Offer a watermelon for each consumer's need. This is the objective with which they work in Nunhems®, a brand of horticultural seeds of BASF, and this was evident in the latest edition of their 'Watermelon Business Event for Experts'. During two days, Nunhems® gathered in El Ejido (Almeria) producers, marketers and distributors to show their latest innovations in watermelon along with the commercial range, result of two clear lines of development: "The diversification in sizes and external appearance" , as explained by Mercedes Fernández, watermelon specialist at BASF Vegetable Seeds.
Kalanda F1 * is a pollinator with microseeds for the early greenhouse segment (January transplants). It is larger than Premium F1, between 3 and 4 kilos, and with it "we offer our customers the caliber they need in very early cycles for both export and domestic market with high internal quality."
Hiromi F1 * is, on the other hand, a personal striped watermelon, between 1.5 and 2.5 kilos, with which Nunhems® responds to the demands of the current consumer, who lives alone or in smaller family units, and bio market, which is looking for smaller sizes. "With Hiromi F1 * we provide the innovation our customers need to reach an increasingly diverse market, maintaining the high quality that characterizes the Nunhems varieties", affirms Fernandez, who also highlights the precocity of Hiromi F1 *, between 70 and 75 days after the transplant.
External differentiation
The second key line in the Nunhems® watermelon varietal development is the search for that differentiation in the linear one also through the external aspect. The seed company has presented the NUN 31607 WMW F1 *, a seedless Crimson watermelon of 'midi' caliber, 3-5 kg, with which Nunhems® gives a new 'tool' to its customers to make a difference in the markets offering a value-added product.
The latest innovation is the NUN 09003 WMW F1 *, a yellow watermelon of external appearance similar to a Crimson, large caliber, between 5 and 8 kilos, and firm and crunchy flesh, ideal for processing. "Unlike other watermelons, it has more dry matter, which, together with its large size, allows a greater use of the fruit for the IV range industry", explains Fernández. The NUN 09003 WMW F1 * is adapted to both protected and open-air cultivation, offers a very stable production and has a good performance against hollow core.
Stellar F1, rising value
Nunhems® has shown the participants in this new edition of the Watermelon Business Event for Experts its wide portfolio of watermelon, which has commercial varieties for different target markets and different consumer tastes. Among them, the BASF horticultural seed brand has placed special emphasis on the Stellar F1 seedless black, a very versatile variety, adapted to an early greenhouse cycle and outdoors, thanks to its very safe and stable behavior, great capacity of fruit, well-formed fruits and quality.
Special mention deserves Bengala F1, the seedless Nunhems® for plantations from January to mid-February in greenhouse that stands out for its precocity. Bengal F1 has a very attractive external appearance that combines with a great internal quality. Its size, between 5 and 7 kilos, low presence of veins and fibers, as well as good behavior against hollowed out make it an ideal watermelon for sale cut.
The internal quality is, finally, the hallmark of the already established varieties of Nunhems® and also of their new proposals, as those attending this professional event have been able to verify. "It is an opportunity to show our clients our lines of work and put our innovation capacity at their service, offering them varieties that not only satisfy the needs of new consumers, but also allow them to reach the market with a different product. and of high added value ", concludes Fernández.
* APC granted and in the process of being requested for inclusion in the EC Common Catalog of Vegetable Varieties.
Editor's note: This article was originally published in Spanish. This English summary has been prepared with Google Translate and edited for clarity.
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