Bejo Nuvance | Oppiplaas 13

oppiplaas

brand new varieties to old favourites on display at annual vegetable farmers’ day in brits

Vegetable growers and industry partners from as far as the Western Cape to Zambia attended the annual Nuvance farmers’ day at their research farm near Brits on 27 January 2022. With the inclusion of various new varieties, this highlight on their annual calendar affords vegetable growers the opportunity to stay abreast of both local and international vegetable production trends. Even though the entire agricultural sector has experienced one of the most challenging seasons in history, high visitor numbers proved very encouraging.

Various promising new varieties with improved physical characteristics, disease resistance, storage quality and taste could be seen in the demonstration fields. Visitors also had the unique opportunity to witness the beneficial effect the revolutionary B-Mox® seed treatment first-hand. This innovative seed enhancing formula by Bejo improves germination, root development and plant establishment of their carrot seed.

Besides exciting new carrot varieties such as Berlin*, well-known favourites such as Natuna were also on display. Whilst beetroot varieties such as Boro and Bettollo have become household names amongst growers, Nuvance now boasts the largest assortment of Rhizomania resistance beetroot varieties having displayed two new varieties (Palau* being one of them) in addition to the popular Manzu variety.

Two newly erected tunnels showcased an assortment of tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. Here growers could see the recently introduced cherry-plum tomato Donatello* and the mediterranean/beitalpha cucumber Yildo*. The open field plantings featured some of the flagship Seminis varieties such as the peppers PS 16351609 and SV6131PB, and the increasingly popular tomatoes SV4129TH* and SV2444TH* also received a great deal of attention from growers.

article by dr quintin muhl

With all of the Nuvance sales- and crops specialists present, this event offered growers the ideal opportunity to ask crop/variety specific questions as well as the perfect networking opportunity to discuss future opportunities, new possibilities and challenges with one another. Hosting events such as this, is just one of the ways that Nuvance goes beyond vegetable seed.

Please visit www.nuvance.co.za for a comprehensive list of their vegetable varieties on offer as well as the contact details of the branch/sales representative closest to you.

south african carrot tour 2022

In June 2022, a group of carrot growers from Eastern Europe visited Nuvance and some of the major carrot growers in South Africa to exchange information and learn from one another. The group of ten growers were taken to three growing areas, each with a different climate, soil type and growing practices.

The first stop was at Greenway Farms / Rugani where the visitors could see the carrot giant of South Africa in action. From precision planting to a magnificent packhouse to a world-class juicing facility were shown and all the juice combinations were tested.

Leaving the cold Highveld region, we went to the much warmer Brits area. Brits is known for its hot summers, heavy clay soils and mild winters making carrot production a challenge in the summer. Gert van Rensburg from Langplaas Boerdery, received our visitors and took them to the field explaining

their way of overcoming challenges when producing carrots. Everyone was impressed by the uniform established crop and healthy leaves of Belgrado* as well as good weed control.

No carrot tour will be complete without a visit to the Western Cape. Here Laastedrif showed the group what can be done to beat the very difficult growing conditions of the Sandveld. Apart from extremely hot summers, the wind can easily reach 100km/h making crop establishment increasingly difficult. Laastedrif persevered and developed different methods to protect their crop during the most vulnerable stages to ensure a well-established crop and good yield in the end.

Like all good information days, the carrot tour concluded with a delicious meal and social event in true South African West Coast style at Muisbosskerm. Here everyone could discuss carrot growing challenges with fresh seafood and good wine.

The group tasting Rugani juice.

article by lindie oberholzer

social media success

#nuvance

Today I had a visit from Mr Howard, all the way from Gqeberha. Mr. Howard comes from Nuvance they are the seed suppliers. Lastly, they'll be featuring me in their magazine "Oppiplaas".

Kuthiwa ifundwa jikelele I live for such moments

Been waiting for this

Today I had a visit from Mr Howard, all the way from Gqeberha. Mr. Howard comes from Nuvance they are the seed suppliers. Lastly, they'll be featuring me in their magazine "Oppiplaas". Kuthiwa ifundwa jikelele I live for such moments

A successful vegetable grower has a good working relationship with their seed supplier. Well done to you two chaps. You can see the success in your cabbages.

saving labour through innovation: i-team develops new machines for trial fields

Employees in De Groot en Slot’s Operations department were able to harvest the onions on the trial fields faster this year thanks to an improved lifter and a new loader. Production specialist John Brunen is enthusiastic about the machines. “They’re great examples of the ongoing development of innovations in breeding and production, with the goal of saving labour,” he says.

Brunen is one of the five members of the I-Team –De Groot en Slot’s Innovation Team. It consists of employees from the Breeding, Sales, Operations and Production departments. “If somebody comes up with a good idea for making improvements within the company that have to do with technology, the I-Team gets to work,” he says. “Every year, harvesting the test fields is a labour-intensive job that requires many hands. Casual workers are getting harder and harder to find, so we have to look at innovation for labour solutions where we can. These two machines are great examples of that.”

Every year, De Groot en Slot plants trial fields on farms all over the Netherlands. There, the Breeding department tests existing varieties and new hybrids. These are sown on plots around 5m in size, harvested, and judged. “In the busy harvest period we need a lot of people in a short space of time – 15 to 20 for the average test field,” Brunen says. “We noticed in the last couple of years it was getting harder and harder to find workers. And lifting and harvesting these plots is precise work. The onions need to be harvested separately in different crates. There absolutely can't be any mixing.”

Nonstop lifting

Over the last year, the I-Team invested a lot of time and energy in obtaining an improved onion lifter and a new loader. The old lifter was difficult to clean, Brunen

says. “Somebody always had to walk alongside to get the last onions off the belt. So you had to stop before you could start on a new field. We decided that needed to change.” With Edwin van Galen, an engineer with the Weevers agricultural machinery firm, the I-Team converted the existing lifter to work the trial fields nonstop, with no mixing. “Edwin had already built a similar machine for potatoes,” Brunen says. “We took that idea forward, and in the end our onion lifter was converted.”

The improved machine has a greatly expanded capacity. It removes the onions from the soil and places them on the ground. Special flaps on top of the machine distribute the onions over the whole machine. Additional sieving capacity has also been built in, as it had proved inadequate before. “We’re saving a ton of

research

labour and time with the improved machine,” Brunen says. “So we can harvest more test fields in a shorter time under favourable conditions, and the windrows are neater too.”

A new way of harvesting

Developing the new onion loader was less straightforward. The members of the I-Team visited several mechanization firms and soon concluded that the machine they wanted didn’t exist. Finally they contacted Wouter Schoot Uiterkamp at SU-Tech, in the Dutch town of Lelystad, who had developed a similar machine for potatoes. “We saw videos of it on YouTube,” Brunen says. “We went to him with our requirements and ideas, and he gave us some constructive suggestions. Our basic requirements for the onion loader were that it needed to be labour-friendly and labour-saving and it had to work flawlessly. In the first test we could see that that had been achieved. After a few more modifications we had a highly efficient machine. It was developed within a year. It’s miraculous how fast it went.”

