2023-12-08 15:46:14
Recently, the company offers the first tomato variety in Bulgaria, resistant to the brown streak virus plus 4 other diseases. Two new cucumber varieties are a solution to green cucumber mosaic
Miroslav Angelov, Marketing Manager Vegetable Seeds at Syngenta in Bulgaria
– At the end of November, watermelon producer Plamen Yanchev from Dolni Dabnik received an award at the 2023 Agribusinessman competition. The award was for breaking into the Bulgarian market with seedless watermelons. Since Syngenta is one of the few companies that offer seedless watermelon seeds in Bulgaria, perhaps Mr. Yanchev is “your man”?
That’s right, we have been partnering with Plamen Yanchev for six years now. Even before that, he had specialized in the production of watermelons, and since 2018 he has entered more seriously into the production of seedless watermelons. On the positive side, its market is improving. Over the years, seedless watermelons have become increasingly popular and sought after by Bulgarian consumers. And Mr. Yanchev started working with commercial chains and it is through them that he offers a large part of the harvest. We observe with joy that his farm is developing excellently. He also made considerable investments in technology and in the knowledge of how to improve his production.
Plamen Yanchev in the middle, on the left – Miroslav Angelov
Plamen Yanchev is always trying to understand how to improve the production even more by asking our experts. Together with him and another of the major producers in Bulgaria, at the beginning of 2019 we visited Murcia, Spain, where Syngenta held an Open Day for seedless watermelons. There, the two Bulgarian producers got acquainted not only with Syngenta’s varieties, but also had the opportunity to discuss with representatives from our company subtleties in the technology of growing seedless watermelons.
– Have other growers gotten into growing seedless watermelons?
Yes, many people bet on our watermelons – both in Northern and Southern Bulgaria. Interest grows every year.
– Does it take skill to grow seedless watermelons? Is it difficult?
Red Jasper Seedless Watermelon
It’s definitely not easy. This is one of the main reasons why the market is more limited. Producing seedless watermelons requires a lot of knowledge and experience. Unfortunately, trial and error is very common, and this is not just the case with seedless watermelons. Many manufacturers are learning on the fly. On the one hand, the difficulty comes from the fact that purely technologically seedless watermelons cannot be pollinated because they have no seeds. Therefore, it is necessary to apply technology in the field to pollinate them. This is done by planting seeded watermelon varieties in the field or by using Syngenta’s special pollinators.
The other thing that is problematic for farmers is rootstock grafting. The technology for grafting seedless watermelons is a little different and more difficult. Even people who are experienced in grafting watermelons from seed find it difficult because the seedlings have thinner stems. It is good to use hybrid pads, because home-made ones can carry infections.
– The skill growers put into growing seedless watermelons pays off in the end, right? By what percent is the cost of seedless watermelons higher?
The price mainly depends on the market. At times it can be three times higher than the standard, it depends on the market conditions. I think the manufacturers are happy after all. It should be borne in mind that seedless watermelons give a significantly lower harvest than seeded ones, which directly means that the finished product should have a higher price. The investment in planting material is also higher. Seedless watermelon seeds are 3 to 4 times more expensive than standard ones. What I can advise producers is
to look at seedless watermelons as premium product
and market them as something exceptional, higher quality and different that consumers will be looking for. The comparison with seeded watermelons is not correct because it is a different product. I’m sure consumers are willing to pay a higher price for it too.
Anyway, there is a market for watermelons in general. Last year there was a very large export of watermelons from Northern Bulgaria, mainly from Dobruja. The production from the later production was especially quoted. The direction was to Romania and Ukraine. Exports resumed this year, but were weaker.
– Which varieties of Syngenta are already recognizable and in demand?
Watermelons certainly took off because we have been the primary choice of producers for many years now. Some of the most famous varieties are Sorrento and Romanza. They are in the earlier segment. The other variety that has become popular in recent years is Arashan. It is for direct sowing and is grown mainly in Northern Bulgaria. These varieties are like a benchmark in the market. As Syngenta wants to maintain its leading position in the selection of watermelon varieties, we are not standing still. Every year we test and release new varieties.
This business year, for example, we will have another new variety called Myrto. It is entirely in the early segment. What is more interesting about it is that it has a slightly darker bark in the traditional pattern. Consumers are already intuitively oriented towards watermelons with darker patterns.
