6 New Vegetable Selections Bred for Southern Comfort
January 13, 2020 Last month, I was invited by Syngenta Vegetable Seeds to attend the annual variety trial at its field station in Naples. The event spans most of a week as seed partners and growers visit the facility to see plots of the newest vegetable offerings.
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I picked a wet, rainy day to visit, but was able to see some plots between the raindrops. I also had a chance to speak with Bob Conrad, who recently joined the company as its Southeast Territory Manager. He oversees sales and product development in the region. He says one of his major initiatives in the new job is getting growers more involved in the development of the company’s seed portfolio.
“Regardless of the distribution channel for our seed, I am working with my team to be sure we are working more directly with growers to find genetic solutions to their problems,” Conrad says. “We are taking that feedback directly to our breeding program to develop new varieties that address the problems they are facing in the field. And, develop a product that appeals to the consumer as well.”
In addition, he said seed companies need to stay out of ahead of problems by developing resistance for diseases that have not even come to the U.S. yet. He pointed to the tomato brown rugose fruit virus, which has not been confirmed in fields, but has Florida officials on high alert as an example.
Check out the photo slideshow above for info on a few vegetable varieties that where highlighted in the field.
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