Growing better broccoli together

Carl Scholten has just returned from Holambra in Brazil, where he and the broccoli team for the Americas, comprising breeders, market specialists and local experts, inspected new varieties in the trial field. “We’re working on so many exciting innovations that can create market opportunities,” says the Broccoli Crop Co-ordinator enthusiastically.

Not only fresh, but also frozen

The main countries for broccoli are North America, Spain, China, Mexico, Brazil and Italy. This healthy vegetable – which is even called a ‘superfood’ by some – is not only sold fresh nowadays. It’s also increasingly available in the frozen category – either as individual florets or as an ingredient in mixed vegetables. That’s handy for consumers who are short on time. “We expect growth in that area, because it fits with the convenience trend,” Carl explains.

One variety, two directions

With a solid range of dual-purpose varieties, Rijk Zwaan provides a firm foundation for cultivating broccoli for both the fresh market and the processing industry. “Our varieties meet growers’ needs: an attractive dome shape, good yield, long shelf life, good buds and no yellowing or hollow stem issues. Varieties like Larsson RZ, Alcaraz RZ and Capriati RZ perform excellently on all these aspects – just like the tennis players they are named after,” Carl says, laughing. Additionally, he highlights the versatility of the varieties, which makes them suitable for production regions ranging from the USA to Egypt. Broccoli that performs for both fresh and processing markets.

Ready for the next harvest step

The broccoli team is keeping pace with developments that could solve one of the biggest challenges for growers: high labour costs. “Machine harvesting is becoming increasingly interesting, both for the processing industry and the fresh market. Broccoli is a more open crop than cauliflower, making it easier for cameras to work with, so mechanisation is already at an advanced stage. We ensure that our genetics are aligned with the ongoing developments,” Carl explains. From test plots to commercial success, broccoli is ready for mechanisation.

Reliable under pressure

Besides mechanisation, another topic high on the future agenda is resilience: varieties that can withstand fluctuating conditions. “Due to climate change, growers often face extreme temperatures and rainfall. Meanwhile, there is a water shortage in many parts of the world. Such conditions require robust varieties that can cope with fewer inputs.” Broccoli varieties that stay strong and uniform under shifting conditions.

Clubroot protection built in

Needless to say, Rijk Zwaan’s breeders are also working to develop resistances against diseases that cause headaches for broccoli growers, such as Alternaria, downy mildew (Hyaloperonospora brassicae), black rot (Xanthomonas campestris) and the dreaded clubroot (Plasmodiophora brassicae).

“Clubroot is a very stubborn soilborne disease. In some parts of Poland and Brazil, for example, it’s no longer even possible to cultivate broccoli. But we’ve got good news for those growers: we will soon be launching our broccoli varieties with Pb Defense – a groundbreaking innovation,” states Carl. Pb Defense™ genetics safeguard yield and reliability worldwide.

Purple broccoli on people’s plates

For other ways to innovate, the team is looking in a completely different direction: at shape and colour. “In terms of new shapes, you can think of types of broccoli that are perfect for stir-frying. These suit new-generation consumers who want convenience. I personally fall into this category too, by the way; when stir-frying, I prefer to use individual florets of cauliflower or broccoli,” he adds.

Carl also reveals that there are some colourful novelties in the pipeline. “We’re working on purple broccoli, but it probably won’t be available through the retail channel. It’s aimed at more premium markets, such as restaurants, as a surprising and attractive addition to people’s plates.”

Progress through partnership

In the case of all these new developments, from mechanised harvesting to purple broccoli, Rijk Zwaan consciously chooses to work together with partners: growers, retailers, machine builders and the processing industry. “We can only turn opportunities into success by embracing innovations together – which is exactly what we aim to do with our #embracebrassicas campaign,” comments the Crop Co-ordinator.

Giving one example of how that works, he says: “Thanks to our network of value-chain contacts across all continents, we were able to connect a Brazilian processing company with one in Egypt to ensure the year-round supply of broccoli to customers in Brazil.”

Another example of the impact of successful partnerships is the introduction of longer-shelf-life broccoli varieties in South America and China. “The supply chains in these countries involve transporting the vegetables over greater distances under very different conditions than in Europe. Thanks to their longer shelf life, our varieties contribute to better product quality in stores, which is good for growers, retailers and consumers. This is how we’re growing the broccoli market together.” From growers to machine developers, progress grows when we work together.