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BRASSICA MAGAZINE

6 BLINDNESS IN BROCCOLI

10 BEHIND THE SCENES OF HAK’S SUPPLY CHAIN

ROBUST VARIETIES FOR EVERY CLIMATE AND EVERY NEED BRASSICA INNOVATIONS

30 SIMON NAYLOR, FROM LINCOLNSHIRE TO INDONESIA

BRASSICA MAGAZINE

CONTENTS 3 RESPONDING TO TRENDS 4 KOHLRABI, WORLD FAMOUS 6

IN GERMANY

BLINDNESS IS MORE THAN JUST SENSITIVITY TO COLD

8 CHINESE CABBAGE:

A HARD CROP TO GROW

24 ROBUST VARIETIES FOR EVERY CLIMATE AND EVERY NEED

10 BEHIND THE SCENES OF HAK’S SUPPLY CHAIN

12 THE BARGE HAD TO BE LOADED

BY NINE

14 ARE BRUSSELS SPROUTS ON THE VERGE OF A BREAKTHROUGH?

16 POLISH MARKET TRENDS: WHITE CABBAGE MAKES WAY FOR KALE

18 SPAIN GROWS BRASSICAS MAINLY FOR EXPORT

19 SAVOY CABBAGE: A CLASSIC FRENCH PRODUCT

32 NEW BRASSICAS HIT THE MARKET

20 GLK FOODS: SAUERKRAUT TO SUIT EVERY TASTE

22 DETAILS CAN MAKE OR BREAK A GROWER’S YIELD

26 TB&S: SUCCESS ALL YEAR WITH POINTED CABBAGE

This Brassica Magazine

Editorial

Writers

Design

is published by

Robert Schilder

Theo Brakeboer

Design in Beeld

Bejo Zaden B.V.

Joris Ursem

Jeroen Vissers

PO Box 50

Madelon Moen

Robert Schilder

Layout

1749 ZH Warmenhuizen

Corina Huiberts

JEEN

JEEN

The Netherlands T: 0226 396 162

Printed by

F: 0226 393 504

PrintX.nl

E: bejonl@bejo.nl W: www.bejo.nl

28 STORAGE: COOLING ON THE EDGE FOR THE BEST RESULTS

30 SIMON NAYLOR GROWS CABBAGE IN ENGLAND – AND ASIA

34 KALE: FROM UNKNOWN AND

UNLOVED TO HIP AND TRENDY

36 BAKKERBIO: JAN WILLEM BAKKER NURTURES THE SOIL

No rights can be derived from the information given in this Brassica Magazine.

Articles or parts there of may be used only with the express permission of Bejo Zaden B.V. and with proper acknowledgement.

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38 AS LONG AS I CAN STILL WALK, I’LL GROW BROCCOLI

BRASSICA MAGAZINE

EDITOR’S LETTER

2017

RESPONDING TO TRENDS

Welcome to the first edition of Brassica Magazine. It’s packed with useful and thought-provoking information about n brassica crops, markets and opportunities all over the world. We hope the articles here will inspire you and fill you with enthusiasm for the crops of the future. ‘Brassica’ is the Latin word for cabbage. Cabbages of all types are renowned as tasty, healthy foods and they’re featuring more and more prominently in health magazines, in diet books, and online. Many are regularly to be found on lists of the healthiest vegetables.

Kale, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, pointed cabbage and cauliflower are becoming increasingly popular around the world. How do you profit from this trend as a grower or dealer? Show the general public what you do and how you do it. That will inspire consumers to buy your products. Organising an open day or inviting schools to visit your business can help you to win consumers’ trust.

New media tools like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn offer unprecedented opportunities for communicating about your product. Tell your followers about the day-to-day goings-on at your business. Nobody can talk about your product as inspiringly and passionately as you can. And why wouldn’t you? Cabbage is a good, honest, healthy food.

Reliability is of paramount importance – not only for you as a grower, processor or exporter but for us as a breeder and seed supplier. Bejo constantly works to further develop its range of varieties, its seed technology and its expertise. Our clients, likewise, are always looking out for improvements, innovations, new markets and market segments. To enable themselves to supply produce year-round, Dutch companies are setting up operations in places like Spain, Portugal and North Africa.

They also grow produce there for the local market.

Increasingly, quality takes precedence over quantity.

That’s as true for cabbage as it is for anything else.

Focusing on quality is not only good for the cabbage’s appearance but also for the grower/processor’s bottom line. High-quality products are easier to sell, and they help to open up new markets. The Bejo team is keen to support you in growing and supplying dependable varieties, and to act as a sparring partner to help you make the right decisions. We always aim to go the extra mile and help you to develop new markets, ideas and concepts.

Our open days, held every year in late September at our headquarters in Warmenhuizen, the Netherlands, are a great way to gain inspiration and exchange knowledge.

You can see our entire range of seeds, plus inspiring displays and test gardens, and catch up with colleagues from around the world. Of course, your local representative will be on hand to take you through the fields.

I hope you enjoy this issue of Brassica Magazine and I wish you the best of luck in preparing for the new season and plenty of success with your inspiring business!

Benelux sales team ROBERT SCHILDER

3

KOHLRABI: CABBAGE’S LITTLEKNOWN COUSIN? NOT IN GERMANY Kohlrabi may only be modestly popular in your country, but they love it in Germany. We went over the border to speak with the German grower Hubertus Scheele, who produces this attractive, tasty crop.

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GERMANY

< Upright leaves are desirable in kohlrabi, say grower Hubertus Scheele (right) and Bejo rep Markus Saphörster.

Believe it or not, kohlrabi, the light green field vegetable with the shape like a flattened ball, is one of the top three healthy snacks German kids take to school, along with apples and carrots. In what form? In sticks their parents cut fresh from the bulb in the morning. Ready-cut kohlrabi sticks – the kind of convenience product Dutch consumers would look for – aren't available in German supermarkets. “And that’s a good thing,” Hubertus Scheele says. “If they were, how would we distinguish our product as a grower?”

It’s an interesting point, and one that makes particular sense in Germany, where shoppers judge vegetables on how natural they look, which in the case of kohlrabi has to do partly with the quality of the leaves. “The leaves should stand straight upright, even in the store,” Scheele says. “That's an important criterion for consumers.

But it's important for us too, because the farther apart the leaves stand, the harder it is to grab them in one hand so you can lift the bulb out of the soil and cut it off.”

HIGH YIELD About 2,000ha of kohlrabi is grown every year in Germany, about 400ha of that in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Scheele farms there as a member of the growers’ cooperative Vitfrisch. He's based in the Soester Börde, a fertile plain about 40km from Dortmund, where the soil is heavy: 80 points, according to the German soil quality classification system. His total crop covers about

100ha, and more than a quarter of that is devoted to kohlrabi.

“We start in early March with 5cm soil block plants, and in the second week we switch to 4cm plants, and then we do the first tray plants. The first week, we plant at 25cm; the second and third weeks, 20cm; and after that, 17cm. That gives us a very uniform growth, with about 100,000 plants per hectare.

We do the last planting around the 10th of August. We plant full-field, with a row spacing of 50cm.”

Soil cultivation is minimal. At the end of the year, the ground is ploughed so winter can do its work before the soil is prepared in spring with the power harrow. This is in combination with the capillary action of the soil, which means no irrigation is necessary, ensures the soil has a good structure and has had a chance to rest. To combat weeds, the grower applies 550kg/ha of calcium cyanamide before planting and 350kg/ha two weeks after planting.

Another two weeks after that, the soil, which then has an average pH of 7.2, is mechani­ cally weeded.

At 90 percent, the yields on Scheele’s land are exceptionally high. One reason is that he plants just one crop per field each year. This uniformity allows him to harvest everything at one time. “Of course, we could use the land more intensively,” he says. “But that would only minimally lower the cost price, because yields would end up being lower. So we let the soil rest. That’s better for the yield and the quality of the product.”

HECTARES PER STATE (total ca. 2,000ha) North Rhine-Westphalia = 550ha Rhineland-Palatinate = 500ha Lower Saxony = 300ha

A STABLE, HEALTHY VEGETABLE For the last 20 years, Scheele, the farm’s third-generation owner, has been concentrating increasingly on growing kohlrabi, which is eaten both raw and cooked in Germany. “In the past, I always used to grow Konmar,” he says. “Three years ago, I switched to Konan. This variety is extremely easy to harvest, since the cabbage grows high on the stalk and the leaves are nice and straight.

The heart leaves also stay green at high temperatures. And in my experience, it’s relatively free

from problems with mildew and Alternaria.” In fact, the grower is so enthusiastic about Konan, he’s considering using it as his sole variety for another year, even for late planting, although there are varieties specifically intended for that purpose, such as Bejo’s Kordial. “Since the disease levels on my land are relatively low, I’d like to try that sometime,” Scheele says. “The crop’s convenience in the field plays a part in that decision.

And if I don’t get the results I want, I can still switch to Kordial for late planting.”

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RESEARCH

BRASSICA MAGAZINE

BLINDNESS IN BROCCOLI Blindness in broccoli is a problem. And that’s putting it mildly: there’s nothing more frustrating than when your broccoli plants don’t form hearts. All those costs and all that work for nothing. Fortunately the causes of blindness are becoming better understood. “Warm” plant raising can go a long way towards preventing blindness.

At Wageningen University & Research, experts are getting to the heart of blindness.

<

William Gitzels (left), shown here with his R&D manager, Matthijs Woestenburg, says that blindness is a stubborn problem.

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RESEARCH

NOT JUST ONE CAUSE Wageningen UR does fundamental research into the causes of blindness. Seed companies carry a large part of the costs, because research focuses on the underlying genetics. The study is a broad one, including research into problems such as headlessness in tomato plants. The commission heading the research is known as the “Headlessness Board”. Yet it’s unclear whether headlessness and heartlessness are related. The board’s chair is Corine de Groot of Bejo Zaden. Because it is paid research and not all seed firms participate, most findings are kept a trade secret. Researcher Jennifer de Jonge did her doctoral work on blindness: her work clarified which area of the genome is responsible for the problem.

However, there are dozens of genes in that area that might be responsible. Further research will be needed to discover which are the affected genes.

The research did suggest that germination conditions could influence blindness, but it was unclear what exactly was involved.

