Fungus resistant varieties proving popular in celery market

Organic celery growers often choose the certainty of Kelvin RZ, a variety that is resistant against bolting and leaf spot. Adrian Roelofs, Crop Coordinator at Rijk Zwaan, outlines the latest developments in this crop. These include an interesting newcomer: the Cloverdale RZ, a celery variety with less foliage.

Kelvin has been a dependable choice for organic and conventional growers worldwide for over a decade. Adrian explains why: "Like our other varieties, it has an apple-green colour. Kelvin also achieves good plant height and weight, and is resistant to bolting. Most importantly, the variety is strong against the leaf spots caused by the troublesome fungus Septoria apiicola."

Large-scale cultivation of Kelvin
Thanks to these positive traits, Kelvin is the main celery variety in many production regions, including North America, Mexico, China, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands. "Kelvin is cultivated on a large scale by an organic grower in Mexico, for example. The variety's traits align well with the requirements of the company, which cuts the stems to 20 centimetres and packages them for export."

Another variety strong against leaf spot: Girisha RZ
Girisha is a newer variety that is darker green in colour. It produces long, uniform stems and, like Kelvin, is strong against the leaf spot disease Septoria apiicola. Additionally, it is easy to harvest and has good field standability, making Girisha a reliable choice for organic growers. "This variety is currently in development in Germany and the Netherlands, among others," says Adrian.

Cloverdale has less foliage
With the launch of Cloverdale, Rijk Zwaan has recently introduced a new, standout innovation to the market. "This variety produces much less foliage – only about 15 centimetres from the internodes, instead of 20 or 30 centimetres. Thanks to having fewer leaves, the crop is more open and there is more airflow, which reduces the chance of fungal diseases taking hold," says Adrian enthusiastically.

© Rijk ZwaanTop: Girisha RZ. Bottom: Cloverdale

Continuous innovation
The benefits of Cloverdale have been demonstrated at a grower in California (USA), who trialled the variety for three consecutive years. The company has now started cultivating it on a larger scale, both conventionally and organically.

"As the market leader in celery, we are continuously innovating. For example, we're utilising these new genetics to develop more new varieties," states Adrian.