Param Turna, Account Manager for Rijk Zwaan Australia, presents five lettuce varieties for Australian growers. A range of baby and crunchy lettuce varieties were featured at the East Gippsland Vegetable Innovation days (EGVID) trials during May 2020 at Lindenow, Victoria, Australia.
Tendita RZ is a small, sweet flavoured, crunchy cos variety. It offers uniform and upright baby crunchy cos leaves suitable for production in Spring, Summer and Autumn in cooler areas, and Autumn to Spring in warmer areas. Often referred to as the ‘edible spoon’, or ‘snack lettuce’ variety, it is the first of its kind, developed with smaller, unique spoon-shaped leaves that are sweet and retain their crunch. It offers huge potential for the convenience sector, in terms of processing as a whole head or whole leaf, fillings and dressings.
Coronita RZ is a larger version of Tendita RZ. With a crispy, crunchy texture, high quality leaf with dense internal foliage, this variety is suitable for whole head or twin packs and can be harvested from Spring to Autumn in most areas. A great product!
Verodita RZ is a similar style to Coronita RZ, however more suited for the cooler harvesting periods.
Amadeus RZ has been a pioneer variety in the twin pack segment for many years. Its ability to close slowly, an upright habit and strength against tip burn makes it very suitable for harvesting in the warmer season.
Rainey RZ is a new variety that is suitable for the Winter segment in most areas. This baby cos comes with more weight and darker green foliage and good vigour for the cooler periods. It is well-filled with a good contrast in colour, making it ideal for twin packs.
