We develop new varieties with combinations of important traits, adapted to local circumstances with added value to our customers: both for the grower, industry and consumer,” says Bal. “In our cucumber breeding programmes, we mainly focus on long cucumber and mini-cucumber. Different from other crops, the specificity of fruit quality is so high that there are few chances to share breeding programs, so that there is one specific program for every type.” Jesus Abad, cucumber global breeding lead, Syngenta. “Probably the type with more market segments and variation for plant adaptability is the Beit Alpha Type, and therefore, the number of prototypes that we have to create is higher. It basically depends on the number of markets and differentiation that has to be covered, says Jesus Abad, cucumber global breeding lead, Syngenta. However, year after year we have a greater international presence, which means that we are expanding the focus on the breeding of other types grown in the countries of our customers,” he says. “Thus, the main effort in cucumber research is focused on the Dutch or greenhouse typology, with greater presence in the Almeria field. José María González-Cabezuelo, breeding manager, Meridiem Seeds says his company, is a young one that was born to meet the needs of producers in the nearest areas. In the U.S., pickling cucumbers are harvested only once, while pickling cucumbers in other parts of the world are harvested multiple times,” adds Suelmann. “Another big difference is the way they are harvested. Pickling cucumbers are grown in the open field, while other types are grown in plastic tunnels in most countries in the world, and in high-tech greenhouses in Western Europe and Canada. An important difference between all of these types is the way they are cultivated. “For each type, dedicated teams are working,” says Jos Suelmann, lead breeder slicing cucumbers, BASF Vegetable Seeds. Eric Bal, breeding manager cucumber, Rijk Zwaan. European Seed wanted to know more about this interesting crop and spoke with a number of experts for their insights.Ĭucumber is being bred in many different forms, as noted above. In addition, the fruit contains several beneficial compounds such as lignans, cucurbitacins, flavonoids and terpenoids, all associated with potential health benefits, including weight loss, balanced hydration, digestive regularity and lower blood sugar levels.īut did you know that cucumbers come in many types? For example, there are pickling, slicing, and even “burpless” cucumbers. They are low in calories, contain many important vitamins and minerals, as well as high water content. They’re amazingly healthy! They are refreshing, nutritious and an incredibly versatile addition to any diet. Well, have we got news for you: cucumbers aren’t silly at all. The period in a country when there is little news (often the period when its government is on holiday) is called the “silly season” and in many countries this time period carries a reference to cucumbers, like komkommertijd in Dutch, agurketid in Danish, gúrkutíð in Icelandic, agurktid in Norwegian, Sauregurkenzeit in German and many other languages, all meaning “cucumber time” or “cucumber season”.
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