Harvesting the trial fields smoothly used to take 15 to 20 people; now it only takes seven. And De Groot en Slot’s employees, who supervise and assist in the process, have a better overview too. “If you have 20 people on a field, you can never be completely sure

all the onions are going in the right crates,” Brunen says. “Now we have that overview, and we know for sure that everything’s being done correctly.” A major benefit is that the workers no longer have to do the heavy physical labour of gathering onions on their hands and knees, putting them in crates, and lifting the crates onto pallets. “Now the full crates only need to be pushed onto the pallets,” Brunen says. “The machine is fully approved for health and safety.”

Enthusiastic growers

The onion loader proved itself on the test fields last season. De Groot en Slot originally intended to use the machine to harvest two or three of its Dutch test fields but ultimately used it on all of them, Brunen says with obvious satisfaction. “The machine performed beyond our expectations. Of course there are a few small areas for improvement. We conducted an evaluation with everyone involved. The I-Team and Wouter will use that to move forward.” The participating growers were enthusiastic about the new way of harvesting, Brunen says. “Now they can manage with their own employees. Farming a test field can be difficult, and it creates extra work. You’ve got to enjoy it to do it alongside your other activities. With these technical innovations, we're motivating growers to continue to work with De Groot en Slot.”

fertigation: beneficial for seed-grown onions

The Dutch magazine Uien (Onions) asked the experts at fertilizer and biostimulant producer Van Iperen for their views on fertigation. The company has been advising growers on fertigation in seed-grown onions for two years now. Van Iperen says it’s a great way to achieve higher, more consistent yields.

Fertigation – fertilization combined with irrigation –enables growers to give their crops the correct nutrients and amounts of water at the right times during the growing season. This creates favorable conditions that lead to steadier crop growth. It also allows for a more efficient use of water, nutrients and crop protection, resulting in a highquality, more sustainable final product. “The longer a crop suffers from a natural moisture deficit, the more fertigation will increase yields, since moisture and nutrients are two major factors in growth,” Van Iperen says. With weather extremes becoming more frequent, the company sees fertigation as a great way for growers to achieve higher, more consistent yields.

Benefits of fertigation

The system has several advantages. It's a plant-friendly way of delivering water by applying it on or in the soil instead of over the crop, enabling optimum uptake. Experience shows that frequent sprinkling of crops is more likely to

lead to deterioration and a greater chance of microbial or fusarium damage, especially in hot weather. By contrast, when irrigation is combined with carefully planned doses of nutrients, yields can increase by as much as 100 percent. This is because, on the one hand, the minerals can't be washed away and lost, and on the other, applying them in water where the plants need them allows for immediate absorption. Fertigation is useful for growers who draw

their water from wells and basins, as it allows them to use that water efficiently. As long as enough clean water is available, fertigation provides a high likelihood of good yields, especially in dry years. It facilitates steadier growth, which is a precondition for harvesting quality produce. And that makes production more sustainable overall. Used in an optimum manner, the system enhances plant vigour, according to Van Iperen.

Further refinement

Van Iperen’s innovation team is working to further optimize its fertigation system. In this system, the sowing technique is adapted and a wide sow coulter is used. In crops like onions, which are becoming increasingly challenging, in part because of restrictions on crop protection, it's becoming more and more important to cultivate steady-growing crops with better resistance to diseases and pests. Fertigation can help a lot.

According to Van Iperen, there’s a growing need for even more precise control in fertigation, to optimize crop growth. To achieve this the company has written fertilizer calculation programs. In the future, these may be able to do the work of providing crops with water and nutrients, precisely

geared to each week’s or day’s expected growth.

De Groot en Slot is closely following developments in the field of fertigation. The company wants to know what these will mean for the varieties it sells in the Netherlands, and particularly for the growth curves of different varieties. Quality

is also a vitally important aspect in the onion business. When onions can be cultivated without growth disorders, mature evenly and the tops will fall gradually, their quality is greatly enhanced. De Groot en Slot and Van Iperen plan to study the advances in fertigation in depth during the new growing season. Trial farm 'de Rusthoeve'. Number of kg per hectare. Results 2020

article by van iperen

making good seed even better

High-quality seed performs even better with a little help. Thanks to technology, growers today can count on seed that is infection-free, germinates easily, and leads to uniform sprouting and plant growth. Nonchemical treatments are getting better every day, and new developments are on the way.

Quality untreated seed does fine in healthy fields where the soil life is in balance, says Liesbeth van der Heijden, a Senior Researcher in Seed Pathology Research at Bejo. “But the soil isn’t always perfectly in balance. Every grower sometimes encounters setbacks. That’s why it’s better to give the seeds a little help.” Bejo does all its processing at its headquarters in Warmenhuizen, the Netherlands. The seed is sent here directly after being harvested at production sites on several continents. It undergoes a range of tests and treatments in our hightech facility. We test for germination capacity and fungal, bacterial and viral infections. Where necessary, disinfection and cleaning are carried out.

research

article by liesbeth van der heijden

Physical decontamination

For conventional crops, chemical agents can still be used to remove seed-borne pathogens. For organic crops, seeds must be non-chemically treated. Bejo has been working for more than 20 years to optimize non-chemical treatments and is constantly researching new methods. Hot water treatment came first. The combination of water and heat has been further refined with the development of the steam vacuum method. “The challenge is to choose the appropriate action, since every treatment can affect seed quality,” Van der Heijden says. “You don’t need to kill a fly with a hammer when a newspaper will do the job.” Steam vacuuming is the most refined method, she says. “Steam is less hot in a vacuum, and that combined with a pulse application lets us treat the seed effectively without penetrating the seed coat. We’ve developed crop-specific recipes for various crop-pathogen combinations.”

A boon for conventional crops

Our efforts to develop non-chemical treatments have had a useful side effect. Chemical disinfection of conventional crop seeds is becoming more difficult as fungicides are withdrawn. Treatment methods originally developed for our organic crops are serving as alternative solutions. Bejo continues to research further improvements to existing techniques as well as entirely new methods. “Plasma and electron beam treatment technologies may prove useful, Van der Heijden says,” since they allow seed to be treated without water.

Additives

After the cleaning and decontamination process, treatments are applied to support seed performance. We finish the seeds by coating, encrusting or pelleting them (see box). Additives such as micronutrients and crop protection agents can be incorporated in the shell.

Conventional crop seed coatings commonly contained chemical agents to prevent damping-off diseases like Pythium, Fusarium and Rhizoctonia. While nonchemical antifungal agents do exist, in organic crops they are certified only for field use. “When it comes to seed coating there’s hardly anything available,” Van der Heijden explains. “The seed treatment market is too small for the producers to start an expensive authorization procedure.” Bejo is expending a lot of time and effort in this area. The application procedure for one substance has begun.

