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06issue no.
& TASTESSEASONS
summer / July . 07
Development of NewElongated Tomato Varieties
Full Flavor - The Future ofUS Tomato Market
issue no.6 / Jul.07
INTHISISSUEChina Expo April 2007
Zeraim Gedera building strong ties with farmers in Guangxi Province, China
Jitomate: mexican red gold
Full flavor - the future of the US tomato market
Development of new elongated tomato varieties
Color peppers for North America: a historical success for Zeraim Mexico
GSI contributes to development of agriculture in Egypt
Murcia - the quality label
FRESH 2007 – Istanbul, the power of cooperation!
Spain, the primary user of beneficial organisms
The world of vegetables / Part II
A Taste of Zeraim Gedera
Indeterminate, determinate & semi-determinate tomato plant types
How to treat nematodes when growing field tomatoes in hot climates
Zeraim Gedera launches a new seed production plant
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Content
Chief Editor: Tal FranckEditor: Nitzan KadmonText & Proof Editing: Sarah Fleish
Design: Talia Baer, Graphic Design WorksPhotographer: Yoav Elkoby
The Newsletter has been created with the greatest care. Nevertheless,no liability can nor will be accepted for any incorrect information.Reproduction stating source is allowed.ZERAIM GEDERA LTD - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 2007 C
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very year we find more and more new vegetable varieties onthe supermarket shelves. Life styles change and people look
for varieties that will fit their needs better. Consumers constantlylook for innovation and the seed Companies find new interestinggenetics. We are diversifying our portfolio regularly and offer ourcustomers worldwide a very extensive selection of new varieties.In this issue, we will focus on some of our new tomato varietiesincluding highly TYLCV tolerant, open field varieties with extendedshelf-life, elongated Roma type for indoor production and our tastytomatoes. The time for you to choose varieties for the comingseason is drawing closer. Our agronomists will be happy to assistyou and do what it takes to provide support, as always, in makingyour decision and during the growing season.
Yours,
Ohad ZuckermanPresident & CEO
of customersDear family
E magine inviting yourself to dinner with dozens ofdifferent families... in many of countries. Imagine
farming, shopping, cooking and eating with these families...taking note of every vegetable peeled, every beveragepoured, every package opened. The most global of allvegetables is the tomato, consumed in every continent,as a first course, main dish and even as juice.This edition of Seasons & Tastes will give you a glimpseof Zeraim Gedera’s diverse range of tomato varietiesconsumed worldwide, from the round red greenhousetomatoes in China, to the elongated varieties consumedin Mexico, the taste tomatoes in the USA and our openfield tomatoes grown in Egypt.Moreover, this edition will take you to the 8th China(Shouguang) International vegetable Sci-Tech fair andto the Fresh 2007 – fresh fruit & vegetable conferenceheld in Istanbul on June.Jose Luis Gonzalez Beristain, America’s Desk Manager,will widen your horizons with the colored peppers ofNorth America.In “About the Company” you will hear about theopening of Zeraim Gedera’s new seed productionplant.In the midst of the tomato, pepper and squash season,“A Taste of Zeraim Gedera” will bring you some newvarieties enthusiastically recommended by ourbreeders.
Yours Sincerely,
Nitzan Kadmon, EditorEmail: [email protected]
Ieditor’s deskFrom the
Zeraim Gedera LTD. / P.O.B. 103, Gedera, 70750 Israel / Tel. 972 8 944 6220 / Fax. 972 8 944 6262 / Email. [email protected]
Zeraim Iberica S.A. / Tel. 34 96 3606093 / Fax. 34 96 3890312 / Email. [email protected]
Zeraim Hong Kong Limited (LTD.) / Tel. 852 310 43380 / Fax. 852 221 24685 / Email. [email protected]
Zeraim Mexico SA de CV. / Elvis Hernandez Fierro / Tel. 668 861 3399 / Email. [email protected]
Zeraim North AmericaJosé Luis González Beristain, / Tel. 646 171 6404 / Email. [email protected] Beth Sappington, Texas / Tel. 979 200 1876 / Email. [email protected] Speir, Florida / Tel. 229 894 5398 / Fax. 229 995 2174 / Email. [email protected] Peretz / Tel. 1 760 831 2629 / Email. [email protected]
Contacts:
ISSUENO.6 July.07
Contacts: www.zeraimgedera.com
STORIESfrom the market
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CHINA EXPOAPRIL 2007
Province farmers in particular”, says JanetGuo, Trial Officer of Zeraim Gedera inChina, “many foreign Companies makegreat efforts to introduce themselves to
local farmers. Zeraim Gedera looked veryattractive and directed its advertising atlocal farmers with large banners andCompany ads in the streets surroundingthe expo, TV commercials and interviews”.
Janet quotes a friend of hers who attendedthe expo on behalf of a competitor Company: “ZeraimGedera really stood out at the event”. She adds that anothercompetitor was heard saying: “after this exposition, I cantell you that Zeraim Gedera will be recognized by localfarmers and other people working in the industry”.Alfredo Wachs, Zeraim Gedera’s agro-technical supportperson in China, says “the expo was very successful forZeraim Gedera. Professionally speaking, the local farmershad the opportunity to try our vegetables, which wereprominently displayed at the booth”.
Zeraim Gedera iscontinuing to investa great deal in theChinese market ingeneral and inShouguang Provincei n p a r t i c u l a r ,distributing its newcommercial varieties
in many villages. Moreover, the Company holds professionalseminars for local farmers as well as providing personal tutoringfor each farmer who purchases Zeraim Gedera’s varieties.With a two month perspective we can clearly say that thisevent made a huge contribution to Zeraim Gedera’srecognition in China. “According to our estimate, 13-15%of this season’s sales will be a direct result of this exhibition”,says Mr. Johnson Zhu, “regardless of new opportunitiesfor future development”.
handong Province on China’s east coast hasbeen in the forefront of the country’s
agriculture for many years. Recognized nationwideas China’s agricultural champion, a yearlyagricultural exposition is held there every spring. Numerous seed Companies, including ZeraimGedera, attended the 8th China (Shouguang)International Vegetable Sci-Tech Fair.
Zeraim Gedera’s booth at the entrance to the expo wasmost prominent with magnificent pictures, balloons and,
above all, a veryprofessional team ofinternational andloca l Companyemployees includingA m n o n E s h e t ,Z e r a i m G e d e r aE x e c u t i v e V P ,Marketing, Sales &
Business Development, Ofer Ben Zvi, General Manager ofZeraim Hong Kong, Tal Franck, Marketing DepartmentManager, Johnson Zhu, General Manager, BeijingDongshengfangyuan Agricultural Cultivation Development,Han Gi Lin, BDA’s Marketing area Manager of ShandongProvince and others.The media played a very important role in exposing ZeraimGedera to the farmers with TV commercials and prime timeinterviews with some key Company managers.
