With a lettuce improvement program, a seed line brings the cultivars most adapted to the Brazilian market

Due to its extension, Brazil presents a wide climate variation throughout its territory. This oscillation is responsible for the difficulty in producing vegetables of the same variety throughout the country, especially lettuce, which requires specific care for its cultivation.

For this reason, Topseed Premium, a line of high-tech professional seeds from Agristar do Brasil, has a broad portfolio of materials capable of adapting to all Brazilian regions. According to Brassica and Hardwood specialist, Silvio Nakagawa, this breadth is only possible because the company is continually focused on research and development of new cultivars.

“To this end, we have support from experimental stations located in the main horticulture producing centers in the country, in São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Goiás, Rio Grande do Norte and Santa Catarina, which make it possible to offer cultivars to the market throughout the year. which meet the needs of farmers for materials with high productivity, quality and resistance to the main crop diseases”, details Nakagawa.

As well as the lettuce breeding program, created by Agristar do Brasil in 2019 and headed by research coordinator, Carolina Franco. “When it comes to crop diseases, lettuce mildew is one of the main diseases that occur in winter, which can cause up to 100% of crop losses and is also aggravated by the occurrence of several breeds.”

She explains that one of the lines of work has been the development of cultivars resistant to the main races of downy mildew (Bremia lactucae) identified in Brazil. In addition to the development of materials more adapted to Brazilian climatic conditions, such as greater tolerance to bolting.

“We began work focusing on the development of curly and American cultivars, as they are the main types of lettuce sold in the country. Research work requires time, but currently there are more advanced products and the expectation is that within the next three years, they will be available to producers”, explains Carolina.

Complete line

Today the line is one of the most complete on the market with curly, American, straight and specialty varieties. Among the materials developed by the high-tech seed line is the iceberg lettuce Laurel, the curly Samira and the smooth Elisangela. Also, be sure to check out the recently launched ones: the Cida and Celina curly ones and the Luminosa and Frisby mimosas. Differentiated in colors, shapes, textures and flavors to meet the needs of each region of the country and also offer exactly what the consumer market is looking for.