The cucumber variety Marvila of Bejo Seeds has grown enormously in popularity in a short period. Especially in Mexico and Chile, the variety is conquering an increasing market share according to Bejo employees Kees Boersma (Head of Fruit Crops) and Marcos Aviña (Area Fruit Crop Manager).
"For a good cucumber variety, several characteristics are important. These include productivity, shelf life, and plant health. Marvila shows good results in all these areas," Boersma begins. 
Its strong plant health sets Marvila apart from its competitors. Aviña explains: "Marvila has a strong root system. The main roots are well anchored, and the many secondary roots provide the plant with an excellent supply route for water and nutrients. This makes the plant strong and healthy, allowing it to make and support as many as six or seven fruits at the same time.
Normally a plant rejects fruit over time, but Marvila does not. In addition, we receive many positive comments from growers about the intense green color of the leaves and the quality of the fruit. The quality of the fruit remains high throughout the harvest period, whereas other varieties have been found to deteriorate."
Boersma adds: "Also its excellent cylindrical shape makes Marvila a strong variety. In addition, it is distinguished from its competitors by its length, uniformity, and strong disease resistance package."
In Mexico and Chile, the length of the fruit is important. With Marvila, it is between 27 and 32 centimeters. This is considerably longer than competing varieties. What also makes the variety attractive to the grower: its length, width, and uniformity meaning that 48 to 52 cucumbers fit in a box.
All these features mean that demand for Marvila is increasing. In the past three years, sales of the cucumber variety have increased enormously. "Fortunately, it was possible to scale up the seed production. This allows us to meet the increasing demand," Boersma said. He continues, "Right now in Mexico and Chile, Marvila is mainly sold for the local market. This is because Marvila is a spined cucumber. The export market demands cucumbers without or fewer spines. The breeding team is now working hard to meet this need.
"With Marvila in its assortment, we have a valuable variety with strong genetics", they conclude. In addition, the company has a focus on expanding its cucumber assortment. So there is still more to come in the pipeline.
For more information:
Bejo
www.bejo.nl