New varieties of melon and watermelon Syngenta, protagonists of a world conference

The improvement center Syngenta in Torre Pacheco (Murcia), one of the leading R & D company worldwide, has hosted a world conference about melon and watermelon, which have gathered about 300 professionals, producers, technicians and purchasing managers of large retail chains worldwide. The purpose of these Days is to show on the ground the main trends in varieties of melon and watermelon which seek to reconcile smaller sizes and greater flavor with better production and conservation in the field.

Through such initiatives, whose purpose is to show both commercial varieties that are already available on the market, as new varieties and breeding lines, Syngenta shows its dominance in the genetics of taste and quality in melon and watermelon, base from which it is developing all new varieties that are having great acceptance. Among the new features that have been released include Armero and Domain toad skin melon, Red Jasper and Kasmira watermelon and Tazha and Harpoon in charentais.

According to Philippe Chatin responsible for marketing segment vegetables Syngenta for Europe, Africa and Middle East (EAME): “This event is part of a global strategy company by bringing everything related to the improvement in our research to the chain business, using our research and development centers as a meeting to present our customers the varieties we are developing so they can try them and see them in the field and assess if they meet their needs and what the market demands. We have made such events in different crops like tomatoes, lettuce and cucurbits and is key for us to be made in important areas of worldwide production of these varieties. ”

Philippe Chatin has highlighted the importance of this type and events to promote the exchange of knowledge and professional relationships “in melon and watermelon, our improvement center Murcia is key to Syngenta and we have gathered here to the main world producers with buyers of the most important international markets, to know our offer and exchange views and interconnections between different actors in the chain generated “.

Trends in melon and watermelon

As for market trends, Pedro Pleguezuelo, responsible for the catalog of Syngenta melon and cucumber for EAME it is clear that are what make the improvement of new varieties “current market trends melon require us to offer a good flavor (taste, aroma and firmness of flesh), that make the consumer repeat in his/her buying decision, but with good conservation and field production, which is what producers and distributors ask. Syngenta already has leading varieties in taste, aroma and firmness of flesh, so they are using that knowledge base to create new varieties with more resistance, increased production, improved conservation and new formats. ”

In this sense, the most important developments that have been seen in these Days have been varieties of toad skin that complete the production cycle in different parts of Spain, as Armero (MP3674), Elzar or domain are (MP3698) ; the most remarkable variety in yellow melón is Party; and charentais, Harpoon and Tazha.

In watermelon the process is similar, as tells Peter Szungyi, responsible for the catalog of Syngenta watermelon and zucchini for EAME: “Spain has a very strong position in watermelon in Europe and 50% of its production is for export, with excellent quality that the market increasingly demands. In the development of new varieties we are working to further raise the quality and is very stable, always the same throughout the production cycle, as the consumer wants, but looking smaller sizes for small households, thereby avoiding having to pull remains of watermelon do not give them time to consume if it’s too big. ”

In watermelon, the most prominent varieties are the Red Jasper, being an absolute success for greenhouse cultivation, Kasmira with very similar characteristics, but for growing outdoors and, for the export market, Prestige, really excellent in taste and quality of meat. In Three kilos size the reference is.

All these trends continue in the domestic market, as confirmed by Isabel Diaz, head of cucurbits Syngenta Iberia: “Syngenta is identified in the domestic market and melon skin traditional toad of high quality, with fruits that give you that explosion flavor, juiciness and flavor that consumers like and makes him/her repeat. Our reference is clearly the flavor, but we are also working in the export segment as an emerging market. ”

To complete the event, also they scheduled a series of lectures on the process of genetic improvement of Syngenta in melon and watermelon, which involved several breeders of the company as Bruno Foncelle, improver Charentais melon, Jose Ignacio Alvarez, improver melon toad skin and yellow, as well as Matt Kinkade, watermelon improver. Finally, David Weddings, responsible for relations with the chain of Syngenta Iberia, spoke about consumer trends and how Syngenta is already developing and breeding lines to meet the challenges of the future (new sizes, attractive shapes, different colors, etc. ).

All these aspects of varietal improvement and consumer trends are key to increasing productivity, reducing food waste and achieving sustainable intensive agriculture, which are some of the goals embodied in the commitments of Syngenta 2020 and are reflected in The Good Growth Plan.

The event ended with a dinner of dishes made with melon and watermelon, as the best way to promote the consumption of these products through new and original ideas in the kitchen.

About Syngenta

Syngenta is a leader in the agricultural sector to help improve global food security, allowing millions of farmers to make better use of available resources. Through a world-class research and innovative solutions culture, its 28,000 employees in over 90 countries are working to transform the way they grow the plants. It notes for its commitment to the recovery of soil degradation, biodiversity enhancement and revitalization of rural communities.

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Source: Syngenta