The Open Tomato Day at Syngenta could again boast many visitors this week. Not only Dutch and Belgian guests were welcomed, but Japanese, Hungarian and Swiss were also able to find their way to the demo greenhouse. Kurt Lefebvre takes us through the highlights.
Kurt Lefebvre
Climstar
Of course there was ample attention to the Climstar. The coarse, labour friendly vine tomato was grown for the first last season on about 31 hectares in Belgium and the Netherlands. The variety has a constant setting and can withstand difficult conditions. This combination creates high production potential. Both quality and durability more than meet the expectations.
"The results with Climstar are very satisfying," says Kurt Lefebvre.
Angelle-Sweetelle-Babeno
The trio Angelle-Sweetelle-Babeno is displayed next to each other. These three have been making Syngenta market leader in the snack segment for several years now. "They remain distinctive in taste and quality," says Lefebvre. Sweetelle and Angelle differ in generativity. The Babeno is just a little rougher than the other two (13-14 grams instead of 12).
Edioso is identified by the unique fruit shape: a bit angular, a little pepper shaped. It has a distinctive flavour. "And a beautiful, deep red color and lustre. A specialty with a high value product," says Lefebvre. In Britain, Edioso has received an award this year for best new tomato product. "The experiences are good, but the material is suitable for controlled growth," says Lefebvre.
T311911
Besides the varieties already introduced, Syngenta is busy with a number of new introductions. 311911 is pre-commercial, but is poised to play a role in the top cherry segment. "Production potential is promising and the flavour and brix are very good," says Lefebvre. The variety is also strong against cracking, which is a problem in this segment.
T601464.
T601464
The most striking variety might just be the 20-gram cherry tomato 601464, meriting special attention thanks to its yellow color. The shape is distinctive: they look like large berries. The fruit has a good shelf life and can be harvested early. There is a lot of interest from growers already. "A newcomer for the future," concludes Lefebvre.
More information:
Syngenta
www.syngenta.com