Ofer Ben Zvi summarized this event: “Zeraim Gedera hasparticipated in this exhibition for the past seven years andthis is the first time that our booth looked so professionaland attracted so many valuable visitors – seed dealers,fruit and vegetable merchants, farmers and other importantplayers in the supply chain.”“This Expo is well known in China and among Shandong
’s booth at the entrance to the expo was most prominentwith magnificent pictures, balloons and, above all, a very professional teamof international and local Company employees
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Zeraim Gedera
Ofer Ben-Zvi & Amnon Eshet on TV inerview
Johnson Zhu with customers
... after this exposition, I cantell you that Zeraim Gedera will berecognized by local farmers and otherpeople working in the industry
“
“Zeraim Gedera
Seasons & Tastes / July 2007
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Zeraim Gedera building strong ties withfarmers in Guangxi Province, China
Chen Qi SenZeraim Gedera’s Marketing and Technical support, Guangxi province, ChinaChen at [email protected]
an open day for tomato farmers inGuangxi last March. “The farmersappreciate that a lot, more than 200attended the open day aiming toachieve best results in the growingof the Company’s tomato varieties”,says Chen.Chen explores the Company’s messagein a very creative way. In addition toour daily marketing activities, hefound the way to explore ourCompany brand and product in theChinese way, and received a goodrespond to it. Part of Chen's affectiveadvertising includs a billboard on thelocal wholesalemarket buildingand posters onferries crossingthe Province riverand lakes (photoon the left), and local taxi motorcycles.Zeraim Gedera persists in developingvarieties that will provide bettersolutions for the farmers, such asclimate adaptability. Our extensiverange of disease and pest resistance,including TYLCV tolerance, will enablethe farmers to reduce the amount ofchemicals used in the current heavyspray regime and will eventuallycontribute greatly to the health ofthe people. In addition, ZeraimGedera is also providing freetechnical support for the localfarmers, helping them to maximizethe Company’s variety potential.
> For further information, you arewelcome to contact Chen [email protected] or at the office:86-776-3489988.
he new tomato varieties withTYLCV tolerance introduced
in Guangxi Province in China, willenable the farmers to reduce theamount of chemicals used in thecurrent heavy spray regime andwill, eventually, contribute greatlyto the health of the people.
Our presence in Guangxi province hasbeen changed enormously since ChenQi Sen, Zeraim Gedera’s Marketingand Technical support in that province,has joined our team in China last year.Guangxi province, in the south ofChina, is an enormous agriculturalarea with more than 200,000 farmersand a vast potential tomato market,one of the areas where Zeraim Gederastarted its activities recently.
The tomato varieties sold in this area,which covers 800,000 Mu (Chineseunit of measurement; 1 MU = 0.066hectare) include Trofeo, Hadar andAmanda, and some new ZeraimGedera’s varieties which are highlytolerance to TYLCV, such as Scarletand Ruby. Each variety is strong in
Chen says that theCompany’s new tomatovarieties sold in China,Scarlet and Ruby, haveincreased their marketshare due to high yieldand tolerance to TYLCV,which has recentlybecome a severe problemin that area.
different qualities. For example, our Trofeovariety has high yield, long shelf life anda good fruit shape uniformity. Hadar isa strong recommended variety in GuangxiProvince due to its beautiful color, fruitshape and size uniformity and becauseit is an early variety. Amanda is gainingits popularity due to its very early maturitycharacteristic. Chen says that theCompany’s new tomato varieties sold inChina, Scarlet and Ruby, have increasedtheir market share due to high yield andtolerance to TYLCV, which has recentlybecome a severe problem in that area.
A few months ago, Zeraim Gedera setup a new office in Tianyang County,next to the wholesale market. Theoffice has begun operating at fullspeed, helping the Company buildstrong relationships with local farmers,introducing them to the Company andi t s var ie t ies .“Many peopleknow our varietiesbut did not knowthat it is ZeraimGedera’s”, says Chen. “Now, when alocal farmer arrives to the place andsees a big sign of the Company’s officethere, he learns to recognize ourvarieties with the name Zeraim Gedera.More so, they come to the office toconsult about the varieties and otheragro-technical questions theyencounter”. Chen has organized
More than 200 attendedthe open day aiming toachieve best results in thegrowing of the Company’stomato varieties.
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STORIESfrom the market
Jose Luis Gonzales BeristainDesk Manager, NAFTA, Central and South America / [email protected]
JITOMATE: Mexican Red Gold
mong all vegetables produced in our country,there is one that no doubt stands out on its
own, “red gold” as many people call it. This nativespecies to our continent has been growncontinuously by all important civilizations.
Indeed, I am referring to the jitomate (in the language ofAztecs) pommo d’oro “golden apple”, as it is known in Europe.Over the past several decades this crop has become a vitalsource of income for many Mexican farmers.
This fruit can be grown in Mexico all year round. Its maintarget markets are the USA and domestic markets.Zeraim Mexico initiated various development programswhich are managed by the young and enthusiastic breeder,Amit Shiftan. Their aim is to meet the needs of all the supplychain links, from the quality of seed to the end consumerwho buys the product from the supermarket shelf.These development programs have been running foralmost five years in strategic areas throughout Mexicosuch as Baja California and Sinaloa, and will soon beimplemented in Bajío.These programs have been successful as the hybrid varietiesare carefully selected according to specific conditionsrelating to climate, disease and pest resistance, and theymeet the management and quality standards required bythe export markets.
The main programs under development in Mexico are:indeterminate and semi-determinate Saladette tomato,indeterminate and semi-determinate round tomato, cherryand grape tomato, as well as other very tasty, highlynutritional varieties. All varieties are developed for indoorproduction, while certain tomato varieties can be used foroutdoor production as well.
As a result of Zeraim Mexico’s commitment, leading growersin the industry who use our varieties are gaining the mostsuitable selection for facing the challenges they meetduring production cycles. Zeraim Mexico is now offeringcommercial hybrids tolerant to the following conditions:TYLCV, TSWV, FFF, FCr, N, V, ToMV and C5.
The following are some of the main tomato varieties thatwe offer:
Indeterminate Round Tomatoes: Mixtli, Zyanya, TL-41560Semi-determinate Round Tomatoes: Super Sharon#36, S-50303Indeterminate Saladette Tomato: SoberanoSemi-determinate Saladette Tomato: RodeoIndeterminate Cherry Tomato: Rubino-TOP, Merlotand GrenacheGrape Tomato: Sweet, Caramelo
At the same time, we are making great progress withrootstock varieties, which are strong, resistant and tolerantto high salinity, a problem that reduces yields significantlyin certain areas of our country lacking suitable water supply.
Our customer should remember that at Zeraim Gedera,your success is also our success. For further assistanceand professional advice regarding our varieties, pleasecontact any of our agricultural expert distributors in Mexico.