COATING, ENCRUSTING AND PELLETING

The seed receives a finishing treatment. Standard coating involves the application of a thin film containing colouring and additives. The seed retains its natural shape. Encrusting fills in irregularities in the seed’s surface so it can more easily pass through a sowing machine. Fennel seed, for instance, is naturally long and furrowed and is treated in this way. Pelleting gives carrot seed additional mass, allowing the fine seeds to be more accurately sown. Pelleting adds a thicker layer of filler to the seed and makes it round. It is particularly used for plants sown in seed trays.

Beneficial micro-organisms

Meanwhile, Bejo’s researchers are hard at work looking for alternative solutions. Harnessing helpful micro-organisms found naturally in healthy seed could prove to be a fruitful approach. They play a role in germination and resilience at the beginning of a plant’s growth. Seed disinfection can unintentionally remove some of these useful flora, however. “We’re looking at whether we can isolate these good flora and restore them to the seed coat after disinfection to preserve the natural balance,” says Van der Heijden.

Priming

Along with coating, priming is another seed enhancement method (see box). Primed seed germinates faster and is less sensitive to stressors such as drought and other extreme weather conditions.

In this area of seed technology, too, innovation continues. A few years ago, Bejo developed B-Mox® , a unique formula for carrots and parsley root. “We’re now hard at work developing B-Mox® for onions,” says Van der Heijden. “We expect to be able to bring it to market within three years.”

Clean, disease-free, germinable seed

Processing and treatment give high-quality seed its final touch. “Quality really starts in the fields, with our specialist seed producers in the production areas,” Van der Heijden says. “After that, processing and treatment ensure that growers can count on clean, disease-free, germinable seed.”

PRIMING FOR UNIFORM GROWTH

Priming is a treatment that uses temperature and moisture to briefly break a seed’s dormancy. Embryonic development is started under carefully controlled conditions and then quickly paused by drying the seed. Priming takes place before coating or pelleting.

Primed seed germinates faster, is less sensitive to stressors and develops more evenly into uniform, healthy plants. Bejo uses a chemicalfree process that is permitted for organic crops. In carrots, more than 70% of the seed used is primed. In onions, the figure is 25% and growing. Priming is standard for parsley root and parsnip seed, and for a number of nursery plants, such as celeriac, celery, and lettuce. Priming is less important for crops that naturally germinate easily, like brassicas.

NON-CHEMICAL PROTECTION FOR CONVENTIONAL GROWERS

In conventional cultivation, for many years chemical fungicides were added to coatings to protect seeds from damping-off diseases. Availability of these substances is being reduced, however. For red beets, none have been permitted in the EU since June 2021.

Non-chemical alternatives are available, and organic beet farmers are using them in the field. Bejo is investigating whether these can be incorporated in seed coatings for conventional crops. This is not currently a viable solution for organic crop seeds in the EU, because official certification for specific use in seeds would be required.

Baltimore

• An early, cylindrical, smooth, well filled Berlicum

• Strong leaf attachment (suitable for mechanical harvesting)

• Harvest ready after 100 to 110 days

• Suitable for the fresh and processing market

advancing beyond the basics

seeds | science | service

Berlin*

• Productive and uniform Berlicum type carrot

• Large, bulky and cylindrical

• Strong, healthy leaves with good Alternaria tolerance

• Highly adaptable variety

Belgrado*

• Large, mid-early variety

• Strong, healthy leaves with good resistance against Alternaria

• Very cylindrical, well-rounded roots

• Very uniform, cylindrical carrot

• Good tolerance to Alternaria

• High yield potential

• Suitable for the 1, 3 and 5 kg packaging market

Natuna

history of vegetable grafting

Grafting of vegetable seedlings is a unique horticultural technology that is used worldwide to overcome soil-borne diseases and pests and/or to increase plant vigor under various environmental stress conditions. Today, grafting is used especially when there are limited rotation or soil fumigation options. For example, almost all watermelon produced in Japan, Korea, southern Spain, southern Italy, Turkey, and Greece are grafted, and there are increasing numbers of grafted tomato, eggplant, pepper, cucumber, and melons worldwide. In hydroponic greenhouses, grafting has become a standard practice to increase plant vigor and yield. In high tunnels, heirloom cultivars are grafted onto modern rootstocks to overcome soil-borne disease. Grafting is also used to mitigate environmental stress such as salinity, drought, flooding and low temperature. This article summarizes the history of the development of vegetable grafting and its use worldwide.

The beginning – innovation by a small farmer

The oldest record of grafting vegetable plants is in 500 AD in China (Lee and Oda, 2003) when farmers joined together multiple gourd plants to develop a greater root system to increase the size of gourd fruit (Fig.1). However, vegetable grafting using two different species or cultivars for disease and pest management was not documented until the early 1900s. Koshiro Tateishi published an extension research journal article in Japan (1927) indicating that vegetable grafting can be a revolutionary technology for future vegetable production, and encouraging scientists to further develop the technology so that it would become a common practice among farmers. This article was briefly featured in a Korean extension newsletter (Ashita, 1927), which is often mistakenly

cited as the first modern report of vegetable grafting. In his article, Tateishi reported that a small watermelon grower named Ukichi Takenaka in Hyogo, Japan, grafted watermelon onto pumpkin (or squash) and successfully, and easily overcame Fusarium wilt. Based on Takenaka’s success, Tateishi set up various experiments to test watermelon grafting, compared grafting methods and recommended cleft grafting over approach grafting. He also noted possible issues of early female flower abortion of grafted plants in the field, as well as impact of grafting on watermelon fruit quality. Tateishi reported that while grafting was theoretically possible between these two species, it was not until farmer Takenaka did it, that grafting was considered to be a viable technology. Many research and extension efforts followed to use grafting at various agricultural experiment stations starting in 1929 (Oda, 1990).

By the 1950s, plastic tunnels had become popular to extend the production season of high value crops in Japan; however, the intensive production using the same land intensified the issue of soil-borne diseases, thereby accelerating the use of grafting (Fig. 2). During this era, seed companies made tremendous gains in breeding rootstocks for disease resistance, and they introduced grafting to many countries through their international marketing efforts.

Israel was one of the early adapters of commercial vegetable grafting. Crops other than cucurbits were grafted in the 1950s and 1960s. For example, eggplant was grafted onto scarlet eggplant (S. integrefolium) as a disease management strategy, In the 1960s commercial use of tomato grafting was introduced in Japan and Korea ((Lee and Oda, 2003). During the 1980s and 1990s, milestone grafting innovations were

Grafting is an old and new technology to enhance the sustainability of vegetable crop production. The history of introducing this practice is summarized.

industry

made, including the development of tube grafting, one-cotyledon grafting and healing methods suitable for commercial nursery operations (Itagi, 2009).