It does seem to be the case that cold in the first days of germination leads to more blindness. A surprising discovery was that molybdenum and other minerals have no influence on the incidence of blindness. After 50 years of fertilizing with molybdenum, this standard growing procedure can go out the window. De Jonge also found that moistening the seeds and then drying them made them somewhat less vulnerable, though whether this works for all batches of seeds and all varieties remains to be seen. A newly developed test for blindness can also show whether a particular lot of seeds is unusually subject to blindness. Bejo will apply the research in its breeding and seed production as it works to prevent blindness.

Kohlrabi is highly susceptible to blindness. Its sibling broccoli is less vulnerable, but even so, a grower can still suffer serious losses. “Some varieties are more prone to blindness than others. That’s something plant propagators need to be aware of,” says William Gitzels, a propagator in Wervershoof, North Holland. Over the years he’s acquired a lot of experience with blindness. “It occurs most often with low temperatures and little sunlight – in other words, in the spring.”

from. “But the second year it rained complaints, because some growers made the same mistake of propagating using convection heating. You just have to keep the plants warm,” Gitzels sums up.

HISTORY Gitzels sketches a history of the search among broccoli growers for the causes of blindness. It began around 1988, when six growers started producing for the wholesaler ‘WFO’. They wanted to supply broccoli early in the season by starting propagation in October, as was already done with cauliflower.

They tried germinating with convection heat at a minimum of 5°C, but it soon became clear that at that temperature broccoli would “bolt”: it began to flower much too early.

Planting in December and heating to a minimum of 10°C produced fairly good-looking seedlings that could be planted out in March, but after they

had been covered for a couple of weeks, three-quarters of the young plants turned out to be blind. Gitzels soon realized what was happening. At low outdoor temperatures under a clear sky, the thermostat in the greenhouse might be set to 10°C, but heat was radiating out, causing the actual tempe­ r­ature of the plants to go a few degrees lower. When plants were propagated using tubular heating, radiant heat went straight to the plants and their temperature stayed at or above 10°C. “Later, when a screen was put up, the number of blind plants went down even further,

EARLY SOWING Growers in England were forcing the Marathon and Lord varieties by sowing them in September, so that before the winter good-sized plants developed that were less prone to blindness. Gitzels tried that too, sowing on September 25 in a 228 tray. But propagating for such a long period in a dark

“ Sensitivity to cold is not the only reason for blindness” because the plant temperature held steady and never went under 10°C. With the plants that were still propagated using a convection heater – and it was a cold winter – there were a lot of complaints.” The first year working with the early variety Sirtaki was a success, Gitzels observes, and it didn’t matter which grower the plants came

winter resulted in plants that looked terrible, Gitzels recalls.

He decided to sow in December instead, using roomier 96 trays.

“That was in 1992. In December we sowed in 96 trays and in January in 228 trays.” That approach proved successful.

In 2014 Gitzels began propagating the December plants under artificial light in both

96 and 228 trays. “Some of my colleagues propagate in Spain.

We use SON-T lamps instead.

But either way, the time gain isn’t spectacular.” On the other hand, his experiment did yield better-looking plants. “We’ve limited the price increase in the coming season to just the electricity costs. We advise people to order half lighted, half unlighted. If you can supply the market at the start of the season, that makes it worth your while.”

BUCKET Gitzels compares a plant that develops blindness to a bucket that can hold a certain amount of cold. It’s when the bucket overflows that you get problems with blindness. “With convection heating you can germinate nice plants, but when you take the cover off after six weeks, 50 percent of them will be blind.

You’ve overfilled the bucket.”

Yet it’s still unclear what goes wrong and how, even though research into the causes has been going on for five years.

A commission has been set up to oversee research on blindness, with Gitzels as one of its members, along with other plant growers, seed companies, and researchers from Wageningen University.

7

CHINESE CABBAGE: A HARD CROP TO GROW

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BRASSICA MAGAZINE

GROWING FOR YOUR OWN BRAND

< René Verbakel (left) and Peer Schraven: “Not many crops are available in the Netherlands for more than 10 months a year. Chinese cabbage is one.”

Chinese cabbage is one of the most difficult crops to cultivate, according to René Verbakel. He should know. For his own Compliment label, he grows eight types of produce on about 500ha. For the past twenty years, one of them has been Chinese cabbage.

Chinese cabbage didn’t become part of Verbakel’s growing plan as a result of a daring search for a new crop. “No, everything we do, we do at the customer’s request,” he says. “Your wish is our command.” It’s a strategy the company has mastered.

“We don’t store stock,” Verbakel says. “We have several ordering times every day. We don’t even harvest until someone places an order. That does mean things can get pretty hectic, and the logistics can be tricky, but it shows in the quality of the pro­ d­uct. And that’s what matters to us.”

HOME AND AWAY Before we get into the ins and outs of growing Chinese cabbage, a little about the Compliment farm. It’s situated in the southeastern Dutch village of Zeeland, in the province of Noord-Brabant. Along with Chinese cabbage, it grows seven other crops: celery, radicchio, iceberg lettuce, red onions, fennel, carrots, and cherries. The brand name Compliment was chosen “because it’s understood around the world,” Verbakel says. The farm employs specialists in a number of areas, including cultivation, soil preparation, mechanisation and crop protection. It sells its produce domestically and abroad. On that subject, the businessman shares some refreshingly downto-earth thinking. “In the past, we were very export-oriented,” he says. “But we realised that

that focus made us too vulne­r­able. We needed to make sure we were doing well at home first, and only then move back into foreign markets.” The farm has indeed ventured beyond the border again. But its many Dutch customers – supermarkets, wholesalers and industry – and its farm shop, housed in an attractive building inspired by a hay barn, show that it still pays plenty of attention to the market ‘at home’.

A SENSITIVE PLANT With a total production of approximately 400ha, Chinese cabbage is a relatively small crop in the Netherlands, but it’s a complicated one. “Chinese cabbage is one of the most sensitive plants I know,” says crop technician Peer Schraven.

“It grows incredibly fast.

Harvesting takes place an average of 40 days after planting.

The crop is already supersensitive to insects and weather, and on top of that, you get very little time to manage its growth.

So everything you do, you have to do at exactly the right time.

That sensitivity is the reason why you don’t often see Chinese cabbage in places where cabbage is grown year after year.

Here, we plant in fresh soil as much as possible, and it’s still a big job keeping clubroot and leaf miners under control.”

THE PERFECT CHINESE CABBAGE The company grows Chinese cabbage every year from early

March to mid-November. Summer crops are planted in 1.80m-wide beds of four rows each. Storage crops are grown full-field, with 60cm row spacing. “The winter crop has to go into storage healthy. That’s why we leave more distance between rows.

That allows it to dry out better and grow more slowly.” The perfect Chinese cabbage, accor­ d­ing to Schraven, is cylindrical, with a rounded base – so you don’t cut through the bottom leaves when harvesting – and between 25 and 30cm long.

And, of course, it comes from Bejo. Right? “Ha ha. Yes, for us, it does. Here’s a fun fact: in the Netherlands, people prefer a light green cabbage between 800 and 1,000 grams, but in Eastern Europe, they want it whiter and heavier.”

A SERIOUS RESPONSE René Verbakel says he doubts the hectarage devoted to Chinese cabbage will increase much in the near future – though he’s convinced more could be made of the vegetable if more people realized its culinary value.

“Besides, it’s one of the few Dutch-grown crops that is on hand for more than 10 months a year.” How does he foresee his company developing in the coming years? “The variety of produce we grow will increase,” he says. “The market is making more demands in terms of uniformity, efficiency and certification. We’re responding to that. Every question the market poses, we take very seriously.”

9

BEHIND THE SCENES OF HAK’S SUPPLY CHAIN Growers play a key role in getting tasty, healthy products on the table. The well-known Dutch fruit and vegetable processor Hak knows that, so it views cooperation along the supply chain as crucial. Like Bejo, Hak is a partner in Veldleeuwerik, a foundation that supports growers in making their crops more sustainable. As such, the company constantly works to further improve quality and sustainability.

10

Don't expect luxury or trendiness from this quintessentially Dutch brand. As you drive up to the factory in Giessen, in the southern central Netherlands, the no-nonsense mentality is immediately obvious. There’s no big glittering office building serving as a showpiece: the factory is right out front. Visitors drive around the building to reach reception. Inside, a colourful wall of Hak’s distinctively shaped jars several metres high reveals a pride in the company that’s palpable everywhere. Agriculture and purchasing manager Adri den Dekker and cultivation supervisor Marko Wolthuis talked to us about Hak’s approach to the supply chain.

RESPECT FOR PEOPLE AND NATURE Hak started out as a family company, founded in 1925 as a vegetable and fruit dealer in North Brabant, where it’s still based today. Soon, it began making apple sauce and preserved plums. A few years later, the Hak family began processing more of its vegetables and fruit for canning. In 1952, they got bigger machines that used the classic preservation technique first

BRASSICA MAGAZINE

SUSTAINABILITY

> Marko Wolthuis (right) and Adri den Dekker assess a cabbage. Is it good enough for Hak?

developed in 1858 by a French army cook: heating airtight jars. The company’s longtime motto, ‘leven uit afhankelijkheid’ – ‘living in dependence’, perhaps better translated as ‘living with the earth’ – emphasises the principles of reciprocity and respect for people and nature. It still guides everything they do at Hak.

cabbage is the undisputed number two.

It’s been on the menu since the beginning, and we have a lot of our own recipes." An established favourite is red cabbage with apples – the dish accounts for 80 percent of the red cabbage Hak sells.

SUSTAINABLE FARMING

“Of all the crops Hak processes,” Den Dekker says, “red cabbage is one of the stars. Apple sauce is number one, but red

To ensure a steady supply of top-quality

THE OLD WITH THE NEW “Hak has had several different owners in recent years,” Adri den Dekker says. It’s been a turbulent period marked by changes in direction. In 2013 though, Hak placed the focus firmly back on its own brand, and it no longer produces for supermarkets’ private labels. Hak may be traditional, but it’s always seen marketing and innovation as important. Everyone in the Netherlands knows Hak from its commercials featuring the singer and actress Martine Bijl standing among the crops in a field. With a few breaks, she was the face of the company's ad campaigns for 27 years. Today, Hak is harvesting plenty of success with a new campaign focused on Dutch cuisine, starring TV chef Herman den Blijker. The company continues to prove itself in innovation as well. It recently came out with an awardwinning easy-open lid that puts an end to the struggle with jars that won’t open.

