Lessons Learned: Spinach 2008

So far 2008 has been quite an interesting year to be in the spinach seed business. The market in North America had almost recovered from the autumn 2006 E Coli contamination when seed quality issues knocked it back down again.

All the companies selling spinach seed are having a diffi cult time. We have come off a decade of high quality seed production from Denmark and the weather fi nally got us. It is one of those corrections that everyone needs to experience once in awhile to remember Mother Nature’s role in our business. Luckily Rijk Zwaan is sitting in a very strong position. We have the best winter and the best summer varieties currently available in Pelican RZ and Marabu RZ. We are also conducting large scale trials of the fi rst true Pfs:1-10 savoy and red veined hybrids. We have tried to be honest and fair to our customers in a season with shortages. We hope to work together to solve this year’s set of problems. Next year, we know, there will likely be a new set of problems and the openness and trust established over the last 10 years of doing business in the USA will continue to give us a competitive edge. Rijk Zwaan has the genetic basis to maintain its position as a major playe in the North American spinach market. We will have commercial quantities of all the numbered varieties listed below in late 2008 and early 2009.

Polar Bear RZ
F1 hybrid
Polar Bear RZ is a very vigorous winter
variety with large medium green leaves.
Resistant to HR Pfs: 1-10.
Pelican RZ
F1 hybrid
Pelican RZ is a vigorous uniform variety
with good color. It gives high yields of
baby leaf in winter, spring and fall
production. Resistant to
HR Pfs: 1-10/CMV
Tuna RZ
F1 hybrid
Tuna RZ is a vigorous dark green variety
adapted to winter, spring and fall
production. It is slightly slower than
Pelican with darker color.
Resistant to HR Pfs: 1-10.
Squirrel RZ
F1 hybid
Squirrel RZ is a very erect round leaved
variety adapted to spring and fall
production. Resistant to HR Pfs: 1-10.
Emu RZ
F1 hybrid
Emu RZ is a transition hybrid adapted
to spring, early summer and fall baby
leaf production. It has dark green round
to oval leaves on an erect plant.
Resistant to HR Pfs: 1-10.
Marabu RZ
F1 hybrid
Marabu RZ is a widely adapted hybrid
with excellent leaf uniformity. It is
adapted to spring, summer and fall
production. Resistant to
HR Pfs: 1-10/ CMV
Swan RZ
F1 hybrid
Swan RZ is a heat resistant hybrid with
round dark green leaves. It is adapted to
late spring through early fall production.
Resistant to HR Pfs: 1-10.
51-315 RZ
F1 hybrid
51-315 RZ is a new summer variety
similar to Toucan with resistance to
HR Pfs: 1-10.
Red Deer RZ
F1 hybrid
Red Deer RZ is a vigorous red veined
hybrid for winter production.
Resistant to HR Pfs: 1-10
51-804 RZ
F1 hybrid
51-804 RZ is slightly slower than Red
Deer with very uniform round oval
leaves and red veins and stems. It is
adapted to winter, spring and fall
production. Resistant to HR Pfs: 1-10.
51-805 RZ
F1 hybrid
51-805 RZ is a slower red veined hybrid
for spring and fall production.
It has more red than 51-804 or Red
Deer. Resistant to HR Pfs: 1-10.
51-703 RZ
F1 hybrid
51-703 RZ is semi savoy hybrid that
hold its curly leaf in hot weather.
It is adapted to spring, summer and fall
production. Resistant to HR Pfs: 1-10.
51-704 RZ
F1 hybrid
51-704 RZ is a slow growing semi savoy
hybrid for the summer. It stays savoy in
hot weather and has very thick texture.
Resistant to HR Pfs: 1-10.
Remark:
HR = High/standard resistance
IR = Moderate/intermediate resistance

For more information about the Defi nition of the Terms Describing the Reaction of Plants to Pests or Pathogens and to Abiotic Stresses for the Vegetable
Seed Industry, please check our website www.rijkzwaanUSA.com.


Seeds & Services July 2008