These methods integrated vegetable grafting into modern commercial nursery systems that used plug trays introduced from the United States. Tube grafting increased the speed of solanaceous grafting by 2-3 times (Itagi et al., 1990). One-cotyledon grafting was first developed by a watermelon grower (Saito, 1981) and was later introduced as the baseline method to mechanize grafting due to its simplicity compared with other grafting methods used for cucurbit plants (Onoda et al., 1992; Suzuki et al., 1995). Automation for grafting was studied intensively during this era and various grafting robots were invented and commercialized (Kurata, 1994). However, only a small number of robots were effectively used in commercial

operations due to the precision required for preparing scion and rootstock plants suitable for machine use. In the early 1990s, indoor healing systems with environmental control were developed for mid to large-size nurseries (Itagi, 2009). An international symposium focused on transplant production technologies held in Yokohama, Japan (Hayashi et al., 1992) was a showcase of these technologies, and attracted many international scientists and engineers. After the Montreal Protocol identified methyl bromide as one of the substances to phase out and the protocol became effective in 1989, much effort by academia, commercial sectors and international organizations, including rootstock breeding and development, was made to introduce vegetable grafting as an alternative tool for soil-borne disease management in various countries.

Vegetable grafting timeline

Discovery as IPM tool for Fusarium wilt in watermelon (Japan)

Farmers began to use grafting for intensive cultivation (Korea/Japan)

U.S. researcher in SE promoted grafting tomato onto jimson weed (Daturaspp.) for root-knot nemotodes

1.

Tomato

Figure

Timeline showing milestones in history of vegetable grafting in the world (upper part, grey) and in North America (lower part, green).

Gourd grafting for large fruit production in China

article by chieri kubota, ohio state university

Figure 2. Bottle gourd rootstock seedlings and watermelon scion seedlings prepared for grafting in a rural village Shimohara in Nagano, Japan in 1967 (dated on April 5, Showa - 42 Year). Bottle gourd seedlings (rootstock) are at the stage of fully unfolding first true leaf inside a bamboo-framed tunnel. Watermelon seedlings (scion) are grown at a high density inside a small wooden tray filled with soil and are just about at the beginning of emerging cotyledons. The particular growth stage of young scion seedlings suggest that grafting would be done with the insertion method. (Photo credit: Mountainlife, Wikimedia Commons)

History in North America

The U.S. developed one of the earliest innovations in grafting tomato. During the 1930s and 1940s, tomato was grafted onto jimson weed (Datura stramonium) and the technique was recommended to gardeners (Isbell, 1944). Southern growers used this technique to overcome root-knot nematodes (Lowman and Kelly, 1946); however, this practice was discontinued partly due to the possible transport of alkaloids to fruits from the rootstock (Lowman and Kelly, 1946). Similarly, germplasm that is considered as weeds have been introduced as rootstocks for other vegetable crops. A good example is Turkey berry weed (Solanumtorvum) collected from Puerto Rico and Thailand, which are now widely used as rootstock for eggplant.

Commercial grafting used in today’s North American vegetable industry was introduced by Dutch growers in the 1990s. In the Netherlands, Dutch greenhouses were using grafting in the 1960s in their intensive cultivation systems; however, in the 1970s and 1980s, their use of grafting declined because other means such as resistant cultivars and chemical fumigants (i.e., methyl bromide) became available (L. Benne, personal communication). In the 1990s, grafting was reintroduced as the increased plant vigor was suitable for the long production cycle in modern greenhouse tomato production. Use of the tube grafting method contributed to making grafting more suitable for the production of large volumes of plants for commercial operations.

Grafting was also introduced in Canada in the 1990s to support the rapidly growing greenhouse industry in Canada and the U.S., and later in Mexico. Canada has been the primary supplier of grafted plants to the U.S. and Mexico, and long-distance shipping has been a common practice in distributing grafted plants throughout North America.

In addition to the use of grafted plants in the greenhouse industry, various small growers and extension personnel in land-grant universities have

industry

contributed to the transfer of grafting technology. A commercial nursery in Oregon began introducing grafted heirloom tomato plants to retail markets in 2011. Seed retailers started selling small packages of rootstock seeds. This made grafting known to a wider range of stakeholders including home gardeners and professionals.

In Mexico, in the 2000s, grafting was introduced partly through a United Nations effort to reduce the use of methyl bromide in open fields and in tunnels (Martinez, 2015). However, the rapid development of the tomato greenhouse industry was another primary reason for the expanded use of vegetable grafting and its adoption as a standard practice in the greenhouse industry. More recently, grafting watermelon was introduced to mitigate the risk of intensive cultivation.

Vegetable grafting today and tomorrow

In the U.S., the vegetable grafting market has rapidly expanded in recent years despite the concern associated with the cost of grafted plants. More seed companies in the U.S. are now carrying commercial cultivars of solanaceous and cucurbit rootstocks. Today, plants are grafted in commercial nurseries in several states, targeting various markets including retailers, greenhouses, high tunnels, and open fields of various production scales. New nursery operations are currently being built in collaboration with various sectors of the fruiting vegetable industry. The number of rootstocks available in the U.S. increases each year. Experimentation with grafted processing tomato is underway as a means to overcome issues associated with cultivation in marginal land.

While the exact number of grafted plants used in the U.S. is difficult to document at present, grafting is now recognized as a sustainable cultivation technique in most regions, and use is expected to increase as the grafting industries mature and growers learn how to use grafting technology more effectively and efficiently, with enhanced economic viability.

References

• Ashita, E. 1927. Grafting of watermelons. Korea (Chosun) Agricultural Newsletter. 1:9. (in Japanese)

• Hayashi, M., A. Kano, and E. Goto. (eds.) 1992. International symposium on transplant production systems – Biological, Engineering and Socioeconomic Aspects. Acta Horticulturae 319.

• Isbell, C.L. 1944. Pass the word to gardeners: Graft tomatoes onto weeds. Southern Seedsman, April:14, 42.

• Itagi, T. 2009. History and future perspectives for development of controlled environment horticultural technologies. Horticultural Information Center, Tokyo. 181pp. (in Japanese)

• Itagi, T., K. Nakanishi, and S. Nagashima. 1990. Development of young grafted seedling production systems for fruiting vegetables. Japanese Society for Horticultural Science. 59 (suppl. 1): 294-295. (in Japanese)

• Kurata, K. 1994. Cultivation of grafted vegetables 2. Development of grafting robots in Japan. HortScience 29:240-244.

• Lee, J.-M. and M. Oda. 2003. Grafting of herbaceous vegetable and ornamental crops, p.61-124. In: J. Janick (ed.). Horticultural Reviews. Vol. 28. John Wiley & Sons, NY.

• Lowman, M.S. and J.W. Kelly. 1946. The presence of mydriatic alkaloids in tomato fruit from scions grown on Datura stramonium rootstock. J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 48:249-259.

• Martínez, L.G. 2015. Horticultural grafting boosts Mexican women while saving the ozone layer. United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) http:// http:// www.unido.org/news/press/horticultural-grafti. html

• Oda, M. 1990. Tomapena – grafting three different fruiting vegetables in one plant.

• Japan Tobacco Plant Research Center. 108pp. (in Japanese) Onoda, A., K. Kobayashi, and M. Suzuki. 1992. The study of the grafting robot. Acta Horticulturae 319:535-540.

