Sep 30, 2015

Syngenta hires breeders to accelerate introduction of leafy vegetable varieties

Syngenta’s three new global R&D team members are focused on developing new varieties with enhanced features in romaine, iceberg and batavia lettuce, as well as spinach, including baby leaf.

Ravneet Behla recently joined the leafy portfolio team as a romaine lettuce breeder focused on development of open-field varieties for fresh and processing markets, as well as whole leaf varieties. Eifion Hughes, assistant breeder, will focus on spinach variety development for the U.S. market, while also supporting global market needs. Joshua Besancon, assistant breeder, will assist with development efforts in romaine and iceberg lettuce.

In addition to new team members in R&D, Julie Butcher has been hired as the product lead for leafy and brassica crops, and will work closely with breeders to position new Syngenta leafy varieties and communicate the benefits to customers.

“One key focus of leafy breeding efforts moving forward is integrating resistance to tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV) into our existing portfolio and new varieties, as well as identifying new resistance genes that provide insurance for growers against emerging strains of devastating diseases like downy mildew,” said Barner Golumbfskie-Jones, Syngenta leafy and brassica product marketing manager. “Beyond resistance, we are committed to delivering ‘full package’ products that fulfill needs throughout the value chain.

For more information, visit Syngenta’s website.