Lettuce Lettuce is a popular salad vegetable, particularly in the West. The consumer is encouraged by a variety of organisations to eat healthy, and that means eating vegetables. “The consumer also wants tasty products, particularly the ones that are quick and easy to prepare,” explains Steven Zeevat, Portfolio Manager at Enza Zaden. “We see that lettuce consumption is increasing, particularly the crunchier lettuce varieties such as cos and iceberg lettuce.” Firstly, consumers buy lettuce because it is a vegetable that goes well with virtually every dish. In addition, the increasing popularity of ready-to-use packs certainly plays a role. After all, these packs satisfy today's demand for food that is easy and quick to prepare. “They also offer diversification, as people like to create a tasty mix of a variety of types of salad leaves, such as baby-leaf varieties, spinach and rocket. If you had to buy a whole head of each type of lettuce to create that mix, you would end up with an absolutely huge salad. These ready-to-use packs contain a great mix of salad leaves in just the right quantity.” Enza Zaden has a wide range of lettuce varieties. Magali Lemont Breeder Lettuce France 102 | Enza Zaden
Outdoor Lettuce Iceberg Cellist Cellist is a very large framed iceberg lettuce variety recommended mainly for spring and autumn production. Cellist is a very reliable variety with a good shape and excellent internal structure. Cellist is a standard variety for many Scandinavian lettuce growers and is well appreciated in the fresh produce distribution chain. Resistances: HR: Bl:1-28/Nr:0 Damion Damion is a new open field iceberg lettuce variety recommended for growing in Northern Europe from spring through to autumn. It is medium green in colour and medium sized, and produces heads which are very easy to harvest. Damion produces a consistent result over a long period of time. It is strong against tip burn and bolting. Resistances: HR: Bl:1-28 Botiola Botiola is our main selling open field iceberg lettuce variety in Spain. It is a large sized variety which grows very well throughout the winter in Southern Europe. Botiola gives a very high percentage of marketable heads consistently over a long period. The heads are firm and solid and pack well for the export markets, it is easy to handle. Resistances: HR: Bl:1-27 Diegola Diegola is an exceptional open field iceberg variety for winter production in Southern Europe. It is particularly suited to warmer winter areas. The size is quite compact and the leaves are nice and thick and protect the head well. Diegola is a top variety in its segment and a must for the professional lettuce grower. Resistances: HR: Bl:1-27 *This is just a small selection of our lettuce varieties, please refer to our website for descriptions of our whole range: www.enzazaden.com Enza Zaden | 103