• Saito, M. 1981. New grafting methods for vegetables. Nobunkyo – Rural Culture Association Japan, Tokyo. 162pp. (in Japanese)

• Suzuki, M., K. Kobayashi, K. Inooku, K. Miura, and K. Hirata. 1995. Development of grafting robot for cucurbitaceous vegetables – Part 1. J. Japan. Soc. Agric. Machinery. 57:67-76. (in Japanese)

• Tateishi, K. 1927. Grafting watermelon onto pumpkin. Japanese Journal of Horticulture (Nihon- Engei Zasshi) 39:5-8. (in Japanese) (English translation: 0of%20Tateishi%201927.pdf)

proper transplant production is key to healthy and high yielding crops

Benefits of starting your vegetables from transplants are many and include: early start, uniform crop growth, and healthy root system. Vegetable transplants provide a head-start to target early-season market, insure a good stand of vegetable plants without the uncertainty of direct seeding or the added cost of field thinning, especially with the ongoing high cost of hybrid seed. However, production of transplants calls for early planning and optimum utilization of available resources. This is critical especially for vegetables like tomato, pepper, and celery that need sufficient growing time to attain adequate size. Some factors that warrant attention are greenhouse sanitation, transplant trays/flats, growing medium, seed quality, light, temperature, irrigation, fertilizers, pest and disease management, and finally hardening.

Greenhouse Sanitation

The first and the foremost thing is to prepare the greenhouse for transplant production. Practice good sanitation. The area should be free of plant debris, last year’s residues, accumulated soils, and weeds which may harbour insect pests and diseases. Benches, floors, should be properly disinfested prior to use. Products such as chlorine bleach, Green-Shield, Physan 20, Oxidate (hydrogen dioxide, BioSafe Systems), chlorine dioxide, etc. could be used to clean and sterilize benches. Product labels need to be followed precisely depending upon purpose and mode of use. Disinfecting benches and floors is an effective method to prevent disease causing organisms such as Pythium and Rhizoctonia.

Ventilation and Heating

Good ventilation and air circulation is important as it helps keep the foliage dry and mitigate various bacterial and fungal diseases. Well aerated and ventilated production areas can maintain low relative humidity thereby eliminating common diseases such as botrytis gray mold and late blight. Uniform temperatures are essential for adequate control of plant development and production of uniformly sized

transplants. Thermometers should be placed at plant level in several locations to monitor air temperature. Temperature control is critical and should be tailored based on specific crop requirements.

Transplant Trays

Multi-cell plastic trays are widely used for transplant production. These trays are available in a wide range of cell sizes and number. Cell numbers range anywhere from 50 to 800. Tray selection depends upon plant species, duration of transplant growth, and available greenhouse space. Larger cell sizes can be used for transplants that need longer growth cycle (>5 weeks) and carry large root systems such as asparagus. Larger cell sizes have the advantage of holding more medium, thus moisture and nutrients, but compromise on greenhouse space. For small duration crops such as leafy greens, smaller cell is appropriate as the root growth seldom fills the cell space. Cell sizes also have an impact on spread of diseases, as closely packed cells increase relative humidity and create conducive environment for bacterial and fungal growth. Most growers reuse transplant trays and containers for economic and environmental reasons. Trays and containers should be sanitized after each use/season to prevent the spread of pests and diseases.

article by dr. ajay nair assistant professor, department of horticulture, iowa state university

Seed Quality

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Seed quality is critical for successful transplant and crop production. High quality seed have higher germination percentages as compared to old seeds that often have poor germination and reduced vigour, which leads to, lost uniformity, revenue, and productivity. If using old seed, it is important to perform germination tests preferably one month before the actual start date of transplant production. When purchasing new seed, growers should purchase seeds from reputed and trusted seed firms.

Growing Medium

Vegetable growers have the option of using soil mixes or artificial mixes when producing vegetable transplants. The best growing medium is the one which has good moisture-holding capacity, good drainage, and high nutrient retention capability. There is a huge selection of various soil-less commercial media available for transplant production. These soil-less mixes are sterile, easier to handle and in addition carry small quantity of start-up fertilizers for initial seedling growth. In case of soil mixes, it should be made sure that the soil is sterilized, light, well drained and free of herbicide and pesticide residues. A soil test could be useful to correct for pH and fertility problems. Organic growers should make sure that the medium used for transplant production is approved by OMRI.

Irrigation Management

The success of transplant production can be stymied by improper irrigation management. Proper irrigation management is crucial to produce strong, sturdy and healthy transplants that grow well and yield a quality crop. Some things to consider while making irrigation decisions are when, how, and how much to water. In early stages of seed germination, it is critical that the media is kept moist at all times. As the seedlings grow roots and get established, water the plants only when moisture is needed. Water should be evenly distributed across the flats and uniformly applied without missing corners of flats and benches. Irrigation schedule would depend on plant species, flat or container size, crop growth, and prevailing environmental conditions inside the greenhouse. Over-watering, a very common error, results in restricted root growth and poor-quality plants that are susceptible to insect pest and diseases. Over watering often promotes growth of fungus gnats and certain diseases especially dampingoff. It is a good practice to water the plants in the morning, to permit foliage and soil surfaces to dry before evening.

Nutrient Management

Fertigation, or the use of water-soluble fertilizers at the time of each watering, is a common method of fertilizing vegetable transplants. No generalized fertilization regimen is available, but a common alternative include a 75 to 100 ppm N solution applied twice weekly, or a 300 to 400 ppm N solution applied once a week. If higher concentrations of fertilizer are used periodically, it is recommended to occasionally flush the root zone in order to mitigate salt accumulation. Adjust fertilization according to temperature and light conditions. Tall and leggy transplants are a result of low light conditions coupled with high fertilizer rates, and/ or over watering.

Lighting

In the northern climate zones like the Midwest, short day lengths and lack of sufficient quantity of light during spring season can adversely affect transplant production and limit plant growth. High-pressure sodium lamps (400 watt) are commonly used for supplemental lighting in greenhouses; however, escalating energy costs make their use cost-prohibitive. If growing transplants in a building/non-greenhouse environment, additional lighting using fluorescent light bulbs should be provided. Place the bulbs 5-8 cm inch from the top of the plants. The natural light from a window is seldom enough for good, strong seedling growth. Plants stretch and lean towards the light and will not yield sturdy transplants. Fluorescent light fixtures and tubes are the best choice for growing transplants indoors.

Pest and Diseases

Warmer temperatures inside greenhouses promote optimum transplant growth but also create environment for rapid growth and development of pest and disease populations. The best approach to keep greenhouse clean and transplants free of pest and diseases is to develop a management plan based on sanitation, monitoring, and understanding of pest and disease life cycle. A good article to read in this regard is the article on integrated pest management in greenhouses on ATTRA website (https://attra.ncat.org/). The best control for pests and diseases is proper greenhouse sanitation, proper formulation of the growing media, proper irrigation scheduling, fertilization practices, and constant monitoring and removal of infested or infected plants. A number of disease problems can be minimized by keeping the water off the foliage and low level of relative humidity in the greenhouse. Under severe outbreak of pest and diseases selective pesticides should be used according to labelled rates and timing.

