Dave Pratt, grower at Sunmaster Greenhouses:
"Baselga RZ gives the right-sized, quality fruit"

“Baselga RZ is a great variety. It sets easily and is highly productive. The fruits have the right size, a thick wall
and keep their shape during hot periods.” Dave Pratt is very positive about Baselga RZ, the yellow pepper he
produces for the first time.

This year Sunmaster grows yellow peppers, last year they produced red peppers and next year the colour will be orange. “That’s the way our clients’
marketing system works. With a group of growers we are in a rotating system. Growing different varieties each year makes it very interesting for me. Baselga is a vegetative crop that you can hit hard with generative actions. That suits me for the growing strategy. If you create the right generative climate, it stays very well balanced and gives generative flowers. It also suits our climate, which can be quite extreme with high temperatures during the summer months. In December and January it was very cloudy. Baselga is not very light-sensitive and sets the first flush very easily.” Having a knowledgeable consultant helps in growing a successful crop.

Generative approach
How does Dave Pratt get this generative climate? “In the beginning, you have to keep up the speed with 24-hour temperatures of not lower than 20°C. I tend to make day/night differences of 8 to 10ºC. If the temperature is too flat, you get too much growth. The premidnight shouldn’t be too low, because then you have to deal with quality issues. If the fruit load is high enough I take out the pre-midnight. With this regime the canopy stays well balanced and the fruit load is 35 to 40 over 7 stems, which is perfect for me.” The watering strongly depends on the light and outside temperature. On a warm, sunny day in spring Dave waters 4 to 5 litres/m², but with lower temperatures and dark weather, it is much less. In summer the irrigation starts at 8.30 am and stops at 6.30 pm. “On a sunny day I water 9.5 to 10.5 litres and I’ll keep 45% run-off.” The EC in the bag is around 3.0. In summer he allows the EC to drop to 2.8. CO2 is used consistently from 7.00 am until 3.30 pm, unless temperatures exceed 32°C.

Right size
The outcome of this approach is very satisfying. Dave Pratt: “The production is high. We are 1.5 kilos ahead of last year (up to week 28). The ripening speed of the fruit is very fast. Besides that, Baselga gives quality fruits. Even in hot periods the fruits hold their nice shape with four shoulders. A main advantage is that Baselga is very resistant to blossom end rot. And because of the large leaves the canopy produces, the fruit is well protected from sun scorch. Last but not least, the fruits have a thick wall and easily attain the right size. Because we serve the North-American market, the weight of 230-240 grams I achieve is
perfect.”

Area: Sowing date: Planting date: Growing medium: Stem density: Average fruit weight: Yield up to week

6 acres 25 October 2007 3 December 2007 coconut fibre 6.8 stems/m2 230 –240 g 28: 16.75 kg/m2

Seeds & Services Canada, september 2008