2023 was an extremely exciting year for Südwestdeutsche Saatzucht. Not only did they announce the takeover of the asparagus breeding programme from Nunhems (BASF), but with the new variety Rakete, alongside Ramires and Raffaelo, they have another variety that can establish itself on a broad front. On the eve of the industry event expoSE in Karlsruhe, Felix Grebhardt, Sales Manager of the breeding company, looks back and ahead.
The first test plantings of the new Rakete variety in practice took place in 2018, and the new asparagus variety was officially launched at expoSE 2021. The feedback so far has all been positive, says Grebhardt. The Rocket is characterised by its earliness and strikingly white, uniform spears paired with high yield potential. "The combination of earliness and haulm health is a truly unique selling point."
Felix Grebhardt at the Interaspa 2023
Rakete was highly recommended by word of mouth, which quickly drove up demand. As a result, some of the plants were already sold by the propagator before sowing. They are working hard to meet the demand for seeds, but at the moment they have to hurry to get plants for 2025. In general, plant propagators had significantly reduced the sowing quantities of most varieties due to limited advance orders, while the asparagus growing and marketing year had been quite favourable for many growers. As a result, asparagus seedlings were already largely sold out in the summer and some planned new plantings will now have to be postponed for a year. Grebhardt: "In future too, I can only advise growers to order the plants they need a year in advance in order to secure the quantity of the desired variety."
Head firmness and resilience
Asparagus producers in Germany and other European countries continue to face numerous challenges, not only in terms of sales, but also at production level. These factors must also be taken into account to a large extent in breeding. "Minimum wages, the scarce availability of good soil and the elimination of pesticides are making asparagus production more difficult. One of the consequences of this is that the two-day harvesting rhythm has become indispensable on many farms. Good head firmness and resistance are the two most important requirements that most producers have for a modern asparagus variety."
Accelerating asparagus cultivation
On 31 January 2023, Südwestzucht acquired the asparagus breeding programme from Nunhems (BASF), enabling the company to expand its variety portfolio with additional asparagus varieties. "The purchase also significantly broadens the genetic diversity, which will lead to even better adapted varieties for changing climatic conditions in the long term. Combining the marker developments that have taken place to date will help to characterise the breeding material even better and accelerate the development of new varieties," concludes the statement.
Visit the company at expoSE 2023: Hall 2 / K28
For more information:
Felix Grebhardt
Südwestdeutsche Saatzucht GmbH & Co. KG
Im Rheinfeld 1-13
76437 Rastatt
Tel.: 07222 7707 34
Fax: 07222 7707 77
f.grebhardt@suedwestsaat.de
www.suedwestsaat.de