Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76ISSUES AND CONCERNS such as information, consistency, labor friendliness, improved disease tolerance and non-GMO rank high on growers’ list of wants, but according to Harry Beukelman, Monsanto’s product and management leader for North America, “U.S. growers are looking for varieties that reduce their agronomic risks and improve their yield potential.” He says the company’s research and development team works closely with growers to understand and develop solu- tions to their needs. Examples of this, Beukelman says, include the continuous improvement of bacterial leaf spot resistance for pep- pers, which is a high priority, “as is downy mildew resistance in cucurbits and leafy crops. We’ve also invested a tremen- dous amount of effort into developing Phytophthora blight resistance in sweet and hot peppers. These types of solutions allow us to address growers’ needs.” Depending on regional environments and climate, certain crops and varie- ties do better in specific regions, which is why Monsanto’s breeding programs take these “bio zones” into account when breeding for a new variety. “The West Coast typically grows a lot of leafy (lettuce, spinach) and Brassicas (broccoli and cauliflower),” says Beukelman. “Fresh tomatoes and sweet peppers are mainly grown in the south- eastern United States. “The processing tomato industry is in Northern California. Watermelons are typically grown on both the East and West Coasts, as well as Texas.” Javier Martinez, HM.CLAUSE vice president of sales for North America and Australia, says the company’s global pres- ence allows it to work side-by-side with growers in every corner of the world to provide the most regionally relevant and reliable vegetable seeds available. “We emphasize building and maintaining good customer relationships so that we can create innovative and adapted local prod- ucts that meet their specific needs.” Martinez says there are some crops that are grown in all regions like beans, sweet corn, fresh market tomatoes and peppers. And there are other crops that see higher demand in certain areas, such as melons, that are mostly grown in the western U.S., or watermelon that is grown more in the south. Climate Drives Development “Varieties are developed specifically for regional climatic conditions, dis- ease pressures, and for the type of production system used,” he says. “For exam- ple, since there are higher virus pressures in the south- east versus on the West Coast, new varieties are introduced more often to keep up with continually evolving diseases. “In the West, a particular variety may be more in demand for longer periods because there is not the need to adapt as frequently.” When it comes to the latest innovations in vegetable seed varieties, seed companies and breeders keep locale and consumer demands in mind. Lisa Kopochinski Agronomics and Aesthetics Drive Development FEBRUARY 2017 SEEDWORLD.COM / 49 WEST EAST Leafy(lettuce,spinach) Brassicas (broccoliandcauliflower) Melons FreshTomatoes SweetPeppers SOUTH FreshMarketTomatoes SweetPeppers ALL REGIONS Beans,SweetCorn,Peppers, Watermelons