IS IT GOOD ENOUGH FOR HAK?

>

RED CABBAGE: STAR OF THE JARS

Sustainability is of paramount importance at Hak. The company aims to keep distances between the fields and the processing plant in Giessen as short as possible. All crops are grown within a 125km radius. Hak, like Bejo, is a partner in Veldleeuwerik, an association whose 400 grower members take steps to farm as sustainably as possible. Veldleeuwerik members currently supply 30 percent of the produce Hak processes. “And in 2017, it should be 40 percent,” Den Dekker says, adding that he’d like to see the figure go even higher. “It’s not happening fast enough for me yet.” “Within our sustainability objectives, crop protection is priority number one, two and three!” he says. “[Dutch supermarket chain] Albert Heijn issued a list of 28 chemicals it no longer wants to see on its shelves by 2022.

Eleven of those substances are ones our growers still really need right now.” Banning them will be a big challenge, he says.

“Crop improvement is very important for this. Planting resistant varieties helps significantly in reducing the use of chemicals.”

Of all Hak’s products, red cabbage is one of the stars.

crops, Marco Wolthuis visits farmers daily to keep an eye on things. All Hak’s growers work on a contract basis; the company needs to be able to rely on a stable supply of produce. “In the past, we did grow our own products, but those risks are too great,” Wolthuis says. “Is it good enough for Hak?” That question is constantly at the forefront of Wolthuis’s mind when he inspects crops in the field. “It’s largely a visual judgement, but if I’m not sure, I take a sample. Quality and continuity have been even more challenging this year, with the extreme weather.

And we’re thinking about the long-term consequences of climate change. But for red cabbage sales, the future looks bright.”

> At company headquarters, a colourful metres-high wall of Hak’s distinctively shaped jars manifests the firm’s pride.

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HISTORY

BRASSICA MAGAZINE

‘THE BARGE HAD TO BE LOADED BY NINE ’

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HISTORY

> The floating auction started at 10.30; every grower had a seller’s number.

Much of the Netherlands’ cauliflower cultivation is concentrated in WestFriesland. But what’s the reason for that?

And why does monoculture, generally regarded as detrimental to crops and land, thrive there? In search of answers, we talked with two veterans in the business: Ton Slagter of Firma P.N. Slagter and grower Piet Ligthart.

“You had a few clever people in the village,” says Slagter. “Everybody else grew cauliflower.

Sit down with Ton Slagter and Piet Ligthart and the stories start to flow. They recall how, as small boys, they had to help cover the cauliflower. Three times a week, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays: old leaves off, new ones on, and the old ones back on top. “People thought that was best for the cauliflower,” says Ligthart. “But it was such hard work!” They’re full of stories about what it was like farming on small plots of land divided by ditches. The cauliflower was transported by barge. “The barge had to be loaded by nine,” says Slagter. “The floating auction was at 10.30. Every grower had his own seller’s number.”

MUSTN’T GRUMBLE The land consolidation that began in the early 1970s heralded a period of great change. Mechanisation made its entrance, crop varieties improved, lighter plastic containers replaced wooden crates, and auction prodedures were overhauled.

“From then on, all the cauliflower was thrown together,” says Ligthart. “That was much more efficient, of course. At the same time, you still had three

different quality classes, and not every grower agreed with that change. There were some fierce arguments. It was even on the telly.” Solidarity was in short supply, Slagter recalls. “And actually, as far as that goes, not a lot has changed. I read articles sometimes where growers are grumbling about the supermarkets. I don’t understand that.

They’re your customers. How can you complain about them?

‘They have all the power,’ people say. Sure they do. But it’s our fault, isn’t it? We give them the power, because we don’t work together enough or treat each other well enough.” The underlying cause of that, in Slagter’s view, is another shortcoming, and one that’s common across the agricultural sector: a lack of business acumen. “We’re entrepreneurs, but we don’t act like it,” he says. “How could you be a grower for 30 years and still have to take out a loan for every little thing? If you’re an independent grower, every year there are periods that can make up for the whole rest of the year.”

NOTHING’S CHANGED Slagter and Ligthart agree

WHY SANDER STELTENPOOL BOUGHT A BINDING MACHINE In 2011, cauliflower grower Sander Steltenpool was sick and tired of spending extra hours hand-binding his crops. So he bought himself a binding machine, which stitches the leaves together in a flash. What’s the benefit been? “Peace of mind,” he says. “Cauliflower is a crop that’s as changeable as the weather. The machine means I can respond much faster if I suddenly have to bind. Two years ago, for example, we had a huge unexpeceted growth surge. I was able to handle it. Without the machine, I’d have had to write off part of the harvest.” Hand-tying is not only highly labour-intensive, it’s extremely precise work and hard to learn to do. “I wanted to be free from dependence on the staff. Does machine binding improve the quality of the cauliflower? Yes, I think it does. The leaves stay greener and don’t get as damaged.” Does the binding machine have any disadvantages? “It’s an enormous investment, of course. It’s also relatively high-maintenance: after about 30 hectares you have to replace the bearings. And those aren’t cheap. Does machine binding affect how you cut? Yes. You work less by sight and more by feel.

But that’s not really a disadvantage – you pick it up in about an hour.”

about the future of cauliflower: West-Friesland will continue to be the Netherlands’ top growing region. “Cauliflower has low disease pressure here,” says Slagter. “That’s why there’s a lot of land where it’s been grown for decades and decades without depleting the soil. There are even fields where they grow two crops a year.

Often it’s out of necessity, so you can afford the high cost of leasing land.” Other predictions?

“There’ll be automated harvesting machines one day,” Ligthart says. “And maybe new types of cauliflower that won’t need binding. Growing cauliflower is still hard work because of binding. In that respect, nothing’s changed.”

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ARE BRUSSELS SPROUTS ON THE VERGE OF A BREAKTHROUGH? 14

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UNITED STATES

“ Brussels sprouts could very well be the next big thing in the United States.” That’s what Rob van den Bos, Bejo’s sprout specialist, predicts.

We interviewed him about global trends in sprouts – a product that’s drawing plenty of interest these days.

NEXT BIG THING? REALLY? “Yes. Healthy vegetables are a success story in the United States. Kale has been very trendy for a while now. And it looks like Brussels sprouts will follow the pattern and become the new kale.”

HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THE INCREASE IN POPULARITY? “Healthy eating trends have been around for years now. At first, it was mainly the superfoods that profited, such as seeds, berries, and coconut products. But more and more studies are showing that tradi­ tional vegetables like kale and savoy cabbage, and sprouts too, are major sources of nutrients. For instance, they contain high concentrations of glucosinolates, which have been linked more and more with prevention of certain diseases.”

cauliflower. Cauliflower and Brussels sprouts could end up being huge here too.

Maybe literally, in the case of sprouts.”

WHAT DO YOU MEAN, ‘LITERALLY’?

“In America, with sprouts, it’s the bigger the better. They like them to be between 30 and 40mm across. Here, we prefer them a bit smaller. Consumers think smaller sprouts have a milder taste. And they’re right, at least partly – larger sprouts often have slightly thicker leaves. But if you just boil, fry or stir-fry a bigger sprout a little longer, it’ll have the same mild, nutty taste as its little brother. Who knows, maybe the Dutch will convert.”

HAS THIS AFFECTED THE CULTIVATION AREA IN THE NETHERLANDS?

“Absolutely. In the United States, the acreage devoted to kale and Brussels sprouts has been expanding by about 20 to 30 percent annually. About 5,000ha of sprouts are being grown in the US and Canada this year, and about 3,000ha more in Mexico.

And next year that area will expand even more. Interest in this vegetable also seems to be growing in other parts of the world.

In most European countries the growing area is reasonably stable, at a few hundred hectares per country. In Asia though, we are seeing a clear rise.”

“Since I’ve been at Bejo and working with this crop, the area devoted to Brussels sprouts has fallen by about half, from 5,000 to approximately 2,500ha. But where yields used to be 15 tonnes per hectare, nowadays a yield of 25 to 30 tonnes per hectare isn’t unusual, thanks to better varieties and growing methods. So annual production volume has stayed about the same.

Acreage could increase somewhat in the coming years, but not explosively. What we are seeing is a big upturn in interest in organically grown sprouts, coming from the industry and supermarkets. Will consumption increase? Definitely. Young people are discovering Brussels sprouts.”

WILL THE TREND SPREAD TO EUROPE?

WHAT CHALLENGES DOES BEJO FACE AS A BREEDER?

“I’m convinced it will. Every food trend starts on that side of the ocean. In brassicas, we saw it happen with broccoli. Thirty years ago, broccoli was not on the menu in most of Europe. But after it was ‘discovered’ in the United States, we decided to try it too. Now we grow and consume more broccoli in the Netherlands than the more traditional

“Sprouts are a wilful and delicate crop.

For example, they respond unpredictably to weather conditions. And every crawling, flying, stinging and sucking insect adores them.

Which, by the way, says something about their nutritional value. In recent years, we’ve put a lot of effort into breeding to make sprouts a bit less vulnerable to diseases and pests, and to make their shape more suitable for

HAS THIS LED TO AN INCREASE IN CULTIVATION AREA?

mechanical cleaning. Brussels sprouts are becoming more and more of a convenience product. You don’t need to cut them off or wash them – just open the bag and dump them in the pan or the wok. We’ve got about 20 varieties in our assortment now. The hybrid Divino, an early variety, is flying out the door in America.

We’ve even had to disappoint some customers.

The Marte variety is also doing extremely well there.”

A QUALITY RANGE When it took over Agrisemen in 2015, Bejo acquired several additional varieties of Brussels sprouts, adding extra value to its range. Two of note are Sofia and Steadia. Sofia offers a combination of length and sturdiness and an ability to produce a huge number of sprouts all between 23 and 38 mm.

Steadia, meanwhile, is able to produce sprouts of exactly the right size and shape in the all-important month of December. Bejo’s own varieties are also extremely high-value. Sprouts like Marte, Irene and Neptuno are mainstays in virtually every Dutch grower’s range.

FACTS ABOUT SPROUTS IN THE NETHERLANDS •T he planting season runs from the beginning of April through the end of May. •S prouts have a growing period of between 120 and 260 days.

•8 0 percent of sprouts grown in the Netherlands are exported.

