During the Fruit Logistica 2019, held from 6th-8th February 2019 in Berlin, visitors can vote on ten nominees of the Innovation Award. One of the nominees is the Bejo red onion variety Redlander!
Redlander is the first red onion hybrid variety available on the market that is highly resistant against downy mildew (HR:Peronospora destructor). Downy mildew is a severe problem in production fields in many parts of the world. It infects the leaves of the onion, eventually causing major losses in harvests or destroying crops completely.
An excellent new product for the assortment of the organic grower, the variety Redlander provides greater harvest certainty and outstanding storability. For the conventional sector too, Redlander is a perfect variety to grow as it requires less crop protection. Depending on the growing season and disease pressure, yields of varieties without mildew resistance can vary between just 10 tons or more than 50 tons. When growing Redlander, this variation is drastically reduced.
This beautiful, round, red onion, has excellent skin quality, a bright internal colour and single centres. Redlander has a fresh, crisp taste and can be eaten raw in salads, as an accompaniment to meat dishes, or added to a pizza topping. The consumption of red onion is increasing due to its taste, attractiveness and versatility.
Redlander is available as both organic and conventional seed in various pack sizes, e.g. 10,000 and 250,000. Along with Redlander, Bejo have also developed a full range of yellow onion hybrid varieties which also have mildew resistance.
This innovation (HR resistance to downy mildew) has been developed and tested by Bejo and De Groot en Slot, with a close cooperation between the breeding and plant phytopathology departments of both companies.