Nunhems has achieved global leadership in this segment by developing a range of highly efficient, specialist varieties that enable high wire growers in different parts of the world to optimize yield, quality and labour, all year round. It strives for reliable and long-term knowledge exchange with its customers through seminars, exchange field visits and close collaboration with researchers and other companies in the chain.
“We see high wire cultivation as an important development and are convinced that many cucumber growers will make the transition to this innovation because of the efficiencies it offers in organization of labour and the reliable quality of fresh produce in the chain,” emphasized Rens Knieriem, Nunhems Crop Sales Manager for Cucumber.
Rising Stars in High Wire
Nunhems compact high wire varieties, Hi Power* and Hi Jack, have shorter internodes and smaller, horizontal leaves that produce strong and open crops, with healthy, compact plants. The varieties provide the most efficient plant type for high wire cultivation currently available. They combine high yield, easier harvesting and reduce labour requirements. Alongside market leading variety, Hi Jack, Hi Power* is the newest variety within the highly efficient compact plant type to be introduced.“Hi Power* offers growers in the North of Europe a high-yielding cucumber that produces quality cucumbers right from the start,” said Cees Ammerlaan, Nunhems’ Sales Specialist Cucumbers. “In addition, it excels in maintaining high yield and quality throughout the entire production cycle, from the beginning until the end.”
Nunhems current high wire varieties also include:
- Hi Jack - a high-yielding variety for spring and summer cultivation with a highly efficient plant type
- Hi Power*: the new variety for summer cultivation and of the same compact plant type as Hi Jack.
- Anastacia - an open and labour friendly variety with early high production.
- Michella - especially for the Scandinavian market with an intermediate resistance to powdery mildew.
- Kasja - for the North American and Canadian markets, the best yielding variety with high resistance to Powdery Mildew and with a larger fruit-size.
More Sustainable Cultivation
Nunhems’ cucumber research and development strategy explores features, such as disease resistance, stress tolerance, increased yield and reduced crop handling in its genetic improvement program to ensure that vegetable genetics helps improve the sustainability of production while delivering the best results for growers the whole year round.“The high wire cucumber sector is particularly labour-intensive, so labour-saving varieties are a top priority for development,” explained Robert Swinkels, Nunhems’ Breeder for Long Cucumbers. “Thanks to the horizontal position of the leaves of our high-yielding high wire varieties it is easier to harvest the fruits. The leaves are smaller, making it possible to plant our varieties at high densities, delivering more first-class fruit per square meter with fewer resources. The Nunhems high wire varieties are more efficient than competitors’ varieties.”
Enthusiasm from Growers
Paul van Lipzig runs Hortus in Futuro, a 10 hectare high wire cucumber greenhouse in Maasbree, the Netherlands, together with his father. Paul grows Nunhems high wire variety Hi Jack under artificial light and in unlighted high wire cultivation.“Nunhems high wire cucumber varieties are simply the best available,” he said.”The compact plants have smaller leaves and shorter internodes. We can grow more plants per square meter. They are truly powerful plants that deliver excellent quality fruits. With Hi Jack, our yields have increased by around 10% and we have also saved approximately 3-5% in labour. Nunhems is right on track for the future of high wire varieties, which is very reassuring to me. I believe the future is in developing high wire varieties that have increased disease resistance and Nunhems is well on the way to achieving this. It is a pleasure to work together with Nunhems. They really listen to what growers want and work together as a team to develop new solutions to our issues.”
Global Leaders in an Emerging Sector
The international horticultural sector faces significant challenges. Not only in maintaining profitability and continuity, but also in achieving sustainable production and increased yields. It is a global challenge to achieve more with fewer resources, in a better way. This requires developing and exchanging knowledge in the sector.
“A decade ago Nunhems developed its vision about the advantages and future of the high wire cultivation system and translated this into the objective to develop specific Hybrids that meet the specific needs. As a consequence we have consistently invested in expanding our knowledge and expertise in the high wire cucumber sector,” said Joost van den Eijnden, Nunhems’ Global Head of Marketing and Sales. “We have developed a robust high wire cucumber pipeline that has already delivered a number of top-quality specialist varieties that meet the specific requirements of key high wire producing countries. Through close collaboration with our customers, continued development of excellent products and expert support services for this sector, Nunhems has become the world’s leading authority on high wire cucumber cultivation. We believes it has a promising future and Nunhems is set to lead the way forward.”
About Nunhems
The vegetable seed business of Bayer CropScience operates under the brand Nunhems. Nunhems is the global specialist in vegetable genetics and services. As a globally integrated group of teams Nunhems builds unique customer relationships and shares products, concepts and expertise with the professional horticultural production industry and supply chain. The portfolio of Nunhems consists of varieties of 28 vegetable crops, including leading varieties of carrot, cucumber, leek, lettuce, melon, onion, pepper, tomato, and watermelon. With more than 1,800 employees, Nunhems is present in all major vegetable production areas in the world.For more information
Nunhems
Cees Ammerlaan, Sales Specialist Cucumbers North Europe
+ 316 15004979
cees.ammerlaan@bayer.com
Marcel Huibers, Sales Specialist Cucumbers North Europe
+ 316 15004979
marcel.huibers@bayer.com
Ali Mohammad, Sales Specialist Cucumber, Nunhems Canada
+1 226 787 1142
ali.mohammad@bayer.com