Elvis Hernandez, Mexico Operations ManagerAlonso Rivera, Baja California Sales and DevelopmentJorge A. Benitez, Bajío Sales and DevelopmentJuan M. Nuno, Sinaloa Sales and DevelopmentJ.Luis Gonzalez Beristain
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tomato producing areas supplying the US market yearround. The Company’s breeders tried to cover as manygrowing conditions as possible to find the best alternatives.
During the harvest season, we sent fruit samples to SCS(Scientific Certification System), that provides panel tastingand product profiling for fruit, vegetables and other foodproducts. They also provide us with the chemical analysisof the tomato varieties. Zeraim Gedera conducted a seriesof three taste panels over the harvest season. The resultswere amazing. Our full flavor tomatoes tasted much betterthan the standard ones, with excellent consistency andhigh sugar content that produced a sensation of sweetnessand mouth full of flavor.
NEW GENERATION VARIETIES
We had a limited look at this new exciting subject, theresults were promising and we are conducting trials onvarieties this summer in Mexico.These new generation products are slightly larger than thecherry and smaller than the Campari. Taste panel resultswere shared with selected customers who have the capacityand the marketing ability to launch these new excitingtomatoes. Over the next few months, we will be lookingat these tomatoes at US and Canadian production sites.Full flavor tomatoes are the future of the tomato market.Consequently, we at Zeraim Gedera are accelerating thebreeding process to achieve best results for the benefit ofour customers.
Meir PeretzNAFTA Product Manager / Meir [email protected]
Full flavor - the futureof the US tomato market
FRESHfrom the market
he US tomato market is diversifying in responseto consumer demand.
The sophisticated consumer is no longer satisfiedwith the standard tomato, with its usual large pinkfruit, lack of flavor and average firmness. Overthe past five years we have witnessed theintroduction of numerous tomato varieties in localsupermarkets and other retail outlets, such asCluster, Grape, and Cherry varieties as well asHeirloom, Roma, Romanitas among others.
BACKGROUND
American tomato consumers sharethe yearning to eat full flavortomatoes, which will encouragethem to consume more.becoming a staple in Americancuisine, just like in Mexican food, insalads and salsas, sliced, cooked andbaked. Above all, the consumptionof grape tomatoes as a snack hasbecome very popular among kids.
Ten years ago, a new tomato variety, Campari, developedby a Dutch seed Company, was introduced into the market.The main properties of this tomato are its sweetness andsugar-acid balance, deep red color and consistent year-round flavor. Campari is marketed by three marketers inthe US: Mastronardi Produce, BC Hothouse and Euro Fresh.
With a total volume of 100 million lb and more, an averageretail value of 3$ per pound, the variety’s total salesturnover is 300$ million. This is a staggering figure resultingfrom joint marketing efforts, product knowledge, customerbase and consistent performance.
Zeraim Gedera, supported by top class breeders, isexperimenting with full flavor tomatoes in the US market.During the 2006-2007 seasons we conducted numeroustrials in Mexico’s Sinaloa and Baja California regions,
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Zeraim Gedera conducted a seriesof three taste panels over the harvestseason. The results were amazing.
R&Dinnovations
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ound, bright red and juicy ishow most people in Europe
and North America imagine atomato. But for many in Mexico,South America, Africa and SouthAsia the common tomato has anelongated oval shape.
No matter whether the variety isknown as Saladette (Mexico), Roma(Italy), Santa Cruz (Brazil) or plumtomato, they all use this type oftomato because of its unique qualitiessuch as firmness, low water contentand adaptability to suit their needs.In recent years tomato consumers inthe United States and in WesternEurope have discovered the added valueof this elongated tomato variety andits special versatility for salads,sandwiches and home cooking. Thespecial qualities of these elongatedtomatoes have opened newopportunities for consumers. Theelongated tomato is taking its place onthe supermarket shelf next to, and notinstead of, the familiar round tomato.Several years ago the tomato breedingteam at Zeraim Gedera initiatedprograms for developing superior tomatovarieties with healthy vigorous plants,resistant to a wide range of pathogensand producing high yields of top qualityelongated tomatoes. Our goals andtargets vary for each different market.Elongated cherry tomatoes, which aresometimes called mini-plum, haverecently taken the North Americanmarket by storm and are on their wayto Western Europe. Whether served inindividual packaging for school andwork, small bowls on the dinner tablefor guests, restaurants and cateringservices, their delicious taste andattractive appearance make these fruita perfect, tasty, refreshing and healthysnack. Golan Abend, who manages
Zeraim Gedera’s entire cherry tomatoprogram, is in charge of the developmentof elongated cherry tomato varieties.He is looking for high yield varietiesadapted for growing in theMediterranean region and in westernMexico, and which are also resistant toa wide range of pathogens and pestsand will bear top quality, flavorful fruit.It is important to note that theelongated cherry category includesnumerous other fruit shapes such as,egg-shaped, elongated drop-shaped,ribbed rectangular-shaped, bottle-shaped and strawberry-shaped, amongothers. In a new era market as complexas the tomato market, large growersand many marketing Companies arealways searching for their own markof exclusivity. With a wide range ofelongated cherry varieties, each withits unique qualities, we at ZeraimGedera try to provide each farmer ormarketing Company the option toselect the varieties that best suit theirneeds and those of their customers.Varieties with slightly larger fruit, knownas midi-plum (40-60 gm) occupy anincreasing market segment, withgrowing household demand for thissize fruit. When developing thesevarieties, in addition to vigorous growth,short internodes, high yields and pestand disease resistance, Zeraim Gederabreeders pay special attention to thesuperior quality of the fruit, its firmness,color, shelf-life and flavor. Apparentlythe commercial market for larger fruit,known in Israel as the Tamar or plumtomato, has undergone dramaticchanges in recent years. These changesstem from the fact that most Tamar
Development of New Elongated Tomato VarietiesShai LeviatovTomato Team Manager / [email protected]
R tomatoes on the market so familiar tothe Israeli public comes from industrialsurplus, grown in open fields and duringlimited seasons. In recent yearselongated tomatoes which do notoriginate from industrial surplus, havestarted to appear at vegetable stalls inthe market and on supermarket shelves.These are fruit varieties grown ingreenhouses and other growingstructures, which have been developedspecially for this purpose. These tomatovarieties, produced by Zeraim Gedera’selongated tomato development programheaded by the breeder Amit Shiftan,are suitable for growing in greenhousesallowing year-round production andsupply. The level of fruit uniformity andquality is high compared with industrialvarieties. The aim of the plum tomato(80-120gm) development program isto develop vigorous growth, suitabilityto target regions and growing seasons,short internodes and high yield withfruit of uniform size and shape,attractive color, good firmness and longshelf-life. Similar to the elongated cherryand mini-plum varieties, the large fruitgroup also has a few shape options;ranging from cube to rectangularshaped fruit, which is consumed mainlyin South America and India, egg-shapedfruit familiar in Mexico and the UnitedStates and the more elongated fruit,similar to a cucumber, which is morecommon on the Italian market.