• I n spring and early summer, the Dutch import sprouts, mostly from Morocco and occasionally from the southern hemisphere.

•W ith its recent acquisition of Agrisemen, Bejo now offers 20 varieties of Brussels sprouts, both conventional and organic types, ranging from early to late. The organic range includes the Nautic, Dagan, Irene, Doric and Neptuno varieties (in order of earliness and harvest time). Bejo has products for harvesting from August to March.

15

POLAND

BRASSICA MAGAZINE

POLISH MARKET TRENDS

WHITE CABBAGE MAKES WAY FOR KALE Sauerkraut and coleslaw are age-old favourites in Poland. These cabbage dishes have declined in popularity recently, though, because consumers see them as too much trouble to prepare. Kale, by contrast, is garnering more attention thanks to its healthy properties.

Brassicas are grown on small and large farms in Poland. The big growers mostly produce white cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli, largely for the food industry.

They’re situated mainly in the north and west of the country. Most of the smaller brassica growers are located in central and southern Poland. The central farms grow mainly for industry, while the southern ones focus on the fresh market.

A CHANGING MIX White cabbage, Poland’s main brassica crop, is grown on more than 20,000ha of land. “But that area has been shrinking,” says Irek Rucinski, Bejo’s sales manager for Poland. “Demand for white cabbage

Consumers prefer vegetables that are easy to prepare 16

has fallen by 5 to 10 percent. We’ve seen coleslaw consumption go down by 30 percent, and sauerkraut consumption by 15 percent. Consumers prefer salad these days, since it’s simpler to prepare. Another trend we’re seeing is that the fresh market wants smaller cabbages. Cabbages grown here used to weigh four kilos. Now one and a half to two kilos is standard.” Cauliflower farming is also declining. “The total acreage has nearly halved in the last six or seven years,” Rucinski says. “Six years ago, Poland was growing more than 12,000ha of cauliflower. Now it’s 3,000ha for industry and 3,000ha for the fresh market. And I expect the decline to continue.” Broccoli is taking over cauliflower’s position on the shelves. The amount of land devoted to it is increasing accordingly. Currently, 2,000ha of broccoli is grown for the fresh market, and 5,000ha for industry. Cultivation of Chinese cabbage, red cabbage and kohlrabi remains stable, at 5,000ha, 1,200ha and 1,000ha respectively. Meanwhile, the hectarage devoted to kale farming has increased sharply in the last few years. “In Poland, as in other places, the product is profiting

from the interest in healthy eating around the world,” Rucinski says. “We’ve seen 50 percent growth for several years in a row.

A few years ago, we couldn’t even meet all the demand for kale seed.”

CURRENT TRENDS The cultivation area devoted to brassicas in Poland fluctuates sharply, and that’s not likely to change anytime soon. “If prices are good one year, planting will increase the next,” Rucinski says. “Growers are flexible, so they’ll just switch to cabbage instead of wheat or potatoes. The Russian boycott in 2014 had a massive effect. Sales stagnated, and prices fell dramatically.

The following year, a lot less cabbage was grown, and there was a vegetable shortage as a result.” Health and convenience are the main food trends in Poland at the moment.

Polish consumers, like their counterparts elsewhere, want to eat healthily, and they’re increasingly interested in the micronutrients contained in various plants. There’s also a growing appreciation for convenience and variety in the kitchen. “We introduced ‘Coolwrap’ this year,” says Rucinski, “and it

promises to be successful.â&#x20AC;? Organic farming is not increasing much in Poland. Rucinski explains that growers have little confidence in the method given the difficulties they already face in farming conventionally.

Small farms are the main players in this market segment. Supermarkets are seeing rising demand for organic products, however, so farming is sure to expand eventually.

Poland is already importing organic produce from Germany and the Netherlands.

THE FUTURE

>

Polandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s entry into the EU had major consequences. Growers began building storage sheds in the expectation that they would be able to export more produce.

Acreage increased and farmers invested in new machinery. Things didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go as planned, however, partly because of the Russian boycott. Nonetheless, the trend of farms becoming larger and more efficient is likely to continue. Although the number of growers will shrink, interest in the more unusual brassicas will rise, and therefore demand for exclusive products should increase.

Growing areas in Poland.

17

SPAIN

BRASSICA MAGAZINE

SPAIN GROWS BRASSICAS MAINLY FOR EXPORT Brassicas are an important crop in Spain. Depending on type, they’re cultivated year-round, though most are grown in winter and spring. Spanish brassicas are destined for both the export and domestic markets.

Acreage and production are concentrated in two areas: the Ebro Valley in the north and the Murcia region on the Mediterranean coast. In the Ebro Valley, growing takes place mainly in the winter, with 75 percent of brassicas destined for the frozen market and the remaining 25 percent for the fresh market, in Spain as well as abroad. Murcia, however, leads the vegetable export market in the winter months, and brassicas as a whole are one of its most important crops. Four types in particular are grown there: broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi and kale.

CAULIFLOWER Spain’s main cauliflower-growing regions are again the Ebro Valley – though production was reduced this year following price decreases last season, after a mild winter yielded a bumper crop – and Murcia, where the cultivation area has expanded this year thanks to a positive market outlook. Murcia’s cauliflower, like its broccoli, is produced in the Campo de Cartagena and Lorca areas in winter.

KOHLRABI All Spanish kohlrabi is grown for export.

BROCCOLI

KALE

Murcia is Spain’s primary broccoli-growing area. An estimated 20,000 of the nation’s 28,000ha of broccoli is located in the region.

Broccoli is grown all year here, at high elevations (above 700m) in summer and in the Campo de Cartagena and Lorca areas the rest of the year. The acreage is generally stable, though it has increased in the Ebro Valley in recent years, while Murcia has seen a 10 percent reduction because of problems with water used for irrigation.

Kale is becoming an increasingly important crop in the Spanish production areas. It is grown mainly in the winter months.

WHITE CABBAGE White cabbage has a relatively small export volume. It is grown in Murcia, primarily for the Spanish market. The export market accounts for less than 10 percent of the total.

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Kohlrabi

Kale

White cabbage

Area

28,000 ha

9,300 ha

900 ha

450 ha

120 ha

Average planting density

40,000 plants per hectare

25,000 plants per hectare (dep. on desired number of units per carton)

100,000 to 120,000 plants per hectare

35,000 plants per hectare

50,000 plants per hectare

Yield

+/- 18 tonnes per hectare

22–30 tonnes per hectare

30 tonnes per hectare

32 tonnes per hectare

40–50 tonnes per hectare

Primary export period

weeks 43 – 18

weeks 43 – 18

weeks 42 - 20

weeks 44 - 18

weeks 43 - 18

Chief export markets

United Kingdom, Germany, Netherlands

United Kingdom, Scandinavia, Germany, Netherlands

Germany

United Kingdom, Scandinavia, Germany, Netherlands

United Kingdom

Main varieties

Delano (in trials)

Adona, Skywalker, Benidorm (latest variety)

Korist, Kordial, Konan

Reflex, Winterbor, Starbor

Bronco, Gazelle

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BRASSICA MAGAZINE

FRANCE

SAVOY CABBAGE: A CLASSIC FRENCH PRODUCT The savoy cabbage of the future will be organic and smaller in size.

In France, the cultivation area devoted to this vegetable is growing steadily. Bejo has new varieties with improved qualities.

Savoy is one of the oldest types of cabbage. The Gauls and Romans had it on their dinner menu, but it gets its modern name from the Savoy region in southeastern France. Savoys are grown all across the country today.

The total cultivation area comprises about 1,400 to 1,600ha and is increasing by 1 to 2 percent a year. The primary growing regions are Brittany and Normandy, which harbour nearly 50 per cent of France’s savoy fields between them. The crop is also a familiar sight in southern France and Alsace, accounting for 11 to 14 percent of cropland in each region.

MODERN FARMING “Open field vegetable producers in Brittany and Normandy are generally modern and highly mechanised,” says Maxime Viel, Bejo’s representative for France.

“Farms range in size from 20 to 200ha. Growers are able to provide savoy almost year-round. They plant from March to August and harvest from June to April.”

Planting is primarily done mechanically, with a distance

between plants of 70 by 70cm (more than 20,000 plants per hectare). “On a lot of farms, savoy cabbage is part of the traditional crop plan, which also includes leeks and carrots,” Viel says. “During the harvest, growers cut twice a week. That enables them to offer a fresh product on the open market. Only 5 percent is grown on contract.” In France, it’s customary to pack savoys in open crates, six heads at a time, with a total weight of 9kg. Savoys are difficult to store long-term. “There have been experiments with low-oxygen storage,” Viel says. “But so far, they haven’t been successful.

And storage at lower temperatures hasn’t had the desired effect either.”

ORGANIC CABBAGES, SMALL HEADS Organic savoy cultivation has been a focus of attention in the past few years, mainly among growers exporting to Germany. Bejo has seeds suitable for organic farming. “Another recent development is the growing of mini savoy cabbages,” Viel says. “These cabbages are six to eight centimetres in diameter and are supplied to high-end restaurants. We use the same varieties for these mini cabbages. Planting more densely and using less nitrogen keeps the heads small.” Bejo is hard at work on new varieties of savoy that will be even more suitable for winter cultivation. These types will also be highly resistant to Mycosphaerella. “We expect to introduce the first new savoy varieties for the 2018 growing season,” Viel says. “With these varieties, Bejo is responding to the demands of today’s market.”

> Open field vegetable growers in Brittany and Normandy are able to supply savoy nearly year-round.

19

PRODUCER GLK FOODS

BRASSICA MAGAZINE

SAUERKRAUT TO SUIT EVERY TASTE The making of sauerkraut has been traditional for centuries. GLK Foods is one of the largest producers in the world. But the company is more than just a sauerkraut giant. These days, GLK Foods sells a number of other products, developed in response to current trends.

The company now known as GLK Foods started life four generations ago in Bear Creek, Wisconsin, as Flanagan Brothers.

The Downs family (relatives of the Flanagans) eventually took it over, and in 2012, Ryan M. Downs bought the company from his father, Ryan A. Downs. Over the years, GLK Foods has purchased and merged with a number of other kraut makers around the northern US. It currently has two highly efficient manufacturing facilities: the original one in Wisconsin

and another in Shortsville, New York. Every step of the production process is carefully monitored – growing, harvesting and processing. The whole enterprise is made possible by the many growers who proudly produce cabbage for the company. Some have done so for several generations. As the global sauerkraut market leader, GLK Foods processes approximately 140,000 tonnes of raw cabbage a year. All of it comes from small farms situated on some of the country’s premier cabbage-growing land.

