Plant breeders are continually producing new varieties that usually come with more desirable traits.
Last February 13, we witnessed the launching of a new generation of salad crops like lettuce (mostly), celery, endive, cauliflower, cabbage, tomato and sweet pepper. This was at the field day at the experimental farm of Allied Botanical Corporation inside the campus of Benguet State University in La Trinidad.
The lettuce varieties are really impressive. There are several of them that come in different shades of red or purple and green. They are not only impressive for their color. They likewise have other special desirable traits.
For one, the so-called Salanova varieties are also what is called ‘One-Cut-Ready.’ Michael Caballes, president of Allied Botanical, demonstrated how easy it is to prepare the leaves of the new varieties for making salad. With just one stroke of the knife at the bottom of the oldest leaves, all the rest of the leaves up to the newest ones are cut off ready for use in the salad. No need to cut the leaves further, after all the new varieties are dwarf but plump, and their leaves are short. And because they are compact, the Salanova varieties give a higher yield. They have more leaves.
Caballes explained that the Salanova varieties are either the oakleaf type or butterleaf type. The butterleaf type have leaves that are wider and in the case of many Korean restaurants, they usually use the butterleaf for wrapping their barbecue.
Here’s a sampling of the new varieties. We are very familiar with the green Romaine. Now, there is the red Romaine (Galatea) and the Tyrol Romaine, Green Romaine Lettuce Poco, and of course the standard Romaine.
There is also a new version of the Frillice lettuce which has leaves with very curly (‘spiny’) appearance. This new Frillice has crisp leaves that are thicker and therefore have a longer shelf life. This variety does not easily wilt, according to Mike Caballes.
Among the red lettuce varieties are Cheerokee (a favorite of Korean restaurants), a variety called NRBL2 with blistered leaves (a very red Lollo rosa), and Red Valentine. Some people say that the colored varieties contain antioxidants which are good for the health.
SALAD TOMATO — Allied also presented to the attendees a new salad tomato that is produced under roof shelter. The planting materials are grafted using Atlas variety for rootstock and a Dutch variety as scion. The Atlas variety is said to be resistant to bacterial wilt while the Dutch variety is claimed to be resistant to yellow leaf curl virus (YLCV).
SWEET PEPPER — The company also showcased a new bell pepper that produces big fruits and which can be a bestseller for the Cordillera farmers. This is called Compass and one plant can yield an average of three kilos. During off-season, one kilo of bell pepper usually sells at P160 while during the on-season the price could be P60 per kilo, according to the farmers who attended the festival.
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SMALL-SCALE FARMING IDEAS — Participants of the AANI Farm Tour on Sunday March 30 will visit the livelihood projects of the Villar Foundation long managed by Sen. Cynthia Villar in Las Piñas City.
Before proceeding to the Villar projects, however, this editor will conduct a talk on “Money-Making Opportunities in Small-Scale Farming.” This will be in the morning at the lecture hall of the AANI Weekend Market at the FTI in Taguig City.
We will discuss doable projects that can be undertaken even by part-time farmers or gardeners in the urban area or in the provinces. We will report on the successful projects of farms we have previously visited in the country.
After lunch at the FTI the tour participants will proceed to the Villar livelihood projects. These include the production of coco coir and cocopeat out of coconut husk, organic fertilizer production out of household wastes, and handicraft production using dried stems of water hyacinth a.k.a. water lily.
Farm tour reservation may be made at the AANI office at the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City as well as at the AANI Weekend Market at the FTI in Taguig City.
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