Bon appetite to everyone!
Seasons & Tastes / July 2007
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and through to the spring when thefruit is ready for picking. Our varietiescan be grown as a bush with multiplestems or with 2-3 stems controlledby pruning. It is important to bear inmind that much effort is required todevelop a variety that offers so manyfeatures in one hybrid.
P rov id ingsuff ic ients u i t a b l elight is oneof the mostd e c i s i v efactors thatshould beborne inmind forachieving adequate performance. Thesevarieties, very familiar to us, require avery specific range of light intensityto achieve good growth, suitabledevelopment and a timely fruit harvest.They are vigorous and strong, whichis imperative for the plant to bear itsfruit load, cross the winter and continueproducing for extended periods.
T h e m a i nf e a t u r e so f t h e s evarieties are:high yield –up to 30%higher thantheir competitors, thick fruit walls,tolerance to fruit cracking, and a highpercentage of fruit with 4 lobes. Thenew generation of Zeraim Gederahybrids is already tolerant to thefollowing pathogens: TSWV and ToMVraces 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Color peppers for North America:a historical success for Zeraim Mexico
Jose Luis Gonzales BeristainDesk Manager, NAFTA, Central and South AmericaJluis.gonzalez.com.mx
In México, the Cannon F1 variety hasbeen the producers' first choice becauseof its high yield, good quality andversatility to different pruning methods.These features, among others, havemade it one of the leaders in thismarket segment.
Rita, Maria and Rosalia are the newgeneration varieties. Red at harvest,they all have special features such asearly ripening, short internode andTSWV tolerance.
At present, Zeraim Gedera is workingon a genetic development programfocused exclusively on identifyingvarieties for production in Mexico.This program, as has already beenproven, will cut shorten the time untila new variety is introduced into themarket with the qualities all producersare looking for such as hybrid seedquality with the necessary vigor, strengthand germination percentage; this willenable the producer to obtain excellentvegetables as sought by consumers.
t was not easy for Zeraim Gederato decide, ten years ago, to stop
its pepper development programfor outdoor production and focusexclusively on the developmentof blocky varieties for indoorproduction. No doubt, at thattime it was a difficult decision,as most producers in the marketworked only with Lamuyo varietiesdeveloped for outdoor production.
Who couldpredict atthat t imewhat wouldhappen to thecolor pepperi n d u s t r y ?Thanks tov i s i o n o f
many, Zeraim Gedera started adevelopment program in associationwith the School of Agricultural Scienceat Rehovot University of Israel. It washeaded by Dr. Yoni Elkind, who had agood understanding of the marketneeds in Spain, Israel and Mexico.
Our blocky pepper breeding programconcentrates on adapting suitablevarieties for growing in different regionsaround the globe. Our focus is ondeveloping pepper varieties whichhave good fruit setting under hightemperatures during the early growthperiod, followed by winter conditions
Rita, Maria and Rosaliaare the new generationvarieties. Red at harvest,they all have specialfeatures such as earlyripening, short internodeand TSWV tolerance.
I Zeraim Gedera
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STORIESfrom the market
hab Elhaddad speaks of hismany years of cooperation
with GSI and the large windowof opportunities in the country.
“Technogreen is one of the largestand strongest agricultural Companiesin Egypt”, says Ihab, “We market andsell agricultural products includingfertilizers, irrigation systems and seeds,and manage large-scale projectsproducing fresh fruit and vegetables,such as peppers and cherry tomatoes,for the European market”.
Q: When did Technogreen begincooperating with the GSI?“Our cooperation began back in 1995,but Technogreen established aseparate marketing office for GSIseeds only in 2003”.
Q: And since then?“Since then, and up until today, GSIsuccessfully markets a wide range ofproducts in Egypt. Our activities aredispersed throughout all of Egypt’sagricultural regions and we areexpanding annually”.Technogreen GSI's office is currentlyconsidered one of the leadingCompanies on the market and itemploys about ten agronomists whocover activities in all areas throughoutthe country. As part of these activities,we held an open day for farmers inthe Ismailiya area a few months ago,which was considered especiallyfruitful. “Yes, a very successful open
to introducea l a r g enumber ofnew tomato,m e l o n ,cucumbe r,pepper andc h e r r yt o m a t ovarieties, intothe Egyptianmarket”.
“Apart of the Soave”, says Ihab, “we areglad to recommend the farmers thecommercial tomato variety, Rosario,that is setting well under the hightemperatures found in Egypt. In thepromotion level, we are happy tointroduce the following new varieties:1. Demter: a very early productionand very good setting under hightemperatures.2. Salma: enjoys a good setting underheat and has a high fruit quality.3. Etna: very well set under heat andhas tolerance to nematodes, anexisting problem for Egyptian farmers.All the above varieties have highTYLCV tolerance.Apart of the above activity with theopen field tomato, we are launchinga strong campaign for blocky Pepperthat is required for export to theEuropean markets.
Q: How has the introduction ofthese new varieties affected theturnover of the Egyptian farmerswho have purchased them?“With these new varieties, theEgyptian farmers have successfullyovercome problems that restrictedthem in the past”.Machmud Azaiza, Zeraim Gedera’sMiddle East marketing manager adds:“today, agriculture in Egypt isundergoing extensive development,a large part of which is exportedto Europe. There is great demand for
I
Ihab Elhaddad
GSI personnel(Machmud Azaiza in the middle)
“We are glad torecommend the farmersthe commercial tomatovariety, Rosario, that issetting well under thehigh temperatures foundin Egypt.”
day”, says Ihab.GSI has an experimental plot at theTabrak project near Ismailiya, wherewe test a broad range of GSI productsbefore launching them with theintention of learning the varieties andtesting which are most suited to theneeds of the Egyptian farmers. “Everyyear we invite important people inthe field, dealers, nursery owners andkey growers to inspect the plot inorder to hear their opinion on thevarieties presented and to enlist theirhelp in selecting the potential varietiesto suit the needs of the Egyptianfarmers”, says Ihab. “We developtomato varieties for growing outdoorsand are constantly working to adaptnew material to the needs of thevarious regions”. One of these varietiesis the Soave, an open field tomatothat has become very popular amongthe local farmers due to its vigorousgrowth, good leaf coverage, high yieldand its high fruit quality.“Until 2004 we tested only a smallnumber of varieties”, says Ihab,“but since then GSI sends to Egyptmore than 100 varieties per yearfor testing their suitability to thelocal climate. This is how”, Ihabproudly explains, “we succeeded inincreasing the number of varieties being
promoted in thevarious regionsthroughout thecountry. I believethat this is whatfurthered theC o m p a n y ’ spositioning inmarket”.