Myrtle is a very sweet watermelon. Its size is more selected and therefore weighs on average from 6 to 8 kg.
Merchants began to look for smaller watermelons because they were more convenient to carry. This is a watermelon that we will offer to producers whose produce is sold in the chains.
– What other vegetable varieties do farmers associate Syngenta with?
Eldoret
We are also recognizable in salads. Funfix is among the most preferred salad varieties by native producers. We have a pretty good presence in cabbage. The market knows Eldoret. Consumers, and therefore merchants, love it. This variety of cabbage is very suitable for turning it into sauerkraut, which we Bulgarians like very much. It is important for producers that it gives a good yield. The fact that the cabbage is relatively loose (as it should be for sauerkraut) does not take away from the yield potential, because the heads are heavy.
This year we tested cucumbers resistant to green cucumber mosaic. This disease is a major problem in greenhouses. The mosaic virus does a lot of damage. In order not to go through this nightmare, manufacturers are looking
Cucumber varieties resistant to the cucumber mosaic virus.
Viggo
For several seasons we have been offering the Bomber variety, with resistance to the virus. This year we also tried two new resistant varieties. One is Viggo. Although it is relatively new – only two years since it was created, it is already preferred because of its many qualities, among which is the high resistance to the virus. In our country, the supply of Vigo seeds starts now, at the end of the year, and in 2024 we will receive the first harvests. In Spain, this variety has shown very good results as a commercial hybrid. It proved because there the cucumber mosaic is ubiquitous. Vigo will be mainly aimed at greenhouses with hydroponic technology.
The other variety we chose from the trials is called Esben. It has medium resistance to the green mosaic virus and is more suitable for soil cultivation.
– Do you already offer seeds of both cucumber varieties?
Yes, Vigo and Esben seeds are now available. We will monitor them next year as commercial hybrids and let growers know how they develop.
– From Syngenta’s sales of cucumber and tomato seeds, can you tell if we will have domestic production of winter cucumbers and tomatoes?
Yes, we will for sure. We do not see a fundamental difference compared to last year. Our traditional partners, who grew winter vegetables last year, will do so this year as well. This is what we observe.
– You recently announced that Syngenta is now offering a new tomato variety that is unique in that it has resistance to ToBRFV.
The truth is that Syngenta has invested heavily and continues to do so in order to offer tomatoes that are resistant to ToBRFV. This is the company’s top priority at a global level. As far as I know in Hungary, even the retail chains themselves require that the tomatoes for fresh consumption, which are offered by the farmers, are of varieties that are resistant to the virus. This disease is a scourge that is already observed in Bulgaria. We can’t escape! The virus can destroy almost the entire crop and cause problems for years to come. It is very resistant and difficult to destroy. The fact is that in Bulgaria the producers still do not recognize the tomato brown streak virus. Syngenta, not only through the new variety, but also through a special ToBRFV campaign, is trying to help growers learn more about the disease as signs, such as prevention tips and recommendations on how to deal with it.
– Tell us about your new ToBRFV resistant variety
We recently offer seeds of
the new tomato variety Barosor, which is resistant to the virus
Barosor
The company has a rich collection of parental lines that researchers have tested to see if they have a gene for resistance to this virus. Based on this selection, the genetic material for the Barosor variety was created. In addition to the Research Center in the Netherlands, which opened in 2020, Syngenta has several other research centers where brand new varieties are being tested. One is in Antalya, Turkey, where the activity is adapted to the climatic features of the Balkans. The Turkey center has also invested heavily in offering tomatoes with the flavor we are looking for in this vegetable and at the same time being resistant to the brown streak virus.
– What kind of tomatoes is Barosor?
Barosor is a red tomato intended for greenhouse production. It has resistance to 5 viral diseases, and in addition to brown streak, it is highly resistant to bronzing (TSWV), nematodes, fusarium, verticillium and leaf mold. It is suitable for year-round cultivation, both for first and second crops.
– These resistances will greatly facilitate greenhouse growers, right?
The main focus of the company is to offer solutions to vegetable growers. Because we are interconnected. If they manage to cope with most of the challenges they encounter in their daily lives, it means that we have succeeded in making their work easier. It strengthens the bonds between us. That’s what partnership is all about.
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