News

After years of intensive research and breeding, the Dutch vegetable seed company Rijk Zwaan is launching two Romaine lettuce varieties for the US market with a resistance against the Impatiens necrotic spot virus (INSV). These varieties are the first in the company’s INSV Defense line. “We are really excited that we can support lettuce growers and processing companies with this breakthrough. For them, this can make the difference between profit and loss,” state Johan Schut and Christophe Thomas from the Rijk Zwaan breeding team.

The Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus or ToBRFV has been causing major economic losses in tomato cultivation worldwide. Rijk Zwaan's team of researchers found new, unique genetics resulting in a high resistance level to ToBRFV.

From July 28-29, the IFPA Foodservice Conference will be held in Monterey, California. Rijk Zwaan will be exhibiting at the event to showcase its popular Sandwich Leaf lettuce varieties. These can be produced locally in open field or in controlled environments. Also on show will be Rijk Zwaan’s new attractive and unique red vein arugula variety, Nemesis RZ. Visit the Rijk Zwaan booth #517 to learn how these varieties can benefit you.

Everyone craves color in their life, and what could be more magnetizing than a display of colorful fresh vegetables to capture people’s attention and draw consumers to the shelves? At Fruit Logistica from April 5-7, vegetable breeding company Rijk Zwaan is presenting its palette of bright, healthy and inspiring vegetables to help retailers add more color to the fresh produce category. Don’t miss it!

Breeding for sustainability is at the heart of Rijk Zwaan’s approach to developing new and improved vegetable seeds.

Both growers that are already customers and those that aren’t are increasingly aware of Rijk Zwaan’s two radish varieties that are well-suited for the American market: Syon RZ and Bodiam RZ. Available for trials and purchase, they are providing other options for growers who are looking for the optimal variety for their operations.

Downy mildew is a major threat in lettuce. The fungus can damage the lettuce leaves in both protected and open-field crops, resulting in a loss of yield. Last year the European Commission of the International Bremia Evaluation Board (IBEB-EU) identified a widely occurring new variant of downy mildew in lettuce. As of 1 June 2021, it has officially been denominated as Bl:37EU. The large majority of Rijk Zwaan’s current lettuce varieties are resistant to the new race of downy mildew.

In the space of just a few years, the fungus Stemphylium – and in particular Stemphylium vesicarium – has become one of the biggest challenges for spinach growers worldwide. Rijk Zwaan’s spinach breeding programs are focussed on developing varieties that are resistant to this fungus. The initial results from an ongoing study by Washington State University in the USA have now confirmed that this focus over recent years has resulted in an assortment with a good number of spinach varieties with a high level of resistance to Stemphylium vesicarium.

The ‘New Delhi’ virus has been a serious problem for many cucurbit growers, especially in the Mediterranean region, for numerous years. Due to its high infection pressure and rapid spread, this disease poses a severe threat to cucumber crops. Rijk Zwaan is proud to introduce a solution for cucumber growers: ‘Delhi Defense’.