Q: What is the Company's benefitfrom such an intensive activity?“Until 2000, we marketed very fewvarieties of tomatoes and melonsin Egypt, but because of our intensiveactivities, we have managed
GSI* Contributes to the Agriculture in Egypt“I anticipate a rosary future”, says Ihab El-Haddad, Manager of Technogreenoffice, responsible for GSI products in Egypt
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Source: EUROFRESH Distribution April/May 2007 edition
equipped with the latest in technology,including automated hydroponic andclimate control systems, and produce
In winter Fruca Marketing also growsaround 2000 ha of Iceberg and 500ha of speciality lettuces (includingromaine, lollos, oak leaves, endivesand baby lettuces). In spring thesegive way to around 35,000 tonnes ofmelons and 15,000 t of watermelons. They start in early May with somegrown in Almería and go through tothe end of September. The firm alsobases its strategy on a wide rangeand strong variety innovation. Thesemi-netted charentais melonvarieties Ulysse and Anasta, now intheir second year of successfuldevelopment, are the new types ofmelon that complete FrucaMarketing's range. The company'smain markets are the Netherlands,Britain, Italy and France, which iscurrently seeing the greatest growth.
ntegrated crop managementhas been widespread for
some years, so Murcia capsicumsoffer guarantees.
The crisis in the Almería capsicumsector has naturally inflated demandfor the crop from Murcia, whereexporters are satisfied with the waythe season is going. They are reapingthe fruits of the widespread move intointegrated growing methods that hasbeen ongoing for a number of years.
FRUCA MARKETING HARVESTSOWN CROPS 10 MONTHS A YEAR
"The season is proving very satisfactoryfrom a commercial viewpoint, but westill want our business to grow at amoderate pace, as our main objectiveis to maintain our availability at thevery top of the range". FrucaMarketing has expanded its capsicumgrowing operations to Morocco, butcontinues to concentrate on theCalifornia type (of every colour).
The positive image of the companyon the European markets is due toits policy of total quality, specialisingin California peppers and 10-monthavailability. Also, the firm onlysells its own crops. It has 25 ha ofgreenhouses at its base in Cartagenaand 140 ha of protected cropsin Morocco (Agadir). The firm'sgreenhouses in Cartagena, put up 3years ago, are the only productionunit (heated) that grows capsicumsin Murcia during the winter. They are
Murcia -the quality label
Iagricultural technology and forvarieties that meet the highestexport standards".Ihab, who frequently meets withEgyptian farmers, claims that “theresponses that I receive are good.Farmers tell me that GSI* varietieshave contributed greatly to this newagricultural momentum”.GSI is considered one of the leadersin the Egyptian market, in themarketing and sales of hybrid tomato,melon, pepper and cherry tomatovarieties. The Company’s relative sharein these areas increases every yearand is even dominant in some cases.
Q: How do you see the futuremarket for these crops in Egypt?“The Egyptian market is consideredto be a growing market with greatpotential. Most of the big globalCompanies invest much in marketingtheir products on the Egyptian marketand make great efforts to increasetheir market share. These Companiesreinforce their hold on the market byworking with strong distributors,establishing experimental farms andoffering a good supply of varieties.In recent years, to a great extend dueto the superior quality of the varietiesoffered by the Company, we managedto develop a strong network ofconnections with key elements in thelocal market.I anticipate a rosy future for GSIactivities in Egypt”, says Ihab, “but Iam well aware that this will requiresubstantial investment of resources”.
With best wishes for the continuedsuccess of these joint activities.
> In our next edition we will bringyou the Company's special TYLCVprogram for Egypt.
*GSI – One of Zeraim Gedera’s subsidiaries
over 17 kg per square metre.
Seasons & Tastes / July 2007
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Spain, the primary userof beneficial organismsALMERIA EXPECTS A SIX TOEIGHT FOLD INCREASE IN THENUMBER OF CROPS USING BIOPEST-CONTROL.
Spain is on the verge of becoming theprimary user for beneficial organisms.The success of organic control in theAlmeria’s fields and the persistentpesticide residue crisis has caused aboom in Almeria’s bio pest controlmarket. More than 50% of the totalcrop area of peppers is expected, aswell as large increases in the othercrops, including even those of theshort spring cycle.The last campaign obtained very goodagronomic results: “85% of the
farmers were able to maintain biocontrol until the end of the season,that is to say, without using chemicalpesticides at any level”, declaredJan Van Der Blom, technicalcoordinator of the professionalorganization Coexphal.In the 2006/2007 campaignapproximately 650 h. of peppers havebeen registered under bio control inthe province of Almeria, out of 8000ha crops. The province of Murcia,the second Spanish producer ofpeppers and seeds nearly all of its1800 h. of peppers under organiccontrol, although they are spring-summer crops, with a far inferiorenvironmental density.
AT AGRUPAEJIDO, ONLY THEBEST WILL DO
The biggest export group in westernAlmeria aims to have all its members’3300ha of crops being grown byintegrated methods within two years.This will mean tripling its technicalteam to 35. The 12 agriculturalengineers currently on the staff coveraround 700 ha under integrated cropmanagement. “Next season we willhave nearly 1700 ha certifiedEurepGAP and under integratedproduction management”, said thegeneral manager of the group, JoseGarcia Fuentas. Agrupaejido is alsostrengthening its own mass mediaand laboratory resources, which arepart of its overarching total qualitypolicy. Its own Punto Radio (one ofthe 3 radio stations with the biggestaudiences in Almeria) and Canal Si(the top audience figures for any TVstation in the province) and has
resh 2007, powered by Eurofruit Magazine andFreshfel Europe, is the premier conference and
networking event in the international fresh producemarket. Fresh 2007 brings together fresh fruit &vegetable professionals from Europe, the MiddleEast, Asia, Latin America, New Zealand, Africa andNorth America. This year the event took place atthe Ceylan Intercontinental Hotel in Istanbul,Turkey on June 6th-8th, 2007.
We, at Zeraim Gedera had the opportunity to sponsor anetworking breakthrough at the event and co-organizedan opening session dealing with an important rising subject:"Turkey as a supply chain partner".The presenters at this session were:Ofir Elasar, Zeraim Gedera’s Regional Marketing Managerfor the Turkish market;Tahir Sargin, Toros Tarim Marketing Manager;Cahit Ozer, Agrexco Director, and a member of Directorsof Antalya Fresh Fruit & Vegetables Exporters' Union;Zeki Anlagan, Metro's General Manager.
FRESH 2007 – Istanbul, the power of cooperation!Ofir ElasarMarketing Manager, Turkey / [email protected]
The session focused on the cooperation between vegetableseed Companies and others in the fresh produce supplychain, the importance of the ties between these potentialpartners which can contribute to the entire supply chainbecause of strong bonds.
