“What is certain today is that we have a pear that will be a leader in the future,” explains Benoit Escande. “It is a productive variety with great agronomic advantages. This pear is not very susceptible to diseases, it also keeps well and has good organoleptic qualities. These are just some of the many advantages of the new Eden Gold pear (a cross between a Nashi and a Coscia pear). On August 23rd, at the French arboricultural experimentation station of “La Pugère” in the Bouches-du-Rhône, where it is currently being tested, Escande Nursery presented the full potential of this new variety.
Originally from the Israeli breeder Ben Dor, Escande Nursery is now in charge of its development for France, Spain, Portugal and Morocco. The collaboration between the two companies goes back nearly 20 years.
“Very high agronomic potential”
With its promising assets, Eden Gold has been making “a lot of noise”. “It comes from a hot country where temperatures easily reach 42 to 45°C, so it will adapt very well to the hot and dry climate of the south of France. It is also very fertile, very productive and appears to have little attraction to psyllid and fire blight,” even if some data still need to be validated.
“Capitalize first on technique”
The commercial launch of this new pear is not expected for another two years. Escande Nursery wants “to capitalize first on the technique. We should not move too quickly to avoid repeating past mistakes,” explains Benoit. In order to “confirm some empirical data,” Escande Nursery has signed an agreement with the experimental station to carry out trials, “because so far, we have no reliable, measurable and repeatable data.”
Harvest/preservation trials are currently being carried out by CTIFL in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. Sebastien Lurol, head of the post-harvest unit, explains that the new Eden Gold pear is “a variety with a good shelf-life, which ripens slowly and stays firm.” Tests were carried out in normal cold conditions, with release after 5, 6 and 7 months of storage. No internal disorders such as browning were observed, even after 7 months.” This year, further tests will be carried out, with 5 harvest dates this time, as well as normal cold and AC storage.
Creation of a hybrid Club
For this new pear, Benoit Escande wants to set up “an organized approach around the Eden Gold brand, but there will be no dedicated marketer.” It will therefore be a hybrid Club. “Anyone who wants to can join, as long as they produce according to precise specifications. You have to be able to produce a certain volume and to do it properly. The idea is to bring the fruit to consumers at its best quality.”
Where does Eden Gold fit on the pear market?
Besides its agronomic qualities, Eden Gold also stands out for its taste properties: crisp, juicy and sweet, with “an unusual texture”. A “different market positioning” could be envisaged, but the characteristics of this pear should give it a promising future on the shelf, “especially as there is a real need for pears on the market,” according to sales manager Frédéric Garcia.
For more information:
Benoît Escande
Escande Nursery
Phone: +33 553 71 22 13
escande.trees@gmail.com
commercial@pepinieres-escande.com