Virus and disease pressure has intensified in recent years in Almería’s production areas. In greenhouse cucumber crops, long-standing challenges such as CGMMV and New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV) are now compounded by growing pressure from yellowing viruses: the well-known CYSDV, CAVV, and the more recently detected CCYV, which is also transmitted by whitefly.
An additional difficulty is that, “because they share symptoms, it is often impossible to distinguish between them without laboratory analysis,” explains Armando Pérez, Cucumber Crop Specialist at Rijk Zwaan.
New developments in Dutch cucumber
In early-cycle Dutch cucumber, the company introduced Trueno RZ last year, developed to address the twofold challenge currently facing long cucumber: virus pressure and climate-related abiotic stress.
The variety forms part of the Bon Defense concept, with resistance to CGMMV, and also features Blue Leaf, a trait that gives the plant darker foliage with a higher chlorophyll content than conventional varieties. This results in healthier plants and a longer production cycle.
Its resistance profile also includes the highest level of protection against powdery mildew and New Delhi virus. Its high robustness allows it to adapt to different transplanting dates, from August to mid-September, as well as to different production areas and crop management systems.
The fruit stands out for its good colour and absence of bottlenecking.
Another variety in the portfolio is Surazo RZ, a long winter cucumber for late cycles, with a complete resistance package against yellowing viruses, as well as resistance to CGMMV, New Delhi virus and powdery mildew, together with good performance against downy mildew.
With a robust plant, large leaves and high fruit-setting capacity, Surazo RZ performed well “in a difficult year”, producing dark, ribbed fruit without bottlenecking and with good filling through to the end of the cycle.
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For transplanting from late September through October, this season’s new addition in the same segment is Velaire RZ. Its Blue Leaf plant is highly productive, more open and has medium-sized leaves.
The variety incorporates resistance to CGMMV, New Delhi virus and yellowing viruses, and also performs well in organic production. One of its key strengths is the speed with which it moves from the main stem into regrowth, minimising the production gap commonly seen in other varieties.
Both Velaire RZ and Surazo RZ are part of the Bon Defense and Delhi Defense concepts.
French and Spanish cucumber
In French cucumber, the latest introduction is Veloran RZ, intended for early autumn and spring cycles.
It provides high resistance to CGMMV in a segment where this resistance was not previously available, while maintaining the company’s usual quality standards: uniformity, good fruit filling and stable colour, without pronounced star-end marking at the pistil closure.
It complements Koreman RZ, already well established in warm-cycle production.
In Spanish or short cucumber, the company offers Piqué RZ for early autumn, with transplanting windows from late July through August and again from December.
It is a Blue Leaf plant with an open architecture that improves fruit visibility and makes harvesting easier. The fruit retains its spines, has a small pistil closure and offers high resistance to powdery mildew.
