At Rijk Zwaan, we are continuously developing new varieties for organic growers. This time, our new and long-standing cucumber varieties are ‘In the Spotlight’. Our crop specialists explain about our varieties for both moderate and Mediterranean climates.
Varieties for moderate climates
Bluesbrother RZ is a new organic long cucumber variety which is suitable for moderate climate zones. Specialist Gregor Hoffman from Rijk Zwaan comments: “Bluesbrother RZ is a Verdon type that is able to produce large fruits with high quality and quantity, even in hot summer periods, thanks to its strong BlueLeaf genetics and its durability. The high resistance of Bluesbrother RZ against Px also really helps to keep the crop healthy in summertime. It is very suitable for longer crop cycles in spring and summer plantings.”
Proloog RZ is the standard variety in long cucumbers. It is suitable for the first plantings and is an open and labour-friendly crop. This variety produces dark, heavy and uniform fruits with a reliable quality. Proloog RZ is strong against Mycosphaerella and its exceptional stamina makes it unique. Gregor: “This variety is still going strong for organics.”
Climont RZ is a new long cucumber variety for the first and second plantings. “It stands out due to its good stamina and attractive dark green fruits with a nice rib. Climont RZ is suitable for organic production, plus this variety is strong against Mycosphaerella,” says Gregor. Additionally, the variety has high resistance against CA/Ccu/Px (ex Sf).
Verdon RZ is a long cucumber variety with resistance against Cucumber Green Mottle Mosaic Virus (CGMMV). As a result, this variety is an extremely dependable choice for organic growers as the second planting. Gregor: “This variety is a great solution for organic growers, especially in wet summers.” Theojary Crisnantes, an American/Mexican grower, describes it as follows: “The availability of organic seeds is tremendously important for us, because choosing the best variety is the first step to success. One example of success is Verdon RZ. The CGMMV resistance means we can offer long cucumbers all year round.”
Khassib RZ is a mini cucumber that can be used for both first and second plantings. Because the plants are open with short internodes, it is a labour-friendly crop. “Khassib RZ is semi-multi-fruiting per axil, is nicely ribbed and is dark green and shiny with a good shelf life,” explains Gregor.
Bonwell RZ is another mini cucumber that can be used for the second planting. The crop is open and generative with sufficient vigour. Gregor: “The biggest advantage of Bonwell RZ for organic growers is its resistance against CGMMV. It produces uniform dark green fruits with a good shelf life.”
Mewa RZ produces slightly bigger fruits. It is a single-fruiting midi cucumber with strong vigour. The cucumbers are dark green with an attractive rib.
Quarto RZ is a reliable mini snack cucumber that can be used for first, second and even third plantings. The strong and open crop is multi-fruiting. It is an early productive variety that maintains a good balance between setting and vigour. “Its mildew resistance is a big advantage for organic growers,” states Gregor.
Varieties for Mediterranean climates
Cliff RZ is a long cucumber variety that is ideal for Mediterranean climates. It has strong BlueLeaf genetics and is resistant against mildew and CGMMV. “The latter is extremely important in organic production,” says Crop Specialist Aureliano Cerezuela. According to him, the variety is suitable for plantings in early cycles and in the spring. “The cucumbers are very dark and shiny with a nice round neck. Our time-lapse video clearly shows how well these cucumbers retain their quality compared to standard varieties.”
Insula RZ is a long cucumber with BlueLeaf genetics and mildew and CGMMV resistances, just like Cliff RZ and Maritimo RZ. This variety is suitable for late plantings. Besides this, it is strong against the vein yellowing and yellow stunting disorder viruses (CVYV and CYSDV). Aureliano: “Moreover, Insula RZ is very productive throughout the entire cycle. The fruits are an attractive dark colour and have a nice round, ribbed neck.”
Fornax RZ is another long BlueLeaf cucumber for late plantings. “A big advantage is its resistance against Fusarium, which means that this variety does not need grafting. Its mildew resistance is also very important for organic growers,” continues Aureliano. The variety has notably strong roots and consistently high fruit quality in terms of the colour and neck.
Take a look at this article on Hortidaily.com about Fusarium resistance from breeding to commercial varieties
Forami RZ – just like Fornax RZ – has Fusarium resistance, so no grafting is necessary, and this long cucumber with BlueLeaf has mildew resistance too. Besides that, the crop is well balanced and productive. Another benefit is the good fruit quality, according to Aureliano: “This variety produces cucumbers with a round neck, an attractive rib and a nice dark colour throughout the entire crop cycle.”
Download the leaflet about our new cucumber varieties for organic production