The Eden Gold family expands

After ten years of research, the latest variety from Israeli breeder Ben Dor is continuing its fast expansion, with 2023/2024 set to be a particularly good year. The number of hectares is increasing, along with the number of partners. "The Eden Gold® family is growing faster than expected." 350 tons were sampled across Europe this year (in a variety of packaging including trays), 800 tons are expected next year and 1,500 tons for the 2026 harvest. The main objective now is to "structure the market and structure the group so that all the partners can work hand in hand to develop the variety," explains Benoit Escande.

All the Eden Gold® partners gathered in Madrid: Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and also the Chilean and South African partners, at the initiative of Ben Dor Fruits and Nurseries to take stock of the past year and future projects.

Pépinières Escande and Ille Roussillon in Madrid / © FreshPlaza

Faster development than expected in Europe
In France, the Eden Gold® pear already has 3 partners: Jardins du Roussillon with 7 hectares recently planted and a plan to increase to 20 hectares, the Sicoly cooperative with a 5-hectare project over 5 years to supply all its stores in the Greater Lyon area (30 shops, in own stores and in partnerships), and finally Le Vieux Pointet for the organic part with a 15-hectare project over 5 years (planting started last winter). In Spain, the 3 entities Grupo Catala, Grupo Frutas David and the newcomer Fruit Queralt are positioning themselves with no less than 50 hectares, each planted within 5 years. In Portugal, the Eden Gold® has already been planted on 5 hectares, and 20 new hectares are planned each year, supported by the Gold Pear Consortium formed last February and comprising Mondial Rocha, Prima Fruta and Timoteo. In Morocco, almost 4.5 hectares to the south of Meknès are currently in full production. A trial is currently being carried out in Switzerland (between 500 and 1,000 trees should be planted shortly), as well as in the English county of Kent, with trials that already look promising.

Italy, through Greenyard, which also manages Greece and Serbia, already has 70 hectares and plans to plant a further 70 by the spring of 2025.

The Eden Gold® pear was officially presented in France in August 2023 at the "La Pugère" experimental station in Mallemort (Bouches-du-Rhône) by Pépinières Escande, which is responsible for developing the variety in France, Spain, Portugal and Morocco.

"Eden Gold® confirms its very high productivity this year"
"Many technical points were validated during the 2024 season," explains Benoit Escande. And from an agronomic point of view, the Eden Gold is a model variety. Its very high productivity (and main characteristic) "was confirmed this year with 15 tons/ha in the 3rd leaf, 38 tons/ha in the 4th leaf and 45 to 50 tons/ha in the 5th leaf."

Another asset of this pear is its lesser susceptibility to diseases and pests. In a fire blight attack in Portugal, where the Rocha pear failed, "with at least 50% of the trees affected or even dead, the Eden Gold came through with flying colours (only 1% of pear trees affected)," explains a delighted Benoit Escande. Additionally, while the Abate Fetel variety is struggling to combat stemphyliosis and alternaria in Italy, the Eden Gold has been impressive, with "not a single fruit affected." As far as psyllid control is concerned, the technicians in Italy observed a clear reduction in the number of interventions in the orchards.

Finally, regarding shelf-life, tests carried out at CTIFL in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence and at the 'La Pugère' experimentation station (optimizing harvesting dates and optimizing shelf-life) show that the variety can be kept for up to 8 months, and has strong shelf-life potential. "Today, the work lies in station management. We have harvested 8 tons of fruit, which we have split between different stations to test several different methods of processing the fruit," explains Benoit. The results are expected in the spring.

A pear "that appeals to new consumers"
Besides its agronomic qualities, the Eden Gold also stands out for its taste: "crunchy, juicy and sweet, with an unusual texture." This totally new fruit should be able to attract new consumers: "those who were not used to eating pears and especially the younger generation of consumers." The pear was also a great success in tests carried out on a panel last year. A satisfaction questionnaire on the perception of the Eden Gold will be available in all Sicoly stores in the Greater Lyon area.