Sauerkraut manufacturing is a stable industry

Most cabbage is transplanted, though for several years now, many growers have been experimenting with direct sowing to save the expense of transplanting. In the US, as in the Netherlands, the majority of cabbage

THE PROCESS

grown for sauerkraut is machine-harvested.

On arrival at the factory site, the heads are deposited on concrete slabs. Front-end loaders place them on conveyor belts, which transport them into the facility. Inside, they make their way through a series of fully automated machines, in which they are chopped and salted. The next stop is the stainless-steel vats where fermentation takes place. During this process, GLK Foods keeps a close eye on the levels of dry matter, vitamin C and sugars. Selecting the right variety is another key factor. Types like Cecile and Hinova are particularly suitable for kraut and are easy to process.

A VARIETY OF FLAVOURS GLK Foods sees sauerkraut as a stable industry that has experienced a modest boom lately. People born in the late 20th century are interested in natural foods, and sauerkraut has become popular with millennials looking to eat healthily. To meet the demand and keep up with trends, GLK Foods has created a diverse product range.

One of its newest lines is the Saverne range of artisanal, flavoured sauerkrauts, with varieties including sriracha; curtido; dill and garlic; Bavarian; craft beer; and curry.

The kraut is packed in resealable one-way vented pouches that allow the contents to

> The company’s research and development team meets regularly to brainstorm new ideas.

20

> Much white cabbage in the US is machine-harvested.

continue their natural fermentation process.

The US sauerkraut industry tracks developments in Europe and is switching from jars and tins to plastic pouches for the majority of its packaging. GLK Foods distributes most of its kraut in the US and sends small amounts to regions such as the Caribbean and Asia. The product can be found in convenience stores, on the food service market, and everywhere in between.

EXPANDING THE RANGE GLK Foods recently assembled a research and product development team. Its members meet regularly to brainstorm new ideas and evaluate new projects. The company

expects the team will enable it to bring successful products to market more quickly. Though sauerkraut will remain its primary focus, GLK Foods has recently expanded its range to include other vegetables. The new Oh Snap! brand, for instance, features brineless pickled cucumbers, green beans and carrots in single-serve packaging â&#x20AC;&#x201C; convenient, healthy, portable snacks. In the coming months, the company will launch another health-conscious treat: the GoBitos range of seasoned roasted chickpeas. GLK Foods is enthusiastic about its new products, and it looks forward to a bright future for sauerkraut too.

21

FERTILISATION

BRASSICA MAGAZINE

‘ DETAILS CAN MAKE OR BREAK A GROWER’S YIELD’ As far as fertiliser goes, growing brassicas doesn’t seem hard: a good soil structure, plus fertilising in the amounts demanded by the crop, and you’re almost there. “But it’s all in the details,” warns fertiliser expert Chris van Laarhoven. “They can make or break the end result.”

For a nice, healthy, thriving crop, you need fertile soil. That seems obvious, yet soil often gets less attention than it should. “Know your soil!” Van Laarhoven advises. “What’s your calcium/magnesium ratio? That’s important. If you’ve got the balance right, the soil will release minerals more easily and the plants will grow better. The recommended ratio of calcium to magnesium is 5.6 to 1. That means that 68 percent of the clay-humus complex (CHC) is occupied by calcium and 12 percent by magnesium.

On very light, sandy soil the guideline is a ratio of 60 to 20 percent and on heavy clay 70 to 10 percent. It always adds up to 80 percent. Along with nitrogen, magnesium is a building block for chlorophyll, which is something brassicas make a lot of.” The fertiliser expert adds that on lighter soil in

22

particular, calcium tends to be less freely available, but that element is essential for preventing clubroot. “Before you plant, spread granular gypsum: 500kg/ha. Sulphur is another important element for brassicas.

Use a fertiliser that contains sulphur, unless the soil provides enough of it through mineralisation.”

fertile it is. In sandy soil, the CEC is almost entirely determined by the presence of organic matter. Van Laarhoven says: “CEC readings can vary strongly per laboratory.

Plant sap analysis can show whether the CEC corresponds to the nutrients that have actually been taken up.”

EXCHANGE

In Brussels sprouts there are varieties that can get leggy. But if you apply extra potassium (such as 200 kilos of Patentkali potash fertiliser) for sturdiness, you know that a lot of nitrate will be released through mineralisation. Plant sap analysis can help you determine that, so you can contain it with Kali 60%. The potassium is absorbed, while the chloride it contains discourages nitrate uptake.

In soil analyses by Soiltech in Biezenmortel, North Brabant, the cation exchange capacity (CEC) plays an important role. That is the ability of the soil to exchange positively charged ions with the soil solution. Clay and organic matter attract positively charged ions (cations) such as Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, Na+ and H+. The higher the CEC, the more cations the soil can attract and the more

ADJUSTMENTS

HORTINOVA For ten years Chris van Laarhoven has been part of Hortinova, a group of a dozen advisors in the agrarian sector.

They all work independently within the Hortinova organisation, which has no managers or office. Each advisor has his or her own speciality, but they compare notes and fill in for each other if necessary due to illness. Van Laarhoven’s own speciality is fertiliser and nematodes.

>

Chris van Laarhoven: “Fertilising in combination with plant sap analysis gives the best results. You get a better sense of what the crop needs and can adjust your fertilisation strategy accordingly.”

TIP BURN Tip burn in cabbage often comes from too little calcium uptake, but it can be hard to get calcium into the plant cells. Boron stimulates calcium uptake, thereby indirectly improving storage life. But many soils lack boron. “Yet another detail that can make or break the crop,” Van Laarhoven comments. “Fertilising with boron before the season starts is like an insurance premium for good quality. Spray 3kg per ha of Solubor mixed with 10l per ha of humic acids and work that in gently. Humic acids displace cations, which also improves calcium uptake.” Heat stress can keep boron from being taken up, which means no calcium, either. That can lead to quality problems, particularly internal tip burn.

This often occurs after a number of warm

days with cloudy nights. In that weather, leaves aren’t able to transpire, which is necessary for nutrient uptake. Brassicas can develop quality problems in as little as four days. There will be fewer problems with the availability of boron and calcium if these minerals are included in the fertiliser.

PESTS Nitrate strongly attracts thrips and aphids.

Nitrate content can be measured in plant sap directly. If it’s too high, then it’s important that it be converted to amino acids and proteins. Along with nitrogen, magnesium and sulphur, molybdenum also plays a role in this process. Van Laarhoven advises: “Add molybdenum by spreading 25g per hectare of sodium molybdate with every fungicide application. Make sure the plant

can’t take up too much nitrate, and that nitrate can be converted in the leaves.

Then you won’t have to spray as often for aphids or thrips. Spreading 300kg calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) on general principle is a bad plan. Find out first with plant sap analysis whether your plants need nitrogen.” He concludes: “Fertilising in combination with plant sap analysis gives the best results. You get a better sense of what the crop needs and can adjust your fertilisation strategy accordingly. In a short time you can learn a lot about your crop.”

23

ROBUST VARIETIES FOR EVERY CLIMATE AND EVERY NEED

Every year Bejo introduces new brassica varieties for our growers. These new types all have improved characteristics or respond to new market trends.

Traditional breeding, in combination with modern selection, eproduction technology and bioinformatics, form the basis of the new varieties.

Bejoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trial fields and research greenhouses are located in Warmenhuizen, and this is where Bejoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s breeders, researchers and bioinformatics experts work on new vegetable varieties. Two brassica breeders, Jan Sybe Wijngaarden and Bert Janssen, and two researchers, Jan-Dick Ligthart and Miranda Ruiter, talk about the latest developments in brassicas.

THINKING AHEAD At Bejo we see breeding as the science of thinking ahead. Some Bejo varieties have

24

BRASSICA MAGAZINE

BREEDING

> Bejo’s brassica team, from left: Miranda Ruiter (researcher), Jan Sybe Wijngaarden (breeder), Bert Janssen (breeder) and Jan-Dick Ligthart (researcher).

resistant qualities for the most important diseases and pests, such as the fungal infections clubroot, Fusarium, mildew and white rust and the bacterium Xanthomonas.

Bejo also believes that breeding for resistance should never come at the expense of quality. Quality is a broad concept and means something different for every brassica type. In headed cabbage, storage life is important. For other brassica crops the focus is on flavour or possibilities for use.

In addition, quality requirements vary per region. That’s why Bejo has trial locations worldwide, so that we can respond to the wishes and needs of each market segment.

JAN-DICK LIGTHART

UP TO SPEED Breeding in brassica crops is a time-consuming process. Using traditional breeding it can take 18 to 20 years to develop a new, commercially viable brassica variety.

With new technologies, such as tissue culture and the use of DNA markers and bioinformatics, this process can be speeded up considerably. In tissue culture, plants, seeds or parts of a plant are propagated under optimum circumstances on an artificial nutrient medium. This offers a number of possibilities. Not only can plants be bred quickly, genetic material can also be stored safely and it’s possible to break through crossing barriers or more quickly establish new parent lines.

“Breeding is just like a ‘rat race’.

MIRANDA RUITER “These days

The new plants are made resistant

tissue culture plays a key role in

by crossing them with a resistant plant.

breeding. We use tissue culture as an

In response, the fungus can overcome

extra tool in breeding so as not to lose

that resistance through natural

material, or to speed up the process.

selection. The fungus can then attack

That saves time and money.”

the plant again and the breeders and researchers have to start all over.”

MARKET DEVELOPMENTS At Bejo the lines of communication are short throughout the chain. If a sales rep in a particular area notices a development, the breeders hear about it directly. That way they can respond quickly to growers’ inquiries or consumer trends and look for appropriate new varieties. Taste panels test consumers’ response: how appealing is the new type?

been on the market since the 1980s and are still being grown with good results. Even so, the company works constantly to develop new varieties, so that there are always viable options available the moment there is a cultivation problem, or if a new trend arises.

