Growing high-quality beans with predictable yields as global temperatures rise is an increasing challenge in many regions. Especially in the US, the growing process is affected by climate change. Seasons become drier, nights get warmer, and the soil dries out. This also leads to increased pressure from pests and diseases. In beans, we developed The Magma Collection® which offers high production under stressful conditions, preventing gaps in bean supply programs and ensuring your reliability as a supplier. This collection of heat stress-tolerant bean varieties covers all your needs when it comes to heat tolerance, disease resistance, and pod quality.

Our role in making vegetable cultivation more sustainable is significant. We develop varieties that are naturally resistant to pests and diseases and need fewer fertilizers. This way, we can reduce the need for harmful chemicals, protect our environment, and prevent the soil from depleting. In spinach, we see a growing consumer demand for spinach that is organically grown. Our spinach varieties boast the highest level of resistances, and as they’re resilient to local physios, they’re perfect for organic cultivation.

Because fewer and fewer seed treatments are available, we are developing alternatives. Our biostimulant INITIO ensures that, even under stressful conditions, we can maximize seed emergence.

Consumers and the supply chain demand consistency in volume and quality, 365 days a year. The concepts we develop respond to this need. Take our Spinach 365® solution, for example. Spinach 365® helps give consumers access to uniform, high-quality, fork-sized spinach that has a good crunch – throughout the year, and in the right volumes. This way, we encourage consumers to make repeat purchases in grocery stores. As the varieties of Spinach 365® slot together perfectly, they help make sure delivery can be not only planned but guaranteed. In addition, the uniform leaves and petioles make for easier processing and packing, saving you money on packers.

Waste and loss, whether in the supply chain or on the consumer level, should be minimized now more than ever. That’s why we focus on breeding varieties with an excellent shelf life, which reduces waste in the fresh produce chain. At the same time, a variety also needs good harvest plannability. Varieties that have good field holdability help minimize losses in the field. Finally, there is a lot to gain in reducing processing waste. Take beans. The beans we develop for the processing industry have peduncles that stick to the plant during harvesting. The result: less waste from processing. And when it comes to our red beets, we make sure our varieties are easy to peel, so there is less loss in preparing the end product.

Consumers lead increasingly busy lives, with more eating occasions that replace traditional meals. Easy-to-prepare and ready-to-eat meals are gaining popularity worldwide. That’s why we breed bean varieties that can easily be pre-cut and pre-trimmed, making them perfect for ready-to-use packages. We also do research on the suitability of our varieties for new applications like steaming and air-frying. And don’t forget our yellow snack beans, a colorful and healthy addition to a charcuterie board!

Appeal is a focal point of our breeding strategy that should not be underestimated. Why? Because if a product doesn’t look good, consumers won’t buy it. That’s why we aim for our varieties to be picture-perfect. It’s also why our dark green semi-savoy spinach varieties have a long shelf life, making bags of spinach look attractive, voluminous, and healthy. And when it comes to our chard varieties, our red-veined chard adds a glorious pop of color to salad mixes. And have you thought about wax bean varieties that perfectly mix with green beans to create color-medley packs that ensure in-store stopping power? Let us share our experiences with you.

These days, consumers expect more when it comes to flavor. That’s why retailers want varieties with an intense and consistent flavor experience, prompting consumers to make repeat purchases. We have developed several red beet varieties that simply taste better. Honestly, they’re the sweetest you’ll ever try. What’s more, the high brix keeps the flavor of our beet varieties up even after a longer period of storage. It’s what makes them ideal for vacuum packaging. And when it comes to spinach, our focus is on leaf texture, so we can guarantee spinach leaves with the best crunch around.