Zeki Anlagan, Metro's GeneralManager explained how MetroGroup controls quality andsupply by signing contracts withthe farmers that benefit bothsides. Metro Group provides thegrowers with agro-technicalsupport enabling them to achieve better results, and alsoundertakes to purchase all their produce. On the otherhand, the growers undertake to supply Metro with all theirproduce and not to sell to others. This is a very importantissue in Turkey, specially because of the high consumptionof tomatoes (tomato is consumed at every meal, 3 timesa day) which leads to exceptionally high prices when thedemand exceeds the supply.
F
STORIESfrom the market
just acquired 100% of the shares inLaboratorio SICA, which is authorisedto carry out all types of agriculturalanalysis. The group is also acquiring asecond liquid chromatography machineso that it can analyse and identify aspectrum of over 70 active substances.Agrupaejido intends to maintainits availability at around 160,000tonnes next season. Around 95,000tonnes of these are packed in itsown packhouses (La Cehorpa, LasMarinas and La Mojonera) andmarketed at destination. “We supplyalmost all the main multiples inEurope”. The other 65,000 tonnes arepurchased by other buyers at thegroup’s 5 auction markets.
AGROPONIENTE NATURALPRODUCE
F rom nex t September, theAgroponiente group’s commercialoperations will be merged into a single
have taken over from Germany (30%with the rest of Central Europe) asAgroponiente’s top export market.Italy (9%) and Eastern Europe (8%)are the destinations that are stillgrowing the most. Russia in particularis seeing spectacular growth, thanksto Difrusa, the marketing consortiumto which the group is affiliated.A unified quality policy is the othermain objective of Agroponiente NaturalProduce. All the packhouses are alreadycertified to ISO 9001 (since 1998), BRC(since 2004) and IFS (since 2006).Alarge proportion of the fields alreadycomply with the food safety protocols.120 ha of the Poniente (westernAlmeria) fields already have EurepGAPcertification and all the tomato cropsin the Nijar area (150 ha) fulfil theUNE 155000 standards, which coverEurepgap requirements.
In 2004 Metro Group launcheda new project for all their storesaround the world, promisingtheir customers top qualityproduce. This year they decidedto also adopt this scheme forthe Turkish market. Theyestablished a new, top quality brand called CALI, with thehighest standards and practicies. This way they are ableto differentiate between their products. CALI representsa brand of healthy fruit & vegatables, which is fullycontrolled at all pre and post harvest stages. In additionto the introduction of this brand, all their products arebarcoded enabling them to trace all products, and byentering their website they are able to locate all relevantinformation about the growing region and the methodsthat the farmer usedfor the current crop.
Tahir Sargin, Toros's Marketing Manager spoke about Toros'presence and activities in Turkey, mainly in the tomatomarket, explaining to the audience the hard work thatToros invested in educating the farmers, as well as theagro-technical support provided by the highly professionalproduct developement team at Toros.Sandy Norman from Tesco asked: "Who will decide whatwill be on the shelves of the supermarket stores? Will itbe the grower, the seed company or the retailer, and whatkind of cooperation is expected from the retailers?"According to Zeki Anlagan, the retailers are willing to
strenghthen their cooperation with seed companies, to setup joint trials for new varieties and they expect exclusivityagreements when they reach the stage of selecting thevariety that will best suit their needs. To the question "Howdo you define these needs", he replied that they keep askingtheir shoppers and they decide.
The congress demonstrated the changes that many peoplepredict will take place in the future – Turkey, as a majorfresh fruit & vegetable producer, will be an importantsupplier to Europe. Tough questions and dilemas werediscussed, for example, the subject of MRL (MaximumResidue Level) approval for Turkey as compared withEuropean countries. Turkish exporters suffer an injusticesince the MRL demanded from Turkey is much more rigidthan from Spanish growers.
The competition is strong! Many other seed Companiesalso understand the power of cooperation in the freshproduce business and we have met many representativesof other seed companies such as Seminis, Syngenta, Fito,Hazera, De Ruiter represented by Antalya Tarim and thelocal Turkish seed company May Tohumculuk.
We believe that building a close relationship with retailersin Turkey, as well as in other markets, will strengthen ouractivities worldwide and will enable us to promote newvarieties and to better understand market trends andcustomer demands.
marketing company, AgrponienteNatural Produce. It will absorb thesales organisations of the 3 companies,Agroponiente SA, Agroponiente SATand Agroponiente Nijar, which are infact already operating jointly. Thenew commercial organisation will takecare of marketing around 50% of thegroup’s 160,000 tonnes of destination(the rest will continue to be sold at
source at Agroponiente’s auctions).“We still have the leeway to reach60% sales of destination, because wehave diversified our markets”, said thegroup’s general manager, AntonioEscobar. The past two years have seena sharp rise in exports to Britain, whichaccounts for around 25% of sales and Source: EUROFRESH Distribution April/May 2007 edition
13
Seasons & Tastes / July 2007
Tahir Sargin
FRESHfrom the market
The World of Vegetables
COVERED VEGETABLEPRODUCTION ON THE RISE
Vegetables are cultivated in variousconditions using different techniques. The majority of vegetables is grownin open fields, while an estimated 3%of global vegetable acreage is coveredusing small and large plastic tunnels,plastic greenhouses and state-of-the-art glasshouses. Additionally, plasticpadding or mulching is a traditionaland widely used application invegetable production, in particular inChina. Glass greenhouses still representa relatively small area world-wide.
14
The second of two articles taken from the excellent Rabobank International Report …“The World of Vegetables – challenges and opportunities for vegetable suppliers”with permission of Eric Baas, the author.
Global Fresh Vegetable Trade
Traditionally, Spain, the Netherlands,Mexico and the U.S. have been theworld’s major exporters of freshvegetables. However, in the period2000-2004, China and – to a lesserextent – India have made their globalpresence felt in the global trade arena,with China having surpassed the U.S. Although vegetables are traded allover the world, the majority ofvegetable trade takes place betweenneighbouring countries. Spain and theNetherlands can be considered Europe’skey vegetable suppliers, whereas Mexicois the major supplier to the U.S. andChina mainly supplies the Asian region.
Consumption
Vegetable production world-wide isoutpacing global population growth,hence on average per capita availabilityof vegetables is increasing. However,situations may differ per region or percountry. For example in Japan,consumption of fresh vegetables hasbeen falling constantly for years now. Annual fresh vegetable consumptionper Japanese household was 190 kg in2000 and declined to 175 kg by 2004.
