EUROPEAN-SEED.COM I EUROPEAN SEED I 33 crop systems, seasons and growing conditions are different. In Europe, our main focus is on sweet pepper blocky and conical types for protected cultivation along with regional types includ- ing lamuyos. MATTHIEU NICOLAS (MN): The Syngenta pepper breeding R&D team is located in Spain, Netherlands, Israel, Mexico, US and Brazil. The breeding objectives are primarily focused at these major markets, but we also drive hard to serve other develop- ing markets such as India, China, Mexico… We have narrowed our focus on blocky types for all ecologies (heated glasshouse, unheated plastic houses, open field dry, open field humid) and various elongated and conical types such as Elongated Bell and Dulce Italiano (plastic house) and Cascadura (open field). NATALIA NAGY (NN): There is a strong focus on blocky peppers in our organization, but we do keep a balance with other regional types and we breed for half-long (Lamuyos) peppers in southern Europe. We also have a strong R&D presence in Turkey, where we breed for local pepper types. JAIR HAANSTRA (JH): We choose to work on a broad assort- ment of peppers, as we believe that widening the category can contribute to a higher consumption of this product. In general, peppers must meet the expectations of consumers. For instance, blocky peppers should be really blocky. On the other hand, our customers ask for new, innovative types that give them the pos- sibility to set themselves apart in the market. A good example of this is our Sweet Palermo innovation that is also extending in terms of colour (next to the red one, a yellow and orange are being introduced). Specifically, colour preference can vary for each region. In Northwest Europe, consumers like their peppers to have a bright red colour, while in the south, they prefer a darker red. In some segments, taste is extra important, such as in Rijk Zwaan’s sweet Palermo type. When it comes to snack peppers that are becom- ing more popular, breeding for sweetness is important but they should also be crunchy and juicy, with not too many seeds and the skin should not stay lingering in your mouth when chewing. Another example is the Dolma, very popular in Turkey and often prepared in the oven. The skin should not be too thick, or the cooking time is too long. ES: In most crops, yield and resistance are paramount breeding targets. How is this in sweet pepper? ZS: Like with other crops, yield is an important breeding target in peppers, but resistance to a wide variety of diseases and fruit quality remain primary objectives of breeding. Resistance or tolerance to any kind of stress, biotic or abiotic, is essential for stable performance. AA: Yield is crucial for the grower to be competitive, but goes hand-in-hand with fruit quality and a good resistance package to reduce pesticide use and secure the yield for the grower. We can offer a high-producing variety but when fruits are sensi- tive to micro-cracking or lack shelf-life, the variety will have no value. Value can also be created aiming to reduce costs; for instance, a grower can save costs by having a variety that is more labour-friendly. Over the last decade, yields have increased 10 per cent. This achievement is the combined result of breeding efforts and crop/greenhouse advancements. Taking into account the long growing cycle and highly-controlled conditions, yields in the heated high-tech greenhouses in North West Europe can be up to three times higher compared to the un-heated plastic greenhouses in Southern Europe. NN: Many of the breeding efforts are the same for the differ- ent types of sweet peppers like yield and certain diseases. The difference is how yield manifests itself. In some markets yield is represented by the amount of peppers, and in others, it is measured by kg per m2, or by fruit weight and fruit dimensions. These parameters need to be kept in mind when improving yield. In general breeding increases yield about 1 per cent per year. JH: Obviously, yield is a very important breeding goal, but it also depends on the market segment. In Dutch high-tech green- houses where peppers are grown under maximum-controlled circumstances, every kilo is important. When a variety gives 0.5 kilo more yield, it can already have an important, positive effect on the profits of a grower. In this high-tech market, the yield increase per year is around 1 or 2 per cent. In markets with a lower technical level (especially open field production), it is especially important to have a stable production. With unex- pected and/or extreme climate conditions, growers still want to produce a good/sufficient yield. In every market and segment, resistance breeding is very important, but insects and diseases differ per region. In gen- eral, we can say that this breeding goal gets more important as sustainability is gaining importance and retailers set higher demand in terms of the use of chemical crop protection. ES: Which diseases are most important in your breeding work? Have there been any new diseases in sweet pepper in the past few years? ZS: The set of disease resistances required to grow pepper vari- eties are defined by growing area as well as type of growing system. In general, less complex disease packages are neces- sary in the heated glasshouse market (resistances to Tobacco Mosaic Virus and Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus). In addition to these virus resistances, in the unheated protected areas in the south of Europe, resistance to Powdery Mildew and Nematodes, as well insect resistance (Bemisia tabaci and Thrips) are of increasing importance.  AA: In Europe, the most troublesome diseases include pepper mild mottle viruses, tospo viruses, powdery mildew (Leveillula taurica) and root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne sp.). The The Bayer pepper R&D team Europe. (Photo submitted by Bayer.)