New vegetable varieties are tested in Santa Catarina

During the month of January, Agristar do Brasil carries out, at its Experimental Station in Ituporanga (SC), screenings of new varieties that are suitable for production in the South region. The city, located in the Alto Vale do Itajaí, is recognized as the "National Capital of Onions" and contributes to the leadership of the state, which accounts for approximately 33% of the national total, having produced, in the 2021/22 harvest, 495.995 tons of the vegetable. 

The action had the participation of commercial partners and producers from Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul and Paraná, in addition to the company's specialists: Samuel Sant'Anna (bulbs and roots), Silvio Nakagawa (brassicas and leafy vegetables), Thiago Teodoro (tomato and pepper), Roberto Araújo (green belt), Rafael Zamboni (cucurbits), José Humberto Júnior (industry) and José Bezerra (melon and seedless watermelon). 

“Agristar receives several varieties from all crop groups, and each specialist tests them at the stations, selecting those that perform best to continue being evaluated in external regions, in larger areas, with partner producers. After this phase, if they perform well, the product will become commercial and ready to be officially launched”, highlighted the Marketing Manager, Marcos Vieira. 

According to him, the criteria are determined by characteristics expected by the market, such as varieties that fill production gaps throughout the year, resistance to some disease or adaptation to locations with specific climate conditions. “Although we are in the testing phase, we already have highlights, such as hybrid onion varieties, carrots and beets adapted to the climate, tomato rootstocks for vigor, indeterminate salad and saladette tomatoes and cucumbers aimed at the industry”, emphasized Vieira. 

He also said that, in Ituporanga, there is a great demand for onions, which is why Agristar is developing several varieties that meet productivity needs, such as hybrid onions, especially those with darker skin, resistance to mildew and, in some cases, adaptation to mechanization, which has been presented as a solution to the labor shortage. 

“In general, we have noticed the demand for high-performance products in an increasingly competitive and technological market. In addition to providing genetics that offer productivity and final product quality to producers, we have to help pass on more technical management, with information on nutrition and management that offer the best conditions for making their crops profitable. We are also concerned with developing sustainable varieties (resistant to diseases), which help reduce the use of pesticides, and (resistant to climate variations), which favor the rational use of water and other natural resources,” concluded Marcos Vieira. 

For the coordinator of the Ituporanga Experimental Station, Rubens Deuttner, screening is a fundamental step in the development of new varieties. “This field is where the main screenings of crops used in southern Brazil are concentrated. It is time to make assertive choices for the products that will be prioritized in 2025. It was very special to share detailed information about each product with the visitors. In addition, all the invited distributors and partners were very pleased with the quality of the field and the materials presented,” he said.