Hardening Off

Plants should be acclimated to the shock and stress of transplanting into the field by hardening them off. This can be achieved by removing the optimum growing conditions of the greenhouse by reducing the amount of water and/ or fertilizer and reducing greenhouse temperature. Alternatively transplants can also be hardened by moving out of the greenhouse and placing them in a lath house for a week or two before transplanting. Hardened plants can rapidly recover from transplant shock and better withstand adverse field conditions such as low temperatures and high winds.

Transplant production plays a key role in a successful vegetable production system. Growing high quality plants requires skill, proper care, and knowledge of the fundamentals of crop production. With adequate greenhouse sanitation measures, good quality seed and growing medium, greenhouse environmental conditions such as light, temperature, relative humidity, irrigation, fertilization, pest and disease monitoring and management, growers can produce healthy and disease-free transplants that contribute towards higher yield and productivity.

cropalyser – the app to analyse your crop

Bejo’s Cropalyser is a practical tool to easily identify major pests, diseases and disorders in vegetable crops including peppers, tomatoes, leeks, celeriac and chicory. The App provides information about the health and growth of your crop.

The search function “Cropalyse” is a handy tool which guides you by means of answering questions about irregularities, analysing growth developments and recognizing symptoms. Cropalyser also contains advice on crop control and prevention of pests and diseases.

With the Cropalyser, the grower has functional crop information at hand, available offline and online. During several growth stages you can search by means of symptoms, pictures and questions as to which disease or pest is hindering the development of your crop.

Bejo has developed the Cropalyser as a service for customers and other contacts. Also in the area of analysing and recognizing pests and diseases in crops, Bejo is sharing knowledge and experience with their partners in the vegetable chain.

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Download Cropalyser for iPhone & Android

vegetable consumption per capita

Average per capita vegetable consumption, measured in kilograms per person per year.

Source: UN Food and agricultural Organisation (FAO)

Note: Data is based on per capita food supply at the consumer level, but does not account for food waste at the consumer level.

cabbage farmers day held in lydenburg

On 22 February 2022 various vegetable seed companies specializing in cabbages, partnered with Ezigro Seedling Nursery to showcase their best summer cabbage varieties currently on offer. The varieties on show were chosen for their adaptability to our summer growing conditions and were transplanted on the 1st of December 2021. The day was held at the farm of a prominent cabbage grower outside Lydenburg on the highveld of Mpumalanga.

Nico van Wyk, Manager of Ezigro Seedlings open the day by introducing all the representatives of the various seed marketing companies. He also spoke about the various challenges which the cabbage market currently faces as well as the pest and disease control of this crop. The day was well attended by about 150 growers and industry role players.

Everyone had the opportunity to take a tour through the cabbage field to have a closer look at the varieties on display. The technical representatives of all the companies were there to answer any questions on variety resistance, adaptability and yield. It was a great initiative where marketing companies, farmers and the nursery could share ideas and discuss industry-specific issues.

The day was a huge success, with many stalwart varieties showing what they still have to offer and some excellent new prospects to look out for in the near future.

The day was concluded with a couple of cold ones and some delicious boerewors rolls.

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by jacques louw

The following Nuvance varieties were on display, and these are their features:

Excalibur

• Earliness: Early

• Maturity: 80 – 85 days

• Head: Medium to large

• Features: Good disease and insect field tolerance

Capture

• Earliness: Medium early

• Maturity: 95 – 105 days

• Head: Flat round, green–grey

• Features: Attractive green cabbage producing well-wrapped heads with good strength against black rot

Bellicose*

• Earliness: Medium early

• Maturity: 90 – 100 days

• Head: Medium to large

• Features: Good disease tolerance round, compact head ideal for bagging

Feel free to contact the Nuvance sales representative in your area to enquire about these varieties.

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advancing beyond the basics

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Maragogi

• Early short-day onion

• Firm with small root attachment

• Very thin neck

• Suitable for the fresh market

Buzios

• Medium short-day onion

• Well adapted for productions in the Northern Cape

• Ideal for the fresh market

• Medium-early cultivar

Hacienda*

• Vigorous early intermediate onion

• Large, uniform, round medium brown bulbs

• Excellent productivity and great adaptation to the summer growing conditions in Limpopo province (sowing in December)

Itaparica*

• Early short-day onion suitable for the fresh market

• Very uniform bulbs of excellent quality

• Very thin neck to ensure quick drying

• Deep round shape with straw-brown skins

• Good range of adaptation

products itaparica* impresses

article by heigers campher

Plantings during the past season once again demonstrated why this cultivar is so popular and here are some of the outstanding characteristics of Itaparica*:

• Very nice thin neck

• Nice brown colour

• Good firmness

• Earliness (shorter growing period)

• Good uniformity

• Excellent disease resistance

Itaparica* can be harvested significantly earlier than most other onion varieties and can thus also be marketed earlier. The recommended time slot for planting Itaparica* is from middle February to middle March throughout northern South Africa. Many of our onion growers were extremely pleased with this variety and would like to do a larger planting next season. Not only were they impressed with Itaparica's* good yield and physical characteristics, but the time slot of planting also suits most of their farming practices well.

beets in kzn

article by anina meyer

Beetroots, commonly known as beets, are a vibrant and versatile type of vegetable. They’re known for their earthy flavour and aroma.

In addition to bringing a pop of colour to your plate, beets are highly nutritious and packed with essential vitamins, minerals and plant compounds, many of which have medicinal properties.

As a rule of thumb, the best time to sow beet is either spring or autumn. The best soil temperature for germination is >7˚C. Although the optimum growing temperatures for beets range from 12 – 19˚C, beets can tolerate maximum growing temperatures of up to 35˚C. In South Africa beetroot can be grown under most conditions throughout the year, provided sowing during periods with heavy frost or extreme heat is avoided.

Bejo Zaden is a real specialist in breeding red beets. Bejo has a strong and reliable range with varieties suitable for both the fresh market as well as the processing industry. The Bejo varieties offer added value through their attractive internal colour, uniformity and healthy foliage.

When deciding which varieties to plant, the emphasis must be on superior taste, colour and shelf life. In this respect, Boro and Bettollo are trendsetters in the beet market.

Boro is a very productive variety with smooth, dark red, slightly high round beets and strong green foliage, with good disease resistance, suitable for the warmer, humid summer conditions. When aiming for high-quality beets the emphasis is on varieties which mature early and can be harvested very quickly. In this respect, Boro is known as an early maturing beetroot, as it is possible to harvest high-quality beets a mere 60 -70 days after sowing.

