Sakata has unveiled a new red bell pepper for the mid-late cycle: the Matga, a variety transplanted in the period from July 20 to 30, which stands out for its consistency throughout the cycle. Juan Antonio Barranco, product promoter at Sakata, highlighted that "the Matga offers an ideal and uniform caliber even at the end of the production period, with spectacular results in terms of size and fruit quality."
"Matga's fruits bear Sakata's quality seal. They have four lobes, an excellent color (green and red), no silvering, and an excellent firmness and weight thanks to their thick walls. Furthermore, Matga's fruits have good plant endurance, which gives "the growers flexibility to carry out the harvest at their convenience and to plan the delivery of the produce for export together with the cooperative when it best suits them." The plant endurance is complemented by a good post-harvest shelf life, which makes them ideal for export.
"The Matga grows in a plant with plenty of room and open space, ideal to prevent the spread of the Thrips parvispinus, which is a pest that currently raises great concerns," says Juan Antonio. "Thanks to this plant structure, the Thrips parvispinus has a harder time settling. Also, the characteristics of its leaves, which are hairy, facilitate the settling of auxiliary fauna. This, together with the early flowering, makes the Matga a perfect variety for producers opting for integrated pest management in their greenhouses. The variety also offers a complete pack of resistances, including to powdery mildew."
The Matga has been named after Matías García, commercial manager for Almeria, as part of a process in which all links that make up Sakata's pepper project are recognized.
A wide range of peppers
The Matga follows two other launches that Sakata has made this fall: the Txeco for the early cycle and the Asem for the mid-early cycle. These, together with the Sibac, the Juma, and the Moma, allow the seed house to cover all segments and meet the needs of Almeria's producers. Javier Pérez, pepper product manager at Sakata, wished to highlight that all Sakata varieties "are designed to make the work of the growers easier: open plants, easy to handle, well adapted to the environment, and accompanied by solutions to the problems that arise season after season."
For more information:
Sakata
https://sakataiberica.com