Versatile
Corn salad is generally grown outdoors but there are also areas where it is grown in plastic tunnels or glasshouses. Sometimes the crop is harvested as a whole plant (a rosette) and sometimes as loose leaves. The lettuce is often sold bagged and it is frequently found as part of mixed salads as well. Corn salad comes as one widely-grown type, so that Rijk Zwaan invests a lot of energy in this crop in its breeding work. Our varieties may be grown under cover as well as outdoors.

Germination vigour
In our breeding work for corn salad we look for dark green leaves of 5 – 10 cm, with certain buyers or markets preferring even shorter leaves. Good germination vigour is vital in all conditions, combined with the correct seed shape and size. The crop must also be suitable for mechanical harvesting and processing. For the convenience market, extra criteria apply such as less-prominent veins and a slight ‘spooning’ of the leaves.

Resistances
No chemical crop protection products are allowed in corn salad so that most of our efforts focus on breeding in resistance. By means of resistance tests, resistant varieties are developed. We are also constantly working on a good production for growers, but labour-friendliness and ease of harvesting are important objectives, too. For instance, an erect crop is easy to harvest and also limits disease pressure.

For information about our varieties visit our subsidiary in your region