Field Day booklet
Click to view our detailed field day booklet with details on all varieties displayed at the field day.
It may not have worked out as planned, having to cancel the Field Day, however we were fortunate to have at least a few local growers through the site before the National lockdown. A special thanks must go to Perfect Produce for providing the use of their land and allowing access to all growers for the better of the industry. Variety plots came out looking great and we are excited with the range of quality genetics coming through the portfolio. Below is an overview of our results and key highlights. Do not hesitate to contact us with any enquiries regarding the varieties.
Click to view our detailed field day booklet with details on all varieties displayed at the field day.
Ice Wave is a sure-heading and extremely uniform iceberg variety for the summer harvest period from the Syngenta portfolio. A well-balanced variety with medium vigour and a mid-sized, dark green frame. Heads are ideally sized to fit all end markets including for bagging, with excellent internal fill and extremely high cut out rate at harvest. With strong tolerance to tip burn, Ice Wave has a small core and a very tidy well filled base, helping to prevent damage post-harvest. Consistent trials throughout summer/autumn 2020 have also shown some tolerance to pest & disease, likely assisted by its extremely upright frame habit versus comparable standards. HR: BI1-35, Nr:0, TBSV
A key standout in the trials, Ice Zafiro is very early to fill and extremely sure-heading with round head shape. It has a medium sized frame with nice green colour and is very uniform giving high cut out percentage. Ice Zafiro seems a very versatile variety with perhaps ideal timeslot being warm-shoulder, both for late-summer/autumn & spring/early-summer harvest. HR: Bl16-29, 32, 34, 36EU / Fol:1, TBSV
A new variety in trial for shoulder season harvest, Ice Party has good vigour with good frame and head size. Coming ready in late-March it seemed still too early for this variety, being slightly ribby at the base, however showed great potential for harvesting later into the shoulder slot. HR: Bl16-36EU / Nr: 0 / TBSV
A vigorous variety with large frame and heads and semi-savoy leaf texture, well out of slot in these trials but showing good potential for further trialling in cool season i.e. Winter/Spring harvest. HR Bl 1-36 EU
Commercial variety with attractive dark green glossy colour and savoy leaf texture. A key trait of Actina is its extremely strong tolerance to tip burn making it ideal for summer harvest. It makes an excellent product for fresh market and is also suitable for processing. HR: BI1-28,30-32, Nr0, Foc1
Extremely high yielding variety suited to processing, giving heavy hearts with high percentage of usable leaf. Calorina is uniform with a high leaf count and is slow to close, helping with tip burn tolerance and holding ability. HR: BI16-36
A similar style processing variety to the Calorina with extra size and vigour. Showing great potential for continued trials through the cool season / winter harvest period. HR: Bl16-36EU / Fol: 1
A new larger sized, mini cos variety with excellent vigour, tip burn and bolting tolerance and good field holding ability. Excellent dark green glossy colour with dense internal fill. Core is small and has shown good tolerance to glassiness at the base. Nice shape for the twin pack market and very easy to harvest and clean in the field. HR: BI16-29,32,34,36, Nr0, TBSV, IR: LMV1
New mini cos variety with similar qualities to Starena and a slightly smaller size profile. Excellent colour, uniformity and shape for the twin pack market. HR: BI1-35, Nr0, TBSV
Taller and open style mini cos variety with dark green glossy leaf, extremely small core and good tip burn tolerance. Potential use for food service industry for the smaller canoe-shaped leaves it produces. Further advantage can be seen in the open habit giving flexibility of harvest time. HR:BI1-20,22-25,29-30,33, Nr0, Fol1, TBSV (HR)
A new Syngenta triple red multileaf lettuce with outstanding all-round quality and agronomic performance for both field and hydroponic production. The durable leaves have intense and glossy ‘cherry red’ colour changing to green at the base, which improves on current standards. This variety has excellent uniformity and yield, with added leaf volume due to its 3-dimensional leaf shape. Prodigio is a vigorous variety with very strong tolerance to tip burn and bolting, giving reliable performance for all-year-round production. Leaf palatability is another advantage due to its rounded leaf margins when compared with the ‘spikey’ types. A must try for all commercial multileaf lettuce growers. HR: Bl16-36, Nr0
A new green multileaf butterhead variety with high leaf count and compact habit. Excellent leaf uniformity with slightly more vigour & yield and a more durable leaf versus comparable standards. HR:BI16-36, Nr0
New red oakleaf variety with exceptional colour and thick leaf. Performs well in both hydroponic and field environments. HR: BI16-35, Nr0, TBSV, IR:LMV
Extremely uniform green Batavia variety with good vigour and high yield of uniform leaves. Easy to grow for all-year-round harvest with potential advantage in cool season due to vigour. HR: BI1-35, Nr0
True wild rocket or ‘Diplotaxis’ type, Future is a new and improved version of our trusted standard variety Nature, with darker green colour, good vigour and yield, excellent shelf life and a sharp peppery taste.