Although fragmented, available datasuggest continuing expansion ofcovered production world-wide.In China, protected vegetableproduction has experienced fast growthover the past few decades since itextends growing seasons and itcontributes to higher yields and qualitycompared to open-field cultivation.The area of protected cultivation(mulching excluded) in China comprisesabout 1.5 million hectares, which isalmost fully occupied by vegetables.In Mexico, the area covered bygreenhouses (mostly plastic) morethan tripled from 300 to 1,000hectares over the past five years,primarily to provide for year-roundproduction in order to supply the NorthAmerican market. Leading glasshouseproducer is the Netherlands with over10,000 hectares of glasshouses,though almost 60% of that is usedfor growing flowers and plants.
in the period 2000-2004, China and – to a lesser extent– India have made their global presence felt in the globaltrade arena, with China having surpassed the U.S.... Spain and the Netherlands can be consideredEurope’s key vegetable suppliers, whereas Mexico isthe major supplier to the U.S. and China mainlysupplies the Asian region.
“The World of Vegetables – challenges and opportunities for vegetable suppliers”
Seasons & Tastes / July 2007
15
Although vegetable consumption hasbeen growing, the average U.S.consumer intake still fails to meet therecommended daily serving. This isalso the case for most Europeanconsumers and, in fact, only very fewconsumers do consume the requiredamount of vegetables as suggestedby health organisations and researchinstitutes. As a response the "Five aday for better health" programme isrunning in many countries throughoutthe world, promoting the dailyconsumption of at least five portionsof fruit and vegetables.There is a discernible shift in consumerdemand in China now that peoples’living standards are improving. As aconsequence, consumers are becomingmore demanding in terms of qualityand assortment, although this trend ismore prominent in cities than in ruralareas. The consumption of high-qualityvarieties is increasing year by year.Consumers favour off-season vegetablesmore and more and are beginning todemand cleaned and pollution-freevegetables. In addition, the wayvegetables are purchased has begun tochange, and more consumers are shiftingaway from wet markets and buying(cleaned) vegetables in supermarkets.These general themes - in combinationwith factors such as culture, religion,tradition, income and demographics -may have different impacts on actualvegetable consumption. For example,higher disposable incomes may lead tospending on more or higher added valuevegetables while at the same timevegetables may be substituted by moreexpensive alternatives such as meat,fish, dairy and processed food products.However, the interrelationships of allthese different factors make it difficultto predict how vegetable consumptionwill be affected. For example, increasedhealth and well-being concerns maylead to a greater preference for freshvegetable consumption while processedvegetables are an excellent solution forthe time-hindered consumer. Therefore,as a rule of thumb, vegetable suppliersneed to focus on consumer moments
rather than consumer segments.Overall vegetable consumption indeveloped countries differs fromdeveloping countr ies whereconsumption is based on locally andseasonally available products, andvegetable supply is production ratherthan demand-driven. However, indeveloping markets too, there is anemergence of high-income, demandingconsumers. With increasedglobalisation and correspondingchanges in lifestyles, demand for foodin developing countries is likely to beshaped by the same factors that haveaffected demand in developed countries.
However, there is an importantdifference, animal protein has alwaysbeen favoured more than vegetablesin staple foods in developed markets,whereas in developing countries thereis a strong cultural preference forfresh produce. Demand for year-roundsupply of affordable, clean and healthysafe vegetables, preferably in aconvenient format, will probablybecome mainstream requirementsacross the world.
Demand for year-roundsupply of affordable,clean and healthy safevegetables, preferably ina convenient format, willprobably becomemainstream requirementsacross the world.
Reasons for this decline include ayounger generation adopting a morewestern lifestyle (less cooking time withmeals with less vegetables), a rapidlyaging population (older people consumeless in volume per capita) and increasedvegetable juice consumption (this iscategorised as beverage consumption).Total vegetable consumption in Europeas a whole is rather stable, but differsconsiderably per country. In Italy,Europe's number two vegetableconsumer market after Germany, per-capita vegetable consumption has beenfalling for four consecutive years since2001 while, in contrast, consumptionin Switzerland, Norway, Belgium andSpain has been growing over the sameperiod. Besides the levels, there is alsoa difference in the varieties consumed. In Southern Europe, for example,people traditionally eat salads, includinglettuce and tomatoes, on a daily basis. In Eastern Europe, cabbage and onionsare more popular vegetable types.
U.S. consumption of fresh vegetablesis on the rise, with per capitaconsumption increasing from 62 kg in1994 to 72 kg in 2004 (excludingpotatoes). However, this has gone partlyat the expense of processed, in particularcanned, vegetables. Furthermore, theUS consumer is varying his/her diet offresh vegetables, increasing demandfor lettuce and broccoli and onions.Furthermore, consumption of vegetablesin convenience format is growing rapidlyas is illustrated by the huge growth infresh-cut salad sales, doubling in sizeto over USD 3 billion in the period2000-2004. Total fresh-cut sales(including vegetables and fruits) in theu.s. amounted to USD 12 billion in 2005with foodservice representing 60% ofthese fresh-cut produce sales.
Consumers favour off-season vegetables moreand more and arebeginning to demandcleaned and pollution-free vegetables.
16
A TASTEof Zeraim Gedera
OpesIndeterminate TYLCV Variety
Vigorous plantHigh fruit quality, color and shapeSuitable for both indoor and outdoor productionHigh yieldGood setting under both high & low temperatures
SoaveDeterminate TYLCV Variety
High tolerance to TYLCVVery vigorous plantVery shiny red colorExcellent firmnessConsistent fruit shapeHigh yieldGood leaf coverage
* Indicates toleranceN* - Resistance effective in soil temperature up to 280c
Weight[gr]
160-180
Diameter[mm]
65 -70
Shape& Color
Shoulders
Uniform
PlantingSeason
AU
Cultivation
Indoor,outdoor
Resistance
V, F-1, F-2, ToMV,TYLCV*, FCRR, N*
Maturity
Medium
Trellising
Trellising
Cycle
Medium
Weight[gr]
190-220
Diameter[mm]
75-80
Shape& Color
Shoulders
Lightgreen
PlantingSeason
AU (Egypt),SP & SU (Turkey)
Cultivation
Outdoor
Resistance
V, F-1, F-2,ToMV, TYLCV*
Maturity
Medium-late
Trellising
Bush
Cycle
Long
AdyRed Blocky Pepper
Excellent firmnessGood setting under low temperaturesSuitable fruit size for EU marketsConsistent, uniform fruit size & shape
Aristotle & PlatoDark Green Zucchini
Very easy harvestNo spines on leaves, stems, petiolesVigorous plantAristotle: High tolerance to PM*Plato: Open plant habit
17
Seasons & Tastes / July 2007
* Indicates tolerance
Weight[gr]
145-175
Diameter[mm]
75-95
Shape& Color
PlantingSeason
Early -main season
Trellising
Dutch, Spanish
Resistance
TM3 (L4),TSWV*
GrowingSeason
AU, WI
Maturity
Medium
Cultivation
Nethouse,greenhouse
Length[mm]
180-190
180-190
Diameter[mm]
30-40
30-40
Shape& Color
Tolerance
PM*, ZYMV*,WMV*, CMV*
ZYMV*,WMV*, CMV*
Cultivation
Bush & Trellising,Indoor & Outdoor
Bush,Indoor & Outdoor
Internode
Short
Short
Maturity
Medium
Medium
PlantingSeason
AU, SP
AU, SP
Skin
Smooth
Slightlyribbed
Stem
Erect
Erect
Aristotle
Plato
Aristotle
Plato
18
AGROTECHNICALupdates
removed and they continuously and regularly produceflowers and fruit. Indeterminate varieties can be grownin open fields with trellising or in greenhouses twistedaround strings tied to a crop wire and are stopped eitherby the weather or by the grower himself.The number of leaves below the first inflorescences on themain stem is 6-14; between the first and secondinflorescences 3-5 leaves and after the third flower clusterthere are always 3 leaves.
