In an interview with www.freshfruitportal.com, operations director of CN Seeds Dan Nye talks us through the company's herb range, behind the scenes breeding work on new varieties and global trends in the herb sector.

Currently nameless and referenced only as CN 5023, CN Seeds has developed a new basil variety through on-going breeding work. 

Due to be named some time next year, CN 5023 is the result of one of several trials going on through the U.K. specialist in herbs and leafy salads.

"CN 5023 has been developed specifically for pot culture. For this we need a plant habit which is not too leggy i.e. a steady growing variety without too many ‘arms and legs’, so the plant surface is even. We also want a smooth stem without branches," Nye told www.freshfruitportal.com.

"Holding ability is also important, so the product stays good looking in store. We select plants with a good aroma (correlates to flavor) and we want outstanding uniformity.

"We need a mid to dark green color, but not too dark green. Again, this is for the best appearance in store."

Nye explains how 99% of all test crosses are rejected and the number progressing to commercial trials, following a selection process, is quite low. However, CN 5023 'looks very promising'.

"Hopefully we will find a name in 2015, but it is not sold as a branded product at consumer level so it is not critical."

Another new introduction in coriander (cilantro) is Cruiser which is attracting attention after being cited for an Award of Garden Merit (AGM) by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and showcased at trade events around Europe.

"Coriander is probably the most widely used herb in the U.K. so that is still our core market for this product. For cut herb production, the U.K. growing season runs from May to October and during the winter months most imports come from Spain and Morocco, so that is where we focus.

"Pot herbs are all year round in Northern Europe and we see demand for coriander increasing in many countries and also a widening of its use, as consumers not only use it traditionally, for example in curries, but add it to salads for garnish and flavor.

"With this in mind our aim was to improve leaf quality. As well as the many grower trials we have run in the U.K. and Spain, we also included the Cruiser in the independent RHS trials."

Looking ahead, next year's herb species plans include expectations to release new varieties of dill, parsley and chive.

In addition, baby leaf kale is making headway in the U.K. and U.S. marketplaces, according to Nye, but it's too early to crunch the numbers, analyze sales and the potential for future demand.

"I think many people are watching this (baby leaf kale) market very carefully to gauge consumer reaction."

What is driving fresh herb demand in Southern Europe?

CN Seeds recently exhibited at a Madrid trade fair where it successfully gained interest from a range of Spanish growers in the fresh-cut and potted sectors.

Nye predicts demand for potted herbs will spread outside of Northern Europe over the coming months driven by an increasing demand for fresh herbs. Spain looks like a very promising market with claims that listings from major retailers are imminent, although Nye wouldn't be drawn to naming names at this stage.

"Like Northern Europe, the focus on flavor is almost seen as one of the reactions against homogenized, fast food. Look how the 'Slow Food' campaign has developed recently.

"Once producers start to develop products for local markets and not just for exports, then increased availability, visibility and shelf space give a higher a profile, and the cycle is completed."

One of the biggest challenges is to understand market trends and part of that means making predictions as to what consumers in the future will want to buy.

"Breeding new varieties is a slow process. It can take up to 10 years to bring a new product to the market, and so we have to channel our energy and efforts into developments that we think will be attractive both for growers and consumers.

"This is a long term process and we need to be flexible enough to react to market change, but there are no quick fixes in this job. It is slow and careful work to develop and prove new varieties, as any breeder will confirm."

Photo: Amanda Slater, via