b'LETTUCE CELEBRATELOOK AT LETTUCE BREEDING AND ITS CHALLENGESPART 2: REGULATORY AND INNOVATION.BY: MARCEL BRUINS & TREENA HEINI n each issue, European SeedtakesR&D Crop Technical Lead for leafies,resistance gene. Garca explains that for a closer look at one of the many cropsartichoke, okra, asparagus and celeriac, that European plant breeders areBASF Vegetable Seeds.Meridiem, up until a few years ago, the working on. In our November issue, weThe future for lettuce looks bright incommercialization of a variety took up to 10 put lettuce in the spotlight and con- terms of consumer demand. According toyears, but the use of new biotechnological tacted leading breeders to learn aboutVisser, consumption of this vegetable istools developed in recent years have short-breeding goals and challenges. Part 2growing slowly in all parts of the world,ened the breeding timeline significantly. focuses on regulatory challenges, accessand Zonneveld names Russia, Ukraine,At Maraldi, six to eight years is to genetics and innovation. The industryIndia, and South-East Asia as particularrequired to develop a variety, and at experts are: Olaf Zonneveld, Global R&Dareas where growth is increasing.BASF, the timeline depends on the matu-Crop Lead Salads, Syngenta Seeds; RoelSchut adds that lettuce consumptionrity of the breeding program and the Veenstra, Crop Research Manager, Bejogenerally grows in countries where theproduction system for which the variety Zaden; Alfonso Garca, Lettuce Breeder,middle class is growing and becomingwill be developed. The use of infrastruc-Meridiem Seeds; Johan Schut and Jairwealthier.ture needed to test new breeding lines Haanstra, Lettuce Breeding Managers,Developing a new lettuce varietyunder high tech conditions (hydropon-Rijk Zwaan; Lisa Zaccaria, Lettuceat Rijk Zwaan takes six to eight years.ics with additional light) is easily five to Breeder, Maraldi; Gowtham Prakash,However, it takes double that amount often times more expensive than testing in Pre-Breeder leafies and Peter Visser,time to introduce a new trait like a newopen field, explains Prakash. Further, Gowtham Prakash, pre-breeder and Daan Schreurs, pre-breeding specialist, exercising selection in the field. Source: BASF Vegetable Seeds20IEUROPEAN SEEDIEUROPEAN-SEED.COM'