It was wet on the field. To the right, Ferdi Veenstra, Seminis' new sales manager for the Benelux
Unfortunately it was really rainy and wet on the field. A lot of harvest demo's were 'rained out' due to the weather. On the other hand, the tent was dry and warm. I walked together with the consultants and had a look at the most recent developments.
The Copernicus leek went commercial this last year and not without success. Dirk Gillis says that the leek did well last year. "We will expand even more in the coming year. The leek is aimed at the earlier segment and distinguishes itself from Volta due to its colour and the fact that it is a little later. In addition, the leek has been developed well. The Volta is still doing very well in comparison."
Consultant Mees de Lorm explained the new onion. It is noticeable that Seminis isn't naming its onions. "We continue to work with numbers at the moment," says Mees. "It is currently more difficult to get started with names."
"RS 1481 is a new onion in the mid-early segment, meant for long storage," explains Mees. "The onion has a good sprout shoot and a noticeable hardness. It is meant for almost all types of soil and does especially well in slightly heavier soil. The variety has a strong root condition and is able to take stressful conditions better than other varieties."
Fortaleza is a new type of cauliflower for the middle segment. The variety is known for its strong resistance to be influenced by weather conditions. Consultant Arnold Teeuwen; "Fortaleza stays to its growing days in both warmer and colder night time temperatures. The harvest of the cauliflower is very regulated. The crop is completely harvested three times. The cabbage quality is very strong and the cabbage is easy to cover."
Tuctucs have become a tradition
The Seminis team