Q: How to treat nematodes when growingfield tomatoes in hot climates?
A: Root knot nematodes, especiallyMeloidogyne incognita, can causegreat economic loss to tomatoesespecially in warm, sandy soils.There is a nematode resistance(Mi) gene, but it tends to beineffective at soil temperatures of 27ºC and higher and itmay also not be effective against isolated populations.Besides, there is no resistance to other nematode genera.The root-knot nematode has a wide range of hosts amongcultivated crops and can also survive on many weeds.They can be active throughout the year in warm moistsoils that support the growth of host plants and weeds.They can, therefore successfully survive and complete theirlife cycle because of the availability of plant roots offeringshelter and nutrition.In areas where root-knot nematodes are a problem it isrecommended to grow nematode resistance tomato varietiesor to use grafted resistant rootstock. Crop rotation withgrasses, other monocots and any other crops not affectedby nematodes, should be introduced to help reduce thenematode population. Soil fumigants, nematicides and solarsterilization (solarization) can be used to reduce populationsand help plants get a better start. These methods are especiallyimportant in areas where the soil temperatures during theearly part of the crop are 27ºC and higher as the resistantgene does not work properly in the heat. The combinationof resistance and these other control methods enables agood start for the tomato crop and then as soil temperaturesdrop, their natural resistance becomes more effective.
Q: What are the differences betweenindeterminate and determinate tomatoplant types? What are semi-determinatetomato plants?
1. Determinate or “Bush”Tomatoes are said to have adeterminate growth patternbecause they are relativelycompact, grow to a certainheight and set all their fruitin a relatively short period.
This is especially useful where the growing season is coolor short, or both. Fruit ripening is concentrated within arelatively short period and this type of plant is suitable formechanical harvesting as with processing tomatoes.The first flower truss and new growth point develop normallybut there is a tendency for lateral axes to terminate inone, and more often, two consecutive inflorescences withoutdeveloping a new growth point.As a result of this natural termination, the lower side shootsinduce the bushy tendency. The main stem terminates inthe same way.Semi-Determinate Tomatoes aredeterminate varieties that are strongenough to be trellised on sticks, wiresand strings and grown upwards, oftenup to 2 m, until they stop on theirown. The trellising method directsthe plant’s bushiness upwards.Morphologically they are determinate tomato plants.The number of leaves below the first flower cluster(inflorescence) on the main stem is 6-14; between thefirst and second inflorescence 2-3 leaves; betweenthe third inflorescence and all additional ones there canbe 0-1-2 leaves.
2. Indeterminate Tomato plantsgrow over a long period, often up to11 months, in greenhouses and oftenreaching lengths of 10 m and more.They are usually grown as a singlestem with side shoots (lateralbranches) always
Determinate “bush” type plant
Indeterminate plantsin greenhouse
Semi-determinate type plant
Photo showing root-knotnematodes Meloidogyne spp.
Howard’s CornerZvi Howard WenerChief Agronomist / [email protected]
s part of Zeraim Gedera’s expansion andspecialization, the Company launched its new
seed production plant. The new plant is fitted withthe best equipment and production facilities available.
The turning pointcame a few yearsago due to theC o m p a n y ’ sexpansion. Newvar iet ies wereintroduced whichled to significantgrowth in sales.T h i s g r o w t h
required large-scale expansion of fields for parent lines andsource seed production. At the same time, new breedersjoined the Company resulting in a significant increase in theproduction of R&D seeds of new varieties. Uri Zuckerman,a founder of Zeraim Gedera (and former CEO of Agridera),picked up the gauntlet and approved the introduction ofchanges which involved considerable financial investment.
SEED SUPPLY ALL YEAR ROUND
Zeraim Gedera invested two million Shekel in equipment,production machinery and special infrastructure. TheCompany purchased machines from Seed Processing, aleading Dutch seed processing machinery manufacturer,and from other Israeli manufacturers who specialize in theindustry and who developed and adapted their machinesto the Company's needs. Among the machinery purchasedwere seed sterilization, seed extraction and seed crushingequipment, centrifuge for the drying process, drying rooms,cold rooms and recycling facilities. The plant serves as acenter for the production of seeds of new varieties, researchand development, source seeds and the treatment ofcommercial seeds. The climate control systems in theCompany’s greenhouses enable seed production all yearround. The seed sterilization and drying processes arecarried out in temperature and humidity controlled dryingfacilities allowing full supervision of the drying rate, whilefacilitating adjustments for the various crops.
Zeraim Gedera Launchesa New Seed Production Plant
A LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
Following this investment, the plant currently boasts thebest equipment and know-how required to address theCompany’s quality and quantity needs. The seeds leavingthe plant for distribution among the Company’s diverseconsumers are disease free and have a high germinationrate, while special emphasis is placed on safety and thequality of the environment.In the future the plant will serve as a central research anddevelopment facility, another stage in ensuring the qualityof the seeds for the benefit of all the growers.
Zeevik Rafalowitz
ABOUTthe company
19
Zeraim Gedera
Yoav Shifoni, Zeraim Gedera’s tomato team technical managerexplains the many advantages that farmers gain from thenew plant: “The plant brings together all the productionprocedures under one roofwith the best state-of-the-art machinery in theworld, to improve thequality of the seeds andtheir germination rate”.Emmanuel Cohen, ZeraimGedera watermelonbreeder: “Some crops have improved immensely since thenew plant went into operation. So now, for example, wecan test the shelf life of the different crops, such as melon,at the 50C and 200C cold rooms.
Zeevik RafalowitzProduction Plant Manager / [email protected]
enjoy OUR NEW CATALOGUES
visit OUR NEW www.zeraimgedera.com
We are happy to announce our Company’s new 2007-2008 Catalogue. If you wishto receive a copy, please contact us at [email protected] or [email protected],stating your full name and address and we will be happy to send you one.