A darker green and slower growing ‘Speedy’ type, Darkway has a thick, durable, and serrated leaf, suitable for growing all year round.
A vigorous speedy rocket with upright habit and high yield, Escort often reaches maturity up to 5 days earlier than comparable standards. Reliable results for all-year-round harvest, with potential advantage in cool season for those wanting high vigour and early maturity.
Some of our commercial quality Asian Veg lines were also on display and looking great as expected:
Hybrid red stem chard variety with very upright plant habit and good yield potential. Excellent colour with bright red stems and dark green leaves.
White stem silverbeet variety suitable for both baby leaf and bunching production. Medium vigour with a compact leaf type and great uniformity. Attractive glossy green leaf with white stem and a light savoy leaf texture.
A vigorous Syngenta hybrid spinach for cool season production, Pungi is well suited to both bunching and babyleaf production. Leave are oval shaped, thick and durable with a very light savoy leaf texture and excellent dark green glossy colour. Leaves have shown tolerance to yellowing under stressful conditions and are extremely uniform in size and shape. A unique trait of Pungi is that leaf size tends to remain in spec. as the stem elongates rather than ‘blowing out’, giving flexibility of harvest time. Ideally suited to the cool-shoulder seasons, its vigour and upright habit gives the potential for harvesting right throughout winter in warmer areas or seasons. HR: Pfs: 1-12,14-16
A warm/shoulder season spinach variety with a wide, rounded leaf shape and medium savoy texture. El Lucio has an average speed of growth, suitable for full summer harvest as well as extending well into the shoulder periods. Ideal for babyleaf production, El Lucio is high yielding with a thick durable leaf and attractive wavy leaf habit, further helping to prevent sticking in the bag. HR: Pfs:1-7, 9-17 IR: Pfs: 8
A true-summer spinach for babyleaf production coming out of the exciting Syngenta pipeline, El Furio is a slow growing variety, very well suited to warm conditions. Colour is exceptionally dark green with a gloss finish. Leaves are paddle shaped with medium savoy texture and a thick, durable leaf giving excellent yield potential. El Furio has shown superior heat tolerance at times where comparable standards have wilted in the heat, thus increasing shelf life. A standout variety in our trials to date giving advantages in both yield & quality, with a strong resistance package to Downey Mildew, El Furio must be looked at seriously this coming season. HR: Pfs: 1-7,9-17
New purple Tatsoi variety with excellent upright habit, high vigour and good uniformity of leaf shape and size. Vibrant dark purple leaf colour, with a green and purple-veined underside and green stem. Fast to mature versus current standards and has also shown good tolerance to pest & disease. Tatsoi CGR19465 F1 will be commercialized once available from the new seed crop this coming spring.
Slower growing tatsoi variety with excellent dark purple colour which is well suited to warm season harvest. Nice upright plant habit with thick leaf and good yield. Key advantage is vibrant colour even in mid-Summer when current market standards tend to fade.
Hybrid mustard variety with exceptional dark & glossy leaf colour on both sides of the leaf. Colour remains vibrant through both warm and cool seasons. Leaf is thick with excellent shelf life, good yield potential and is suitable for growing all year round.
An OP alternative mustard variety to the Miztique. Colour is not as spectacular however is certainly comparable to current standards. CGR18452 will still be double-sided in cooler conditions though may fade in the warm. Worth trialing for a more economical option in the mix.
A much-improved Tuscan kale variety for babyleaf production. Baby Tuscan is very dark green in colour with very savoyed leaves, excellent uniformity, and earlier maturity vs current standards. This variety is perfect for the premium baby kale market.
Dark and glossy purple coloured baby kale, maintaining vibrant colour in all seasons. Serrated leaf with a fine stem attachment and outstanding uniformity. Thick leaf with great durability and improved shelf life for processing. Purple Russian F1 is easier to grow vs traditional ‘Red Russian’ kale, being more tolerant to disease and even with potential for multiple cuts.
Market leading coriander variety with strong aroma, nice uniform green colour and upright habit. Santo is relatively slow bolting vs alternative varieties and is suitable for both cut leaf product and for bunching. Santo is indexed free of Coriander Leaf Blight, to ensure the best possible seed quality.