Bettollo on the other hand produces high-quality, uniformly round, deep red, fine-textured, sweet beets. Also, Bettollo is known for its healthy foliage. This can be attributed to the fact that Bettollo has large strong leaves that have a waxy layer. These strong waxy leaves are the reason why Bettollo is the number one choice for beet production in colder areas, but strong foliage is always a welcome added advantage for the production during the warmer season as well. Also, this waxy layer plays an important role during the suppression of insect and disease attacks, thus Bettollo is well-known for its good disease tolerance.

Subeto

• Medium-vroëe kultivar

• Regop groeiwyse

• Uistekende somerkultivar

• Geskik vir die varsmark

• Hoë toleransie teen blaarvlek

Palau*

• Intermediêre weerstand teen Rhizomania (IR: BNYVV)

• Pragtige ronde beet geskik vir vars mark

• Dieprooi kleur

Manzu

• Oesgereed binne 80 tot 100 dae

• Geskik vir die verpakkings- en bossiemark

• Goeie toleransie teen Rhizomania

| wetenskap | diens

oplossings gedryf deur advies saad

Boro

• Goeie toleransie teen blaarvlek

• Uitstekende somerkultivar

• Boro is geskik vir die verpakkingsmark

success is in the detail

Revelation

King Arthur

• Tolerant to Phytophthoracapsici

• Extended harvest periods

• Improved marketable yield

• Good shelf life

• Average fruit size of 10 x 10 cm

• Blocky sweet pepper

• Suitable for the fresh market

• Vigorous growth, excellent fruit quality and widely adaptable open field variety

• The large, blocky peppers are sweet, thick-walled, and ripen from green to bright red

• Average fruit weight: 250 – 350g

• Suitable for open field production

• Excellent leaf coverage for protection against sunburn

• Dark green fruit colour

• Uniform fruit with good leaf attachment

• Vigorous plant

• Excellent disease package

sv 6131 pb – synonymous with quality and yield

article by jacques louw

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Since its introduction, SV 6131 PB has become a firm favourite amongst open-field pepper growers across South Africa. The robust plant structure of SV 6131 PB means that many growers do not even trellis this variety. The overall plant health is excellent with no symptoms of the common viruses amongst pepper growers in the Lowveld area namely tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) or cucumber mosaic virus (CMV). Another desirable attribute is the fruit colour, if harvested/sold as a green pepper it has one of the darkest colours currently on the market. When it comes to yield, SV 6131 PB does not disappoint either, with an average of over 10 000 cartons/ha having been counted at growers of this variety. Also, SV 6131 PB offers an excellent disease package, with all the mayor sweet pepper diseases and thus an excellent choice for all current and prospective growers.

SV 6131 PB being harvested at Bahati Boerdery (Pty) Ltd. near Komatipoort in Mpumalanga.

donatello*, grower’s mini-plum tomato of choice

Brett Miller recently acquired a farm in the coastal belt just north of Port Alfred a few miles off the R72. A farrier by trade and after many successful years working in his profession, he and his wife Sally decided to start farming. With a passion to turn the soil, they started from scratch with only a couple of greenhouses.

Initially, Brett began growing various well-known and market-leading varieties to support his new lifestyle. It was only after a couple of crops that he then contacted Nuvance for advice and variety options. I realised on my first visit that Brett was not going to be easily swayed, but he remained open to different views and suggestions. He was also very willing to look and trial new varieties/options as the local demand for his mini-plum tomatoes grew.

Nuvance, with its recent acquisition by Dutch-based Bejo, is now in a leading position to supply varieties of numerous crop categories that can compete equally and often better than some of our competitor varieties. The timing was thus perfect. With the help of our Product Development Manager, Dr Quintin Muhl, we sourced several new varieties and amongst them a phenomenal mini-plum tomato variety which we knew would suit our producer’s specifications here in Southern Africa. One of these varieties was the new NTOM005, which Brett agreed to put to the test. The trial was very successful and for his subsequent planting, Brett decided to order a large portion of NTOM005 to supplement his growing orders for mini-plum tomatoes.

NTOM005 has been a great success countrywide and was recently sub mitted for registration as Donatello*. A perfectly sculpted mini-plum tomato that is guaranteed to yield. Donatello* has a very good disease package including Tomato Mosaic Virus (ToMV), Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus (TYLCV), Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV), Fusarium (Fol:1) and Nematodes (Ma/Mi/Mj). Key benefits observed by Brett between Donatello* and another market-leading variety were that Donatello* plants were more vigorous, earlier into production and ultimately had the higher yield.

Also, Donatello* showed good field tolerance against powdery mildew, whereas Brett had to react with immediate and regular spraying on some of his other varieties to bring the powdery mildew under control. An issue that many growers are familiar with especially along the coastal routes where the relative humidity is often high.

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article by howard champ

As a developing producer, Brett also grows cucumbers, peppers and regular round tomatoes all under plastic. This diversity of vegetable crops assists him to maintain a progressive cash flow without being dictated by the market of a single crop. Brett also packs all his produce on the farm under the label of ‘Chelsea Veg' which also allows him some leverage when it comes to the surrounding markets. Sally is equally invested in the business by keeping the finances in order and the customers content. Often when I’m quizzing Brett on issues of the business regarding costs, he replies with ‘just ask Sally’ with a gentle smile.

Recently their son Liam also joined the operation and the expansion of their farm continues. We at Nuvance continue to work closely with Brett and Sally and are confident that they will grow the business according to their longterm vision. We look forward to being a small contributor to their success.

Brett Miller and Dr Quintin Muhl (Nuvance)

Freshly packed Donatello*

success is in the detail

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Megaton

• Excellent winter cabbage with large uniform heads

• Ideal for the informal market

• Average head weight of 5 to 8 kg

Bellicose*

• Good disease tolerance

• Round, compact head

• Ideal for bagging

• Medium to large head with an average head weight of 3 to 5 kg

Excalibur

• Ideal for fresh market and bagging

• Well adapted for the highveld summer and the winter in warmer areas.

• Average head weight of 3 to 6 kg

Chinook*

• Specially for coastal areas

• Large frame and round heads

• Weight 3, 5 – 7kg depending on population

• Maturity: 100 – 110 days

“i only want the best...”

– siphosihle maseko

Travelling to hidden gems off the beaten track is one of the many rewarding facets of working for Nuvance. Our small-scale grower client base is rapidly growing and recently, I had the pleasure of visiting one of these growers situated near Middledrift in the Eastern Cape. Siphosihle Maseko recently graduated from the Nelson Mandela Metro University with a diploma in Agriculture and has since hit the ground running with a passion to farm. I don't recall the entire conversation, but during my first call with him (to discuss our cabbage varieties) what stuck in my mind was Siphosihle saying: “I don’t care which variety you suggest, as long as it’s the best... I only want the best!”. Siphosihle is targeting the informal cabbage market, where size matters and bigger is always better. To this end, I advised him to grow ‘Excalibur’. This variety is a medium to large cabbage which reaches maturity in 80 days. It can be grown all year round in temperate climates and has good resistance to black rot.

