
Cadiñanos explains that “they no longer want to work with discarded produce. They are opting for varieties that are more adapted to processing.” In the case of the sticks, they are looking for homogeneity in shape and colour, to ensure that the cut is the same. For freezing, the dry matter content must be constant and they must have more carotene. In the children’s food segment, the Komarno variety, with very low nitrite levels is worth mentioning.
At the trade fair, Bejo will also present new developments in leeks, such as Puncher, for winter planting and spring harvesting, with resistance to sprouting and tolerance to Alternaria problems (spring rainfall).
In cabbages, they have Conqueror (smooth), for end of spring plantations. They introduced it this year with satisfactory results, thanks to its good adaptation to extreme temperatures. “This summer there have been problems in other sources and in Spain, in regions such as Zafarraya, Baza and Almería. The heat stress after planting caused reductions in production that were unacceptable for farmers.”
Other new developments for Spain are the red cabbage Cairo and, in kale, Mariposa. Both adapt better to water shortages and the heat waves. While in pointed cabbage, they are about to start selling the variety Bejo3516, with improvements compared to Orion.
More salads
Bejo is also extending products for salads (spinach, chicory…). In Batavia lettuce, the latest development is Cascabel, and in iceberg most of their material is resistant to the three new strains of Bremia, and “the new varieties that we are developing will also come with resistances to the new strains due to the work that we have developed over the past few years,” explains Óscar Peñalver, Head of Leafy Crop Development.
During this last campaign, several of its iceberg materials have excelled due to their good trajectory and to their good work on the market. The first one is Bonnice, one of their star varieties. “Last winter it gave good results thanks to its high resistance to Bremia 29-40. Additionally, its good shape, even with highly changing weather conditions, means that it does not have any deformations or ribs and this gives an excellent post-harvest without oxidation or rotting.”
Also in relation to the problem of Fusarium, Brice makes lettuce production possible in regions with high incidence, allowing this crop to be cultivated and important quality to be obtained. As with Bonnice, it is resistant to Bremia 29-40.
In curly endives, Bejo is increasing its portfolio with new varieties that are very versatile in summer productions, with high resistance to sprouting and tip burn, one of the greatest problems present in the hot season, along with others for winter crops that show good yield and product quality in the coldest months with the shortest days.
In broccoli, they have variety 3175 for industry, which has shown some very high production levels, even in the spring in the Ebro valley and in Murcia; and in cauliflower, they are introducing Newlyn for harvesting in February/March in warm areas. In fennel, the new variety, Sannio is ideal for getting through the winter. And they offer Positano for winter harvesting, slightly later than Orbit.
Likewise, Bejo’s onion portfolio has the yellow varieties Almagro, Stingray, Pantano and Citation (already consolidated, but that continues to be their leading variety due to quality and hardiness). While in red onions, they have added the new development Red Clay (a red ‘Citation’), to the already well-known Red Angel, according to José Ramírez, a sales technician at Bejo.
Prize draw for the Pepifurgo (Cucumber-van)
Amongst the actions that Bejo will carry out at Fruit Attraction, the prize draw for the Pepifurgo stands out, a prize for the farmers who have placed their trust in their cucumber variety, Akasya. In addition, they will carry out different activities to present technical reports to clients and inform them about the new seed presentation methods in direct sowing, as well as their latest developments in natural seed treatments to avoid chemicals and fungicides.
