On 1 July, the European committee of the International Bremia Evaluation Board (IBEB-EU) published the denomination of a widely occurring new race of downy mildew in lettuce: Bl:41EU.

Rijk Zwaan, an international fruit and vegetable breeding company, is celebrating its first centenary. Since its foundation in 1924, Rijk Zwaan has grown into a global player active in more than 100 countries. The centenary celebrations kicked off on 1 July, the exact date that the company was originally founded.

Red Sun Farms, one of the largest high-tech greenhouse operations in North America, has found a reliable solution in the cocktail tomato Rexoso RZ, which is available under Rijk Zwaan’s Rugose Defense label. “The crop has demonstrated remarkable performance in our state-of-the-art greenhouses. Thanks to this highly ToBRFV-resistant tomato, our customers can expect consistency in the general product quality,” states Harold Paivarinta, Senior Director of Sales.

A new race of the downy mildew pathogen (Peronospora effusa) on spinach has been denominated by the International Working Group on Peronospora in spinach (IWGP), based on a worldwide evaluation of isolates from growers' fields and trap nurseries. This was a strong candidate for nomination due to its significant threat to the spinach industry.

With organic production accounting for 25% of all farming in Austria, the country currently leads the way in Europe. Biohof Achleitner, based in the Austrian town of Eferding, is one example of a family business that has been successfully supplying consumers with organic fruits and vegetables for more than 30 years. The keys ingredients in its success? A fair and sustainable approach to growing with minimal waste, close relationships with customers, employees and other organic growers, and home deliveries.

On 1 July, the European committee of the International Bremia Evaluation Board (IBEB-EU) published three widely occurring new variants of downy mildew in lettuce: Bl:38EU, Bl:39EU and Bl:40EU. A considerable number of vegetable breeding company Rijk Zwaan’s current lettuce varieties are resistant to these three new races.

The Salatrio concept – a single, colourful head of ‘living lettuce’ made up of three different types – has been around for years and continues to gain popularity worldwide. At the Salatrio Client Demo in early May 2023, Rijk Zwaan showcased 40 innovative combinations of leafies: more robust, more productive and easier to work with, offering more crunch, more crispiness and more convenience. “Growers are very excited to test these for themselves,” says Crop Coordinator Peter Sonneveld. Read on for the five key insights from the demo.

In the latest video in ‘The future is sky’ series, Rijk Zwaan highlights its partnership with Greenhouse Sisters for Carapaz RZ, Rijk Zwaan’s labour-friendly and powdery mildew-resistant cucumber variety. Martin de Hoog, cucumber grower at Greenhouse Sisters, explains the intensive collaboration with Rijk Zwaan and shares details of his experiences with Carapaz RZ.

„Freshly Forward, from Foundation to Future” – We are already looking forward to welcoming you in Berlin in 2024.