Brassica Magazine 2009 - Rijk Zwaan

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Rijk Zwaan varieties for early cultivation drew a lot of attention during the Brassica event in Hungary. ▲ Early Brassicas: a speciality in South-East Europe One of the very successful Rijk Zwaan Brassica events in 2008 was the one in Hungary, where in the first week of May more than 300 growers from 7 countries followed the invitation. This was not only a signal of great interest, but also an appreciation to RZ varieties. Some varieties show their full market potential in tunnel production Early white cabbage is popular in countries like Hungary, the Balkans and Ukraine, where they consume and export it fresh, for salads. Growers produce it under unheated plastic tunnels, and transplant between January and March, depending on the areas. Special growing needs special attention, we believe at Rijk Zwaan. Therefore we decided to focus a special breeding activity to this market segment. Our Trial Station in Felgyö (Hungary) acts as the main centre for early Brassica trials, and demos. During the Brassica event in Felgyö, on different locations we showed plastic tunnels with variety trials, different plant densities, mini tunnels in the open field, and crops covered by fleece. László Ragyák is crop specialist: “The early white cabbage Jetma RZ was the main focus for Macedonian, Romanian, and Ukrainian growers. The followers Rayma RZ and Adema RZ performed also well, depending on the market demands. While the Serbian and Croatian guests especially liked the dark green coloured Adema, for the Romanian colleagues the fresh green Rayma was the most popular one.” Different technical solutions of crop covering offer interesting alternatives to the growers to achieve better earliness, which is essential, explains Ragyák “Our demo went into details about the right cultivation technique, because we want to support our customers in finding the right way of growing. Through discussions we also receive feedback about our new hybrids. This gives us new energy and inspiration to breed those varieties, which are needed for the most successful cultivation in this specific segment.” Different mulch materials and irrigation systems in test International guests entering the Felgyö trial station 14 RZ Brassica | 2009
▲ Innovation expert Corrinne Goenee ‘There is so much more you can do with Brassicas’ Brassicas are popular around the globe, but there is still a whole world to be won. By giving consumers new ideas and a better experience, but also by thinking up new solutions. Product development by means of plant breeding can play a significant role in this. It is part of Rijk Zwaan’s innovative appeal to let itself be inspired by experienced trend watchers like innovation expert Corrinne Goenee. Her advice bureau ‘White Tree’ specialises in marketing and innovation in the area of food. She has also noticed that cabbage is bought more and more by consumers as a pre-cut product. Nice and easy, but she is nevertheless convinced that there are still many opportunities for cabbage as a fresh product. “Brassicas have everything. They are healthy and nutritious and can be used in so many ways: boiled or stir-fried, as a solid base for a meal or as part of a light diet. Use it in traditional recipes or try something unusual. What other vegetables are so versatile! The only thing is that these possibilities are not communicated enough at the moment.” Bringing pleasure In recent years, Goenee has seen a striving for a better quality of life in less time. “People want to enjoy the good things in life and eating well is part of that. Not just because it helps you to feel better and fitter, but also because you can make food preparation into something enjoyable. Fresh ingredients and modern preparation methods are bringing back the pleasure you can get from cooking and eating. Convenience is still appreciated but it has to be combined with health and flavour. More attention, less effort: that is the modern way of home cooking.” The development of new vegetables can stimulate and support this development further, Goenee thinks. “Looking at the future I see cabbage crops in all sorts of new colours, shapes and leaf structures emerging, with real added value. Together with traditional values, like shelf life and health, and exciting recipes, a real treasure can be re-discovered.” Telling a story From a marketing perspective, emotions can be used to modernise the partly boring image that Brassicas seem to have, continues Groenee: “Brassicas are ideal for evoking an emotion; making a product into a concept. For instance, red cabbages harvested in a field could be associated with rosy cheeks from fresh air activities. That fits in with the emotional world of mothers who want the best for their children.” All Brassica crops are naturally healthy products and may well contain extra phytochemicals or even medicinal substances to be identified in the near future. But even then, Goenee concludes, it will need a story. “For example, children would not need to eat as much of it for it to have the same effect. Vegetables can be made into a brand with unique characteristics, a convincing story and plenty of marketing opportunities. There is still a whole world to be won with Brassicas. I’m convinced of it.” Rijk Zwaan in Brassica 15
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Brassica Magazine 2009 - Rijk Zwaan

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