I visited him recently and so far, he is very happy with the performance despite experiencing a heavy locust infestation during the early stages of his crop. Thankfully the crop recovered and grew out and we are expecting an early, healthy harvest. Despite many challenges, Siphosihle maintained good basic agricultural practices, by ridging, practising responsive irrigation and excellent weed control using both herbicides as well as manual control. These simple but timeous practices together with a good hardy cultivar will guarantee a successful crop. Thanks to his excellent training, Siphosihle is also mindful of issues regarding soil structure and mineral exhaustion and has therefore implemented crop rotation with maize. Currently, Siphosihle has 6 hectares of maize and 3 hectares of cabbage in rotation. Many of the elders in his area are watching with interest and we are confident that ‘Excalibur' is going to be a major role player in the cabbage spec market soon. We wish Siphosihle all the success he deserves and look forward to a continued partnership leading the way in cabbage production. Watch this space!

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Next batch of Excalibur sown

Siphosihle Maseko & Howard Champ

article by howard champ

guarantee success with the right cultivar choice

With the ever-increasing input costs such as wages, fuel, fertilizer and pest control, the right cultivar choice plays an increasingly important role. Cultivars with good disease resistances that offer high yields are therefore essential. That is why more and more of growers plant our flagship tomato and sweet pepper varieties in their net- and greenhouses.

Their tomato variety of choice is SV4129TH*. This very versatile cultivar is suitable for the open field, under nets or even greenhouse production. Its fruits are medium in size which turn a nice even red colour with no green shoulders. The extremely firm fruit makes it ideal for the “pre-pack” market. Also, SV4129TH* has a very good disease package (ToMV:0-2/Ff:A-E/ Fol:0,1/For/Va:0/Vd:0/TYLCV) and offers exceptional fruit set all the way to the top. Its short internodes

also means that the cultivar has a high yield potential. Under nets and especially in greenhouses, it is recommended that SV4129TH* should be trellised “double-stem” instead of “single-stem”, as the fruit tend to get too big otherwise.

When growing a crop directly in the soil (especially under a net or inside a greenhouse) it is very important to choose a cultivar with a vigorous root system and good disease resistance. Our sweet pepper variety PS16351609 offers both these attributes and does not disappoint on yield either. Although this variety has been a very popular variety amongst open field growers, the number of undercover growers who now plant PS16351609 increases year on year as the excellent plant and root health allows them to harvest fruit over a very long period.

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article by gawie buys

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SV 9054 YG*

• Good fruit quality

• Dark green colour

• Intermediate tolerance of PRSV, SLCV, WMV, ZYMV

SV 0143 YG*

• High yield potential

• Good fruit quality

• Good tolerance of PRSV, SLCV, WMV and ZYMV

Canesi

• Excellent fruit quality

• Good leaf cover

• Average fruit mass between 1.2 – 2.5 kg

Waltham

• Good yield, size and shelf life

• Vigorous with good leaf cover

• Average fruit mass: 0.9 – 1.5 kg

regional news health & safety at nuvance

article by adelé scheepers

During April and May earlier this year several of the Nuvance personnel attended first aid and firefighting training. The team did exceptionally well, and we are proud to announce that we now have 8 qualified first aiders and firefighters. The training was very insightful, and everyone learned a lot. We have peace of mind knowing that we will be able to assist our colleagues and the public during the unfortunate event of an emergency with the knowledge we have gained.

max bothma award

We are thrilled to announce the promotion of Gawie Buys as National Sales Manager at Nuvance (South Africa). Gawie joined the former Klein Karoo Seed Marketing in 2008 as sales representative for the Gauteng area, where he has played a key role in marketing and establishing the Bejo product range as well as during our transition to Nuvance. Gawie brings a wealth of experience to the sales department, and we are excited about his new role at the company. We welcome and congratulate him on his promotion.

r Quintin Muhl (Product Development Manager) received the Max Bothma award for a second time at the recent SGASA (Seedling Growers Association of South Africa) symposium in Letsitele, Limpopo in recognition for being nominated the most dedicated committee member.

We are pleased to announce that Floris Kotze has been promoted from Commercial to General Manager at Nuvance. Floris brings extensive vegetable industry experience, customer solutions, and communications to his position, along with many years of experience with our company. We would like to congratulate him on this promotion and wish him all the best as he transitions to this new role.

verwelkoming: robert janse van rensburg

Robert Janse van Rensburg het op 1 Jullie 2022 as nuwe verkoopsverteenwoordiger vir die Noordwes streek by Nuvance aangesluit. Robert is ’n gekwalifiseerde siviele ingenieur maar het ’n groot passie vir landbou. Hy het ’n geleentheid gekry om te boer by ’n groot groenteprodusent in Brits en sodoende ondervinding opgebou met spesialiseering in wortels en beet. Robert sien uit om die ander gewasse ook te bemeester en verhoudings met produsente te bou in sy area.

Ons verwelkom vir Robert by Nuvance, en wens hom alle sterkte en voorspoed toe!

welcoming: daviën joubert

regional news

It is with great pleasure that we would like to welcome Daviën Joubert to Nuvance who joined us on 3 May 2022, as the new Finance & Operations Manager. Daviën grew up in Upington where he also matriculated. He studied at NWU Pukke in Pothefstroom and graduated Cum Honoribus in Accountancy. Daviën brings almost 8 years of finance experience in the agricultural industry with him, is excited about his new role at Nuvance and expects great things for the future.

success is in the detail

seeds | science | service

Batavia

• Medium sized broccoli

• Grey-green colour

• Suitable for spring to mid summer production

Alcala*

• A late summer/autumn variety for the highveld region

• Produces a dense, white curd excellent for pre-packing

• Uniform and productive

• Maturity: 75 – 78 days

• Average head weight: 750 – 900g

advancing beyond the basics

seeds | science | service

SV 3725 TH

• Excellent fruit quality

• High yield potential

• Good shelf life

• Suitable for fresh market

SV 7846 TH

• Suitable for undercover production

• Good tolerance of TYLCV and Powdery Mildew

• Suited for year round production

SV 4129 TH*

• Well suited for undercover and open-field production

• Vigorous plant growth and a high fruit set

• Good fruit size with very good quality

SV 2444 TH*

• Early indeterminate round variety

• Good set and high production potential

• Average fruit size of 140 – 160g

• Very well suited for open field production

• Able to grow across regions/provinces in different climatic conditions

agriculture is not farming it's feeding

Reddy Sai

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SV 5047 CE*

• Plants have a very open structure

• Suitable for winter production

• Vigorous plants with short internodes

• Excellent fruit set

• Cylindrical and straight fruit

• High tolerance to Cca, Ccu

• Intermediate tolerance to CVYV, CYSDV, CMV, Px

Hoplita*

• Vigorous plant

• Ideal for the summer months, but does also perform well during winter in the Lowveld

• Medium large fruit

• High tolerance of CVYV and Ccu

• Intermediate tolerance of CYSDV, Px, Cca