Rijk Zwaan Australia has continued developing lettuce varieties aimed at meeting the combined needs of consumers, growers, and retailers. Among these are Salanova® lettuces, available in red and green butter varieties, which have been bred for ease of processing, consumer convenience, and flavour.
Frances Tolson, Account Manager at Rijk Zwaan Australia, explained that Salanova varieties are suitable for different growing seasons, can tolerate processing, and are designed to deliver consistency in the supply chain.
Hussey & Co. has been working with Rijk Zwaan Australia for more than three decades, producing Cos, butterhead, and Salanova varieties, many containing the Knox™ trait. Managing Director Jeremy Haw highlighted the importance of extended shelf life for both domestic and export markets.
© Rijk Zwaan
"From a salad leaf point of view, oxidation is always an issue and the delayed 'pinking', also known as 'browning', in the Knox varieties gives us extra time to market," Haw said. "We export a lot of products to markets such as Bangkok, Dubai, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and Tokyo, so every day counts."
Haw added that visual quality remains essential. "With lettuce, you eat with your eyes, so it has to look fresh and clean cut."
Tolson noted that independent research has confirmed demand for salad mixes with high-quality lettuce leaves and that processing performance remains a critical factor for growers and packers. She said the green and red butter Salanova varieties were among the preferred options during taste tests and that the Knox trait has helped reduce early browning in packaged mixes.
"The Knox trait lifts the overall standard for the industry," Tolson said. "Often you get product that's showing signs of browning in the bag, or a box with a leaf that's started to oxidise early, and it ruins the whole mix – so if you can avoid that, it's an advantage."
According to Tolson, Knox has become one of the most important traits introduced into lettuce breeding since the launch of the original Salanova butterhead lines, offering growers and exporters longer shelf life and greater marketing flexibility.
© Rijk ZwaanFor more information:
Frances Tolson
Rijk Zwaan
Tel: +61 488 183588
Email: [email protected]
www.rijkzwaan.asia
