Confidence against powdery mildew
Powdery mildew (Leveillula taurica) is a persistent and hard‑to‑detect disease in sweet and hot pepper cultivation. Because symptoms often appear late, infections can spread unnoticed, making control difficult and increasing the risk of yield loss. Lt Defense™ varieties give growers a reliable head start by slowing infection development. This reduces crop protection pressure and supports a stable, manageable crop throughout the season. Our latest breeding innovations ensure these varieties offer the highest level of protection available.
Harvest the Benefits of Lt Defense
Healthier crop
Lt Defense slows down potential infections, giving growers more time to respond and helping reduce the risk of yield loss.
Cost saving
Reduced spraying and fewer sulphur treatments lower costs and help extend the lifespan of greenhouse plastic.
Smarter crop protection
Reduced spraying supports better working conditions, improves the success of biological control, and helps lower residues better aligned with retail demand.
What makes a variety Lt Defense?
Before a variety receives the Lt Defense™ label, its resistance is validated under real growing conditions. The level of resistance is indicated on a scale from 0 (fully resistant) to 6 (fully susceptible). Our latest Lt-Defense generation boosts the highest level of resistance available, scoring level 3 or lower. This advanced resistance provides growers with healthier produce and greater peace of mind.
Powdery in susceptible varieties
Leveillula taurica (Lt) is a fungus that can only develop on living plant tissue. Spores form on the underside of leaves and spread easily through the air, both in greenhouses and in open-field cultivation. Because early symptoms are difficult to detect, infections can build up and spread unnoticed.
The first visible signs are small, light green spots on the upper side of the leaf. These gradually enlarge and turn yellow. As the disease progresses, affected leaf tissue turns brown and dies. Inside the leaf, the fungus continues to develop and produces new spores on the underside, allowing the disease to spread further.
Why growers choose Lt Defense™
Because powdery mildew is hard to spot in its early stages, managing the disease can be challenging. Lt Defense™ varieties slow down disease development, helping growers stay in control when pressure increases. This supports a healthier, more productive crop and reduces the need for corrective interventions and usages of sulfur.
With fewer crop protection treatments, growers can lower residues on the fruit an important advantage for retail markets. Reduced sulfur use also helps limit the degradation of greenhouse plastics and improves integrated pest management. Together, these benefits give growers greater confidence and peace of mind throughout the crop cycle.
Minimising the risk of spread
A clean start is essential in every crop cycle. Removing and destroying old plant material helps prevent the carry‑over of spores. As Leveillula taurica spores can survive for several days, leaving the greenhouse empty for around two weeks further reduces the risk of new infections.
Understanding powdery mildew in pepper crops
Beste Kanli, Specialist Phytopathology at Rijk Zwaan, studies powdery mildew in pepper. Her expertise helps develop resistant varieties for more stable production. In five questions, she explains the disease and how growers can stay in control.
Proven performance in trials
Lt Defense™ pepper varieties show lower susceptibility to powdery mildew than standard varieties. Trials confirm that these varieties slow down the growth and development of the disease, delaying crop damage and giving growers more time to respond when pressure increases. As a result, Lt Defense™ varieties maintain more stable production and consistent fruit quality under challenging conditions.
Lt Defense varieties sweet and hot pepper
Our breeding program continuously integrates the highest levels of resistance into new varieties. Lt Defense is present in many pepper types and varieties. Ask your representative for the local assortment.
Read our latest news
Lt Defense™: improved resistance in global pepper segments
Good news for growers of sweet and hot peppers: varieties with the latest version of Lt Defense resistance offer better protection against powdery mildew. “From now on, we’re stacking multiple resistance genes in our varieties, making the crops stronger against Leveillula taurica (Lt). That gives growers peace of mind,” says Paul Maris, Breeding Manager Peppers at Rijk Zwaan.
“Lt Defense™ helps pepper growers to manage mildew more sustainably”
Under the Lt Defense™ label, Rijk Zwaan is presenting a new range of sweet and hot pepper varieties for low and mid-tech systems with extra resistance against Leveillula taurica (Lt). Lt Defense helps growers around the world manage powdery mildew in a more sustainable way. We asked the Rijk Zwaan experts why this resistance is so valuable.