Transplants of Leónidas take place in August in intermediate regions and in September in the whole region of Murcia. It is a 90-day variety that stands out due to its easy harvesting and its plant health. Antonio Ibarra, Head of Brassicas at Sakata, emphasises the qualities that make it perfect for export: “Leónidas has a very domed head, a very clean stalk and an attractive colour; thus, it is a variety that offers high quality for the markets.” Additionally, Leónidas’ genetic line differs from Sakata’s traditional ones, as it is a raised-head variety: “meaning easy harvesting.” Another factor to be taken into account is the size of the heads, “they weigh between 450 and 550 grams, the ideal weight for export,” points out Gonzalo Ormaechea, Sales Manager for the region.
Leónidas’ plant is sturdy, easy to strip and offers reduced sensitivity to Alternaria. On this aspect, it has been designed to guarantee safety for farmers, along with ease of handling and treatment of diseases, saving costs and labour, and making Leónidas into a more sustainable, healthier crop.
Jesús López, a farmer who has planted this variety on his own farm, recounts his experience: “last year I had 5,000 plants of Leónidas; this campaign I have increased this figure to 200,000, and next year I will plant more. The reason I want to repeat is, without any doubt, the ease of harvesting and also that I haven’t had any problems with Alternaria”.
The name of Leónidas follows the saga of the rest of Sakata’s broccoli varieties catalogue, always based on the origin of broccoli, Greece. Examples of this are the other varieties, already consolidated on the market, such as Ulysses, Thassos or Perseus. As a curiosity, Sonia Marín, from the Development department, explained that it is well-documented that in the times of Ancient Greece it was already known that broccoli was a very healthy food, and it was reserved for the warriors: “Leónidas was certain to have eaten broccoli in order to be strong in battle.”
Purple Magic
This summer the innovative Purple Magic was presented, which amazed the world with its bright purple colour, which is due to its high anthocyanin content.
“When we develop a variety, we are not only looking for visual attractiveness, but also for it to bring an added value regarding traditional varieties. In the case of Purple Magic, it gives us the chance to eat broccoli with a different, more powerful nutritional profile,” Ibarra states.
This variety is the result of a challenge, breaking away from the trends in broccoli variety development, which over the past forty years have essentially concentrated on improving the agronomical behaviour in terms of adaptability, quality, yield and shelf life.
Purple Magic is a short-cycle variety for autumn harvesting, with a structure similar to any green broccoli, with very fine grains and domed head, but very different in appearance due to its eye-catching colouring, particularly on the stalk.
