The breeders at Bejo are working on varieties for the future, with disease resistance high on the list of priorities. The company recently highlighted a new variety in the mid-early Nantes carrot type: Nagoya. With its nice, smooth and cylindrical carrots, the variety is strong against cavity spot and has got a very good standing ability in the field.
Cavity spot is a problem in a growing number of countries and regions. It causes small, in some cases sunken lesions to appear on the carrot. The infected area later increases in size due to the natural growth in length and girth of the carrot, and the outer skin will rupture, to leave an oval, open cavity with a frayed edge. Due to its strongness against cavity spot, Nagoya gives long, slim roots.
“Nagoya joined our assortment of mid-early Nantes carrots recently. The variety is similar to Nairobi, is more slender and has stronger foliage,” explains Area Crop Manager Robert Schilder. “It gives high yields and produces nice, smooth, cylindrical carrots.” Nagoya has excellent internal and external colour and scrubs up beautifully. It is also strong against cracking during harvesting and processing, helping to increase yields. Nagoya presents itself remarkably well after washing.”
In the Netherlands, Nagoya is positioned between the earliest carrots and the later Nerac segment. It has also shown promising in the UK and Denmark. Since Nagoya grows long roots relatively easily, it suits heavier clay and peat soils, such as those in Lancashire. In Denmark it’s sold mostly as a storage crop to be kept under straw (with a yearly yield of 45 tons) and plastic sheets.