The focus of Bejo’s research has traditionally been on quality combined with resistance breeding. Fungi, bacteria and insects can recur at any moment if they manage to break through an existing resistance. Bejo utilises research and development to ensure that there are enough varieties on hand with

JAN SYBE WIJNGAARDEN “An important part of breeding is not losing sight of the whole range of qualities. For example, we have been

Another modern technology Bejo works with is DNA markers. This method uses a genetic map. The map for brassica is already known, and the researchers know exactly where on the nine chromosomes of cabbage the various genetic characteristics can be found, along with the matching DNA markers. These markers make it possible to spot whether or not a plant has a specific desirable characteristic. Bioinformatics is used to develop the markers, while various DNA robots are used to evaluate leaf samples. That makes breeding more efficient and saves a lot of time. In acquiring new expertise, the breeders and researchers work closely with experts from various universities and trial locations. In effect, this means Bejo is present wherever brassicas are studied, grown and eaten.

breeding Brussels sprouts for thicker leaves, so the sprouts bruise less

BERT JANSSEN “We have trial

easily. But we don’t want to lose out

fields all over the world, from China to

on flavour or storage life. After we’ve

France and from Guatemala to Poland

‘made’ a new Brussels sprout it always

and Israel. That way we can align our va-

goes straight to our taste panel.”

rieties perfectly to the local conditions.”

25

GROWER TB&S

BRASSICA MAGAZINE

> TB&S grows 200ha of pointed cabbage in Portugal, some on its own land, some through contract farming.

TB&S

SUCCESS ALL YEAR LONG WITH POINTED CABBAGE Think of pointed cabbage and you think of TB&S. Brassica Magazine wouldn’t be complete without a visit to company headquarters in Sint Pancras, North Holland, where Piet Timmerman talks about the company’s history and its future.

TB&S grows all kinds of produce, but just walk into the immense sheds in Sint Pancras and you’ll see what vegetable has pride of place: pointed cabbage. It’s with this product that TB&S, over the past 30 years, has developed a strong international position. And this is the product that the company is now able to deliver year-round to most of

26

the supermarket chains in the Netherlands, among others.

Yet the company chose to invest in this handsome brassica more or less by chance. When Piet Timmerman was just getting his bearings in the market in the early ’80s, he saw opportunities in pointed cabbage. Back then it was grown mainly in southern Europe. But that crop must be

able to thrive in Dutch soil too, Timmerman thought. Time proved him right.

SCRUBBED STORAGE Timmerman’s choice for “scrubbed” (conditioned atmosphere or CA) storage also turned out to be the right one. He explains: “These days we use an Ultra Low Oxygen storage technique

that allows us to lower the O2 levels even further. The air in the cold store passes through a ‘scrubber’ that takes the carbon dioxide out of the air.

The respiration of the product itself and the introduction of nitrogen into the storage space lowers the oxygen level even further.” That allows the cabbages to keep even longer,

yet it’s not long enough to be able to supply customers year-round. That was what the customers wanted, Timmerman recalls, and the grower too: “We had made a lot of progress as a company; by then we were market leader in pointed cabbage. We didn’t plan it that way. It just grew. An important advantage of that position is that you know a lot about your customers’ needs. We liked that and so did the customers. But if we wanted to keep that market position – and we did – then we had to take the next step and start supplying year-round.”

ALL YEAR LONG What started with a plane ticket to Portugal and a package of seeds in a carry-on suitcase developed for TB&S into a 200ha crop, some on its own land, some through contract farming. Not that this process went as quickly or easily as it sounds. Timmerman comments: “I don’t mind

telling you that there were times when we almost gave up.

You just have to take so much into account, both the cultural aspects and the organisation.

We’ve been very lucky with our agronomist. He’s a good man, he’s good with languages, he has great social skills and he understands growing. With his effort we’ve been able to set up a well-oiled operation, and we’ve got a CA facility there now too.”

to the CA storage. The produce from Portugal fills the gap.

“The two production locations complement each other perfectly. And now we even supply in Portugal.”

SEVEN-HEADED COMPANY The growth of the business naturally demanded more from the organization, which is now run by seven members of three different families: Timmerman (T), Bergen (B) and Swager (S).

“ It’s good to get together and discuss all your different points of view" The result is that TB&S now supplies pointed cabbage all year long. From May to September the company harvests in Holland. That supply lasts through February, thanks

Each has his own delineated tasks and responsibilities within the company. “We started out as two companies with more or less the same goals. We decided that one plus one made three:

it would be better to join forces than to compete with each other.

It’s turned out well. The seven of us don’t always agree with each other, but we don’t need to.

On the contrary: it’s good to get together and discuss all your different points of view. That keeps you sharp.”

CHALLENGE Now the company has a strong organization. For many national and international retailers TB&S is the most important supplier of pointed cabbage and the atmosphere in the company is noticeably good. In addition, consumption of pointed cabbage continues to increase.

What’s the biggest challenge for TB&S? “That would be keeping both feet on the ground. We’re a common-sense company with hard-working people. We’re proud of what we’ve achieved, but we don’t like to show off.

What we do, we do well. Holding on to that – that’s the biggest challenge.”

27

STORAGE: COOLING ON THE EDGE FOR THE BEST RESULTS Storing brassicas is a normal part of the job for many growers. But take a good look at various aspects of the storage process and you may find room for improvement. How is your CO2 percentage, your air circulation, how consistent is your temperature? Cooling and storage experts Johan Nijssen of Agrofocus and Ton Besseling of the Besseling Group explain.

BIG DIFFERENCES Agrofocus consults and provides support in the construction of commercial buildings and installations. Cooling and storage specialist Johan Nijssen of Agrofocus is regularly asked to evaluate quotes. That’s no surprise, since a layman is generally in no position to judge. “If a grower has asked for three quotes, I usually see that none of the three is accurate,” he says. “You would expect that when you give the exact measurements of the storage space, the quotes wouldn’t differ much. You’d be surprised. They may differ in capacity by as much as 40 percent.”

Choosing the right coolant is also difficult for an outsider, particularly since every situation is different. But for Nijssen it’s clear as day. “For large installations ammonia makes sense, but propane/CO 2 is also an option. Ammonia is toxic and requires expensive safety measures, so it costs too much for smaller installations. There you have to make a choice for one of the many synthetic coolants.”

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Johan Nijssen of Agrofocus acts as a consultant for storage and construction projects. But even when all the equipment needed for storing headed cabbage has been installed, a lot can still go wrong. Nijssen can give any number of examples. Trouble can start on the field: growth problems are a bad sign, and a growth spurt at the end is really disastrous. “Preventing problems in the cold store starts with proper harvesting,” Nijssen says. “And if a cabbage looks suspicious, whatever you do, don’t put it in! Damaged brassicas give off extra ethylene and are susceptible to disease. That only makes things worse in the cold store.”

AN EXTRA BOX Proper storage begins with keeping to the right stacking arrangement, Nijssen explains.

Pushing the rows together is a bad idea, because then there’s no room between them for the cold air. The space between the rows and the front and back of the storage space (in the direction of the air flow) should be at least 40cm to 60cm wide, otherwise the cold air won’t get all the way to the back. “The worst is if that one extra pallet box gets put on top, right in the air flow from the evaporator.

Then all the cabbage in front of the evaporator freezes, while the produce in the back doesn’t get cooled.” For long-term storage the temperature should be kept as close as possible to 0°C. That can be risky, because temperatures that drop just a few tenths of a degree under zero can cause ice crystals to form in the cabbage.

BRASSICA MAGAZINE

STORAGE

Good

storage conditions start with the right stacking arrangement.

>

put meters in the middle of the boxes at various points. But then you need to get remote readings.” Headed cabbage should cool off fast. Agrofocus calculates cooling capacity based on a seven-day cool-down period. “Even for customers with a low harvesting capacity we assume the store will be full in a few days, because the situation can change so easily.

And we’re taking into account that autumn temperatures keep going up. If you harvest the cabbage at three degrees warmer, that means you’ll need a few more kilowatts of extra capacity.

For the total investment costs it doesn’t make much difference.”

CA STORAGE

Nijssen remarks: “It’s a good idea to track the temperature of the cabbage, because you’re right on the edge in terms of cooling. If you measure at several different points in the cold store, you can catch temperature variations.

Cabbage that is one degree warmer, anywhere in the store, won’t keep as long. If you measure a difference, you can cool longer and circulate the air longer after a cooling cycle.

Long storage of cabbages, especially pointed cabbages, under CA (controlled atmosphere) conditions is a common Dutch practice. Where cabbage was originally stored at 1 percent oxygen (O2),the current standard is 0.5 percent plus 1 percent carbon dioxide (CO2).

The low O2 content keeps the cabbages from “breathing” as much, so they keep longer.

But there are limits: an even lower O2 content makes the cabbage oversensitive to CO2.

“You need the right combination of both to put the cabbage to sleep,” observes Ton Besseling, director of the Besseling Group, a company in Oosterblokker, North Holland, that specialises in the design and production of CA equipment and the manage-

“ Preventing problems in the cold store starts with proper harvesting” If you think it’s too much work to jab a product thermometer into a cabbage at various points in the store, then you can also

ment of storage processes, including cooling, but in particular CA storage. CA begins as soon as the cabbage has been

cooled down to 0°C. The O2 is then lowered in one day to 1 percent by pumping in nitrogen, made with a generator that removes oxygen from the air.

Besseling specialises in doing this with as low energy usage as possible: “For an installation for which we need 3 kilowatts, some other manufacturers need 12.” Besseling also focuses on ease of maintenance: “With some machines you already get anxious if you think you might have to replace the fan.”

CO2 content is regulated with a CO2 adsorber. Besseling’s adsorber has a ‘scrubber lung’ which means that almost no oxygen can enter the cold store.

The process is controlled from one central measuring station, with air being drawn off from each storage cell and transported to the station.

SEALED A modern cold store is gas-tight.

When it has been filled, the cooling mechanism is turned on.

Cooled air shrinks, causing air pressure to drop, which means that the store can implode.

The difference in air pressure is absorbed by pressure valves.

In CA storage, small pressure differences are offset with a large air bag or “breather bag,” which acts without allowing air from outside into the cold store. The aim of CA storage is to keep outside influences to a minimum. Large differences in air pressure are regulated with special overpressure and underpressure safety valves.

Besseling advises taking readings from the CA store every other day. “If that seems like too much, then definitely at least once a week. Don’t get too comfortable, just because it’s been going well for years.

You don’t want to be caught off guard.” In standard storage the percentage of CO2 can get too high, and that can cause black pits on the ribs of the leaves.

Nijssen says: “As long as you

TIPS - Have your cooling system maintained and your meters checked every year.

- Use boxes that have been thoroughly cleaned. Disinfection is a good extra step.

- The busy time around the harvest is when most mistakes are made.

Make sure that everything is ready in advance and everyone knows what to do. It’s a good idea to set up a protocol.

- Paint the stacking pattern on the floor.

That helps prevent mistakes in filling the store.

- Putting in too many boxes will reduce the quality of the entire store. It’s better to sell some of the crop straight from the land or rent storage space.

- Cover the top boxes with perforated plastic sheets to prevent them from becoming too cold and losing too much moisture.

- Keep the spaces between the rows open.

For CA storage: - Check the set values with a hand meter. Don’t only rely on the automatic system.

- Check the meters with a span gas.

- Proper circulation is especially important in CA storage, because O2 and CO2 have different densities.

come into the store a few times a week to inspect the produce, there will be enough ventilation.

But when the store stays closed for weeks, the CO2 can really go up. A PVC pipe through the wall behind the evaporator and a ventilator grill on the opposite wall of the store can prevent that problem. If I was a headed cabbage grower, I know I would want to measure CO2 levels.

A meter costs about 450 euros and you can read the levels right off. With bigger spaces that’s easy to install as part of the ventilation system. No matter how good the technology gets, the grower will still have to keep a finger on the pulse to achieve perfect storage results.”

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UNITED KINGDOM

BRASSICA MAGAZINE

Simon Naylor (left) with David Clay, crop manager brassica, Elsoms Seeds >

Simon Naylor

FROM LINCOLNSHIRE TO INDONESIA White cabbage may not be the world’s sexiest vegetable, but for English grower Simon Naylor it’s the heart and soul of his enterprise in South Lincolnshire. His company is one of the UK’s largest suppliers of white, red and pink cabbage.

Most of the varieties he produces come from Bejo.

> Almost all the coleslaw produced in the United Kingdom for food service companies, restaurants, wholesale and retail comes from Simon Naylor’s farms.

On the first day of his 2016 cabbage harvest, Naylor is happy to talk about his business.

He’s just returned from a visit to brassica test farms in Indonesia. At home he grows cabbage in the fields of South Lincolnshire.

The cabbages are harvested by hand and stored at the company’s facility near Spalding. After storage, the produce is sliced and packaged in one of the operation’s two packaging locations.

“Almost all the coleslaw produced in the United Kingdom for food service companies, restaurants, wholesale and retail comes from our farms,” Naylor says. “Our products meet the needs of the market. We also export quite a bit to Europe, which means we’re aware of the demands of the continental market. The main thing is to make the most of the opportunities that come up.”

SOUTHEAST ASIA Where opportunities are concerned, Naylor looks further than many others in the industry. “We’re now growing in Indonesia

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and other parts of Asia, and we’re working closely with Bejo in Singapore. Tests there, using the same cabbage varieties that we grow here in the UK and in Europe, are very promising. There are more potential customers in Asia and we can get a higher price right now than we can in Europe.

Transportation costs are lower, too. It’s cheaper to send a pallet of cabbages to Asia than to the south of England.”

The Asian market has potential, Naylor believes. “The economic pressure on fresh produce in the UK and Europe is high because of the labour costs. As long as there are no robots or other technologies available, cabbage will still have to be harvested and packed by hand. A major customer asked me recently whether the work was sustainable and I had to say: ‘Not in the long term.’ Most of the growers are family-owned farms, and they have to put in more and more of their own labour and management. Only if innovations like robotics appear does cabbage have a future

in the UK. Otherwise, the prices will have to go up.”

WHAT THE MARKET WANTS Naylor’s firm regularly speaks with sales representatives from Bejo and other seed producers about what British growers want in a brassica. “In general they want a sweeter, crisper cabbage that can be used for coleslaw, while in much of Europe they’re mainly growing for sauerkraut,” Naylor says. “Although the demand in Europe is increasing a bit for varieties that are good for coleslaw, the focus right now is on types with a high yield that are cheap to produce and can be machine-harvested.

Everyone is looking for a product that can be stored longer and keeps its quality, with less waste after storage.”

Naylor also works at developing new concepts. He is the exclusive grower in the UK of pink cabbage varieties, which in contrast with most red cabbages don’t “bleed” when cut. “That development has

been expensive. Our progress is slow, and meanwhile I’m getting a lot of interest from Asia. A lot of growers would have given up long ago.” This shows that there’s a real need, not only for a sustainable commitment on the part of the industry to invest in new developments, but also for long-term

" The Asian market has potential" relationships between growers and breeders. It’s no surprise that Naylor, along with his local distributor in the UK, Elsoms, has a good relationship with the whole Bejo team.

“Bejo’s varieties tend to do very well,” he explains. Roughly 80 percent of the production on his farms is white cabbage varieties, with 20 percent red cabbage.

“Typhoon and Perfecta do particularly well.

Processors would like an alternative for Almanac, because of its woody heart, but at the moment there’s no other variety that can guarantee such early production.

That means that we often have to de-heart the Almanac ourselves. And for the end of the season, Expect is still a good cabbage for storing.”

A YEAR OF CHALLENGES Weather conditions made the 2016 growing season a challenging one in the UK. “We had heavy rains in June, and after that we had huge problems with cabbage moths,” Naylor recalls. “Then we experienced a period of drought and now, in early October, it’s cold.

Whatever impact climate change seems to have, the weather gives difficulties in every season. Whenever there’s a shortage in the world of any kind of fresh produce, it’s almost always because of the weather. That’s why there’s a need for reliable varieties that can do well under all conditions.”

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NEW INTRODUCTIONS

BRASSICA MAGAZINE

NEW BRASSICAS HIT THE MARKET Bejo is bringing some eye-catching brassica concepts to the market: Coolwrap, Léttage and Kohrispy. With these new products Bejo shows how traditional vegetables can fit into the latest health and lifestyle trends.

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BRASSICA MAGAZINE

In recent years Bejo has devoted more and more energy to exploring new ways of using fresh produce. A range of interested parties, from consumers to catering companies to retail and the processing industry, are constantly on the lookout for innovative products and unusual recipes. Bejo brings together various partners in the chain in its search for new concepts. With our

LÉTTAGE The name Léttage, a combination of “Lettuce” and “Cabbage”, is being used for several different varieties of cabbage with a mild, sweet flavour. The idea behind Léttage is that cabbage stays crisp and fresh and has a high nutritional content, making Léttage an ideal ingredient in healthy, flavourful salads. The concepts Léttage in Europe and Sweetheart Léttage in the United States are linked, and encompass not only a number of sweet white cabbage types but also a pointed cabbage variety. All of them have roughly the same characteristics. The term Sweetheart Léttage is mainly used for a pointed cabbage cut in half to show the heart. This concept draws more attention to sweet, mild cabbages with a looser, more open structure than the traditional white cabbage varieties. In England, too, the concept has led to a rise in the popularity of sweet white cabbage.

knowledge of varieties, the market, marketing and trends, Bejo supports farmers in growing new products and introducing them into the market.

WORLDWIDE New concepts can generate more attention for brassicas, which in turn stimulates consumption. All innovations are developed

COOLWRAP Coolwrap is a new type of cabbage whose square leaves can be used as a wrap, in sushi or as part of a healthy sandwich. It is a specially selected, flat white cabbage with a mild taste. It is grown in the Netherlands by two companies, Kos in North Holland and Simons in Limburg, and is available at several Dutch supermarket chains, including Albert Heijn, Dirk van den Broek and DekaMarkt. The Coolwrap concept is also finding its way to other European countries, including Poland, Sweden and Denmark. Coolwrap has its own website, www.coolwrap.eu, where all kinds of information can be found about the product and its many uses. Bejo has developed Coolwrap recipes and even a film. Articles have appeared in various media and social media is being used to tell consumers about Coolwrap. Fun fact: Coolwrap was the “vegetable of the month” in Dutch grocery chain Albert Heijn.

NEW INTRODUCTIONS

with health, taste and convenience in mind.

It’s not easy to come up with the latest food trend, and many things need to be taken into account. Bejo’s marketing, sales and breeding employees work closely together and consider all sides of the problem, taking a worldwide look at growing techniques, the practical value of new varieties, flavour and other market needs.

KOHRISPY Within the “Taste-Health-Convenience” concept theme Bejo has developed new, flavour-friendly kohlrabi varieties – such as Konan and the purple Kolibri – that are suitable for raw eating. Kohrispy kohlrabi sticks are made from the flavourful new Konan variety. Kohrispy is convenient and also very healthy, thanks to high levels of vitamin C and antioxidants. The flesh of the kohlrabi root is juicy and crunchy and has a mild, melon-like smell and a smooth, sweetish taste. Because cut kohlrabi doesn’t change colour, it makes an excellent convenience food, making it fit perfectly into the current food trends.

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UNITED STATES

BRASSICA MAGAZINE

KALE

FROM UNKNOWN AND UNLOVED TO HIP AND TRENDY >

Kale juice for breakfast, kale chips for healthy snacks and kale leaves grilled on the barbecue. The trend for healthy eating stimulates creative cooking. Kale is a trendy ‘superfood’ in the US, and that development is making waves in the rest of the world.

Reflex, from Bejo Kale is full of vitamins and minerals. “The hype for healthy eating in the US has had a huge impact on kale in recent years,” says Jan van der Heide, Sales & Product Development Manager for Bejo in the United States.

“Obesity is a problem here, and more and more people see the importance of eating well.

Several years ago the ANDI was published, a scoring system that currently forms the basis for a lot of nutritional advice in America.”

The ANDI, or Aggregate Nutrient Density Index, was developed in the early 2000s by the American nutritional expert Joel Fuhrman.

The index classifies foods on the basis of how rich in nutrients they are compared to the number of calories. Kale, with a high nutrient density and few calories, heads the list with 1,000 points. Vanilla ice cream, corn chips and cola are at the bottom of the list with 9, 7 and 1 point respectively.

IMAGE Van der Heide continues: “Kale scores high on the ANDI list because it contains not only vitamins but antioxidants, beta-carotene, calcium and glucosinolates, all micronutrients that are said to have a variety of health benefits. After it was included, the image of kale in the US changed completely. It used to be a niche product that was seldom seen outside the organic sector. The average consumer thought the leaves were too tough and didn’t like the taste. Now there are all kinds of delicious recipes in circulation and people love kale. Highclass restaurants all have it on the menu, and even McDonald’s is interested in this vegetable.”

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CULTIVATED YEAR-ROUND Kale is grown and harvested all year long in the US, often on smaller farms. The leaves are picked from the stalks while the plant keeps growing. “It’s great to see. At the end of the season the field is full of what look like little palm trees,” Van der Heide says. The crop thrives in the continental climate and is not especially vulnerable to disease or pests. Cabbage caterpillars are the most common problem, but they can be controlled with organic methods. In the summer, kale is grown primarily in the northern US (Winterbor and Ripbor) and in the winter, it is grown in the south (Darkibor and Ripbor). These varieties are well suited to the extreme weather conditions that prevail in much of the US. There are also kale varieties with a juicier leaf, such as Reflex, but these grow better in Western Europe.

FORERUNNER Van der Heide observes: “Bejo’s researchers are working hard to develop new kale varieties, and they are also doing a lot of breeding work with other brassica types. Taste and texture are important, and cabbage types with a thinner, more flavourful leaf are becoming more popular. Examples are pointed cabbage (Caraflex) with a fine, tender leaf, and flat cabbage (Gunma) with a thin, crisp leaf. These types of cabbage do well in fresh salads. But not only that, they’re good for stir-frying, because the thinner leaves cook faster.”

The healthy food trend has also crossed the ocean to Europe, which has a growing problem with diabetes and obesity. In addition, European consumers, like Americans, have less time to cook traditional, local foods. The brassica specialist points out: “In Europe too, there’s a lot of interest in creative cooking, and chefs have discovered new ways to turn an unloved vegetable like kale into a healthy tastemaker. The demand for new foods has also led to the introduction of sweet cabbage (Cambria) and Coolwrap (Gunma).”

Van der Heide sums up: “You could see kale as a forerunner.

The same nutrients that make it so healthy can be found in all the other brassicas. Think of Brussels sprouts, savoy cabbage, Chinese cabbage and bok choy. In the coming years I expect these crops, too, to profit from the trend.”

KALE SMOOTHIE WITH AVOCADO, BANANA AND COCONUT MILK

For two glasses: – a good-sized handful chopped kale – 1 banana – 1 ripe avocado – 150 ml coconut milk – 100 ml water – lime juice Put the kale, banana, avocado and other ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Be sure the kale is completely blended. Add a little fresh lime juice for extra zing.

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> Jan Willem Bakker: “If you don’t turn over the soil, it keeps its natural composition in all its complexity and balance.”

BAKKERBIO

JAN WILLEM BAKKER NURTURES THE SOIL In Munnekezijl, Friesland, Jan Willem Bakker grows organic vegetables at his farm BakkerBio. With the right green manure, smart crop rotation and as little tillage as possible, he has greatly improved his soil life.

The once poor soil has been transformed into fertile earth well suited to growing cauliflower.

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BRASSICA MAGAZINE

ORGANIC GROWING

In 2000 the experimental farm Kollumerwaard (www.spna.nl) converted partly to organic. This inspired nearby farmers Jan Willem Bakker and his father Wridzer to switch to organic growing of vegetables and potatoes. To acquire expertise, father and son went to trade shows, visited other farms and joined study groups. “In the organic sector you find bits and pieces here and there and you develop your own ideas,” Bakker says. The Bakkers’ conclusion was that organic farming depends on healthy soil.

NO MORE PLOUGHING Cauliflower entered the crop plan for BakkerBio and has never left. Jan Willem Bakker describes their business model: “The market for cauliflower is expanding and the crop grows well on our land. Our cauliflower is now carried in the organic section in Jumbo supermarkets, among others. We wanted to grow only first-class cauliflower and were wondering how to do that. The secret of our success lay in the soil: in 2004 we stopped ploughing and switched to a crankshaft spading machine.

Spading has many advantages: the organic matter doesn’t get buried and you don’t have as many problems with the plough pan. Manure and crop residue remain closer to the surface. Spading leaves the soil lighter.” In 2006 father and son bought a farm that was known as “poor”. “People said: ‘Congratulations on your new farm, too bad about the land.’ But the worst fields then are the best ones now,” Bakker says.

A few years later the Bakkers were deciding per plot whether or not to spade the soil, and in 2010 they stopped turning it entirely.

“If you don’t turn the soil, it keeps its natural composition in all its complexity and balance.” Bakker emphasises the importance of healthy soil life. To demonstrate his point, he puts a spade into the soil between the cauliflower plants. It’s full of worms. Then he digs into a tire track and shows earth with blue clods. “Where the tractor has ridden the soil organisms have died, leaving behind blue earth that smells like rotten eggs, where nothing grows.” The Bakkers con­ cluded they should drive as little as possible over the fields.

GREEN MANURE For fertiliser Bakker uses only livestock manure. “That’s to feed the soil. Then the soil feeds the crop.” A third of the manure comes from his own animals; the rest is organic goat droppings. Bakker fertilises two or three months before the growing

BAKKERBIO

season starts, so the soil organisms have had a chance to do their work. He spreads roughly 30 to 35 tonnes per hectare for cauliflower, depending on the previous crop.

Carrots, grass-clover and grain aren’t given any livestock manure. BakkerBio maintains a six-year crop rotation. “In organic farming you can see exactly how your land is reacting. You have a basic plan, but you watch to see if this is what you had in mind. I already know where my cauliflower will be growing six years from now. We always have cauliflower, celeriac and potatoes. The rest of our growing plan is more flexible: the oats and pumpkins I have now could just as easily be beans.” The grower keeps his ditches clear and drains 6ha of land every year. Nor will you find any fallow land at BakkerBio. “We always use a green manure after the crop. That way the soil is always nourished and it holds fertilisers better. It makes the plants stronger and more resistant,” Bakker says. It also means the crops need 30 percent less fertiliser. Right now he is growing Phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia) as green manure after the cauliflower. With his system emphasising soil life, he has been able to raise the organic matter content of the land. “The earth has come alive again.

Working together with nature is the path to sustainable farming.”

Just behind the dyke in Munnekezijl, Friesland, in the Lauwersmeer area, stands Jan Willem Bakker’s new farmhouse. The old one burned down last year after a lightning strike.

Crop plan 80ha own land 25ha cauliflower (incl. rented land) 8ha celeriac 4ha carrots 6ha oats 6ha pumpkins 12ha seed potatoes grass-clover mix for the livestock Sales The Greenery, Naturelle, Coforta, Agrico and individuals.

In addition, Jan Willem raises organic Charolais cattle as a hobby. The animals graze in the summer in the Lauwersmeer area. In 2016 BakkerBio was awarded the Ekoland Innovation Prize.

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GROWER MARTIEN AARTS

BRASSICA MAGAZINE

‘ AS LONG AS I CAN STILL WALK, I’LL GROW BROCCOLI’ By day he has a full-time job with a growing and packaging firm in Haarsteeg, North Brabant. Evenings and weekends, Martien Aarts grows for himself. And how! It’s impressive to watch him pack broccoli in his dimly lit shed in Dongen.

He works at a rate of five hundred an hour, 270,000 per year.

Alone, by hand. “The broccoli is cut in the morning,” the grower says. “I’m not there during the week, but I have a team of about three people working for me. Then the broccoli goes into the cold store. The following evening I pack it, and then it gets shipped to market in Belgium.”

EASY CROP If you didn’t already guess: Martien Aarts is a hard worker.

Starting in 1979 he spent some thirty years growing leeks, until little by little the business went south. One day a co-worker asked him for help packing broccoli. Aarts got such a good feeling about the vegetable that he kept on helping, and in 2011 he himself switched to growing broccoli.

He currently grows on 9ha per year. “It’s a relatively easy crop that doesn’t need a lot of weed or disease control.

Not only that, it produces a beautiful, healthy, delicious vegetable,” he says, full of genuine enthusiasm. Just by looking at his broccoli plants you can tell that he’s a craftsman and a grower in heart and soul. It’s mid-September, with temperatures around 30°C for the second day in a row, when he talks to us for the magazine, but his crop looks

as neat as a pin. His secret? “No matter what the weather report says, I water the plants if they need it.” His results are, without exaggeration, outstanding. He claims that 98 percent of what he cuts is Flandria quality, destined for the Belgian vegetable market. “If I find I’m taking less than 80 percent from the field, then I don’t harvest. There’s no point. What I get from this field? I think at least 95 percent.”

NEW DEVELOPMENTS Aarts’s enthusiasm for broccoli is matched by his interest in the progress that seed companies are making in developing new varieties. For the past three years he has had good experiences with Malibu, especially for early growing.

In the summer he grows little or no broccoli, because then he has his hands full with his other work. “Malibu is a fast, strong variety with reliable results. It has a nice, compact, round closed head that doesn’t hold water, which makes it less prone to bacterial soft rot. And look at it this year: the conditions were anything but ideal and September was much too hot, but the broccoli is gaining weight and looks good. I know, because I handle each and every one of them.”

GROWING Martien Aarts plants from early March to the end of July, in the first few weeks 5cm pots, and then 4cm. He harvests through October. With 9ha under cultivation he’s a small grower, especially when you consider that some 3,000ha is grown in the Netherlands alone.

Does this busy man in his fifties have ambitions for growth?

“Yes and no,” he says. “I enjoy the work, so I wouldn’t mind having a couple more hectares. I sometimes say that as long as I can still walk, I’ll grow broccoli. At the same time, I’m happy with what I have now: I know what’s going on, I can pay attention to my product and I produce good quality.

Grow my business or keep going on the same lines? That’s what I’m trying to decide. If I choose the first, I would have to get a packing machine. If it would pack at the same speed that I can? Haha. I should hope so.”

< Bejo rep Pascal Staaks (left) with Martien Aarts.

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“Malibu is a fast, strong, reliable variety.

It has a nice, compact, round closed head.”

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BEJO ZADEN B.V. 1 Bejo-OD-Cropalyser-A4-INT.indd Postbus 50 1749 ZH Warmenhuizen Nederland T: +31 (0)226 396 162 E: bejonl@bejo.nl W: www.bejo.nl

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