Rijk Zwaan has arrived on the endive market. The family business, specialized in the selection, production and marketing of vegetable seeds, is now launching its first variety of endive: 75-EF030 RZ. Although Rijk Zwaan started testing endives more than 30 years ago, no variety was ever commercialized until now.
“The years of research on our Dutch farm in collaboration with French producers from the Hauts-de-France and Bretagne regions have enabled us to offer a reliable and relevant variety with the agronomic and commercial qualities sought after by the professionals of the sector.”
By launching this first variety, the seed company wants to offer an alternative to producers on this market. “We hope to become an important player in the organic and conventional endive market, as well as in the young sprout market. Our objective is to revitalize consumption with quality endives,” explains Caroline de La Coussaye. Encouraged by its success, Rijk Zwaan is currently carrying out trials to develop another two complementary varieties.
The Rijk Zwaan team while in Arras to discuss the results of the trials conducted by APEF (Association of French Endive Producers)
A “promising” variety
On the market since the beginning of February, 75-EF030 RZ has a good post-harvest storage quality, a good yield in field forcing roots and a short axis, all in a wide forcing window from December to March. “We have been testing this variety for 4 years now, with 3 of our reference producers and we have noticed a uniformity in the results obtained, regardless of the production basin: Hauts-de-France, Brittany, Belgium or the Netherlands.” The variety has really become popular since this year, as nearly twenty producers have decided to grow it.
Two other varieties are being tested, with “good root yields, good resistance to diseases and good commercial qualities, including color, absence of axis and post-harvest storage capacity.” The first is 77-019RZ (forcing from January to the end of March), very productive in the forcing room, and the second is 60-871RZ (forcing over a wide window from April to November).
For more information: 
Rijk Zwaan France
La Vernède 30390 Aramon
Phone: +33 466 57 49 89
Fax: +33 466 57 49 80
[email protected]
www.rijkzwaan.fr