Rijk Zwaan’s new iceberg and cos lettuce varieties

Stephanie Knight, Sales Representative for Rijk Zwaan Australia, presents three new iceberg lettuce varieties for Australian growers. Jalonas RZ, Corvinas RZ (45-IC1607) Knox™ and Signas RZ were all featured at the EGVID trials. Hear what Sales Representative, Stephanie Knight has to say and watch the video about Rijk Zwaan's New iceberg lettuce varieties.

Corvinas RZ (45-IC1607) Knox™, new to Rijk Zwaan is a versatile, large framed, large headed variety, looking fantastic in trials across Australia especially when harvested in the spring and into the autumn period. The real advantages are that it has the Knox™ trait. Seed will be available in spring 2020. 

Corvinas RZ (45-IC1607) Knox™

Jalonas RZ is a new variety for the winter cycle and also into the spring. A large frame, large head and uniform harvest make it perfect for harvesting during those times of the year.

Signas RZ has been a standout, especially in the spring and autumn periods in Victoria, even going into the winter months. It has a large heart, large frame and has been really good for processing due to its internal structure, with a great wrap internally, really good colour and important short core. It’s also good for the box market, due to its size.

The award winning Knox™ trait provides additional shelf-life and improves the consumer experience by delivering fresher lettuce and helping to reduce waste. Knox™ is a game changer in lettuce breeding! Developed after more than a decade of research and development, the natural trait delays the ‘pinking’ or browning of cut surfaces in lettuce by days. The whole supply chain benefits from fresher lettuce, thanks to Knox™.

Within the new cos lettuce range, Gradara RZ and Tuccadona RZ Knox™ were featured. In recent years we have been seeing a change in cos lettuce towards more midi sized, compact cos varieties, especially for sleeving and processing.

Gradara RZ is a fantastic product for processing, strong against tipburn and in the internals, It is very slow bolting and features good weight. A nice clean base also makes it ideal for sleeving in the fresh market with a very long harvest period.

Tuccadona RZ Knox™ is our first variety with the Knox™ trait that is working well from spring through to autumn. With the Knox™ trait this will be very interesting for processors as it can extend the shelf-life. It also has good vigour and leaf colour is a bit darker. Commercial seeds are currently available.

New cos lettuce varieties.

Param Turna, Account Manager for Rijk Zwaan Australia, also presented five lettuce varieties, which included a range of baby and crunchy lettuce varieties for Australian growers.

Tendita RZ is a small, sweet flavoured, crunchy cos variety. It offers uniform and upright baby crunchy cos leaves suitable for production in spring, summer and autumn in cooler areas, and autumn to spring in warmer areas. Often referred to as the ‘edible spoon’, or ‘snack lettuce’ variety, it is the first of its kind, developed with smaller, unique spoon-shaped leaves that are sweet and retain their crunch. It offers huge potential for the convenience sector, in terms of processing as a whole head or whole leaf, fillings and dressings.

Coronita RZ is a larger version of Tendita RZ. With a crispy, crunchy texture, high quality leaf with dense internal foliage, this variety is suitable for whole head or twin packs and can be harvested from spring to autumn in most areas. A great product!

Verodita RZ is a similar style to Coronita RZ, however more suited for the cooler harvesting periods.

Amadeus RZ has been a pioneer variety in the twin pack segment for many years. Its ability to close slowly, an upright habit and strength against tip burn makes it very suitable for harvesting in the warmer season.

Rainey RZ is a new variety that is suitable for the winter segment in most areas. This baby cos comes with more weight and darker green foliage and good vigour for the cooler periods. It is well-filled with a good contrast in colour, making it ideal for twin packs.

Innovation in baby cos and crunchy lettuce.

Hear what Account Manager, Param Turna has to say about Innovation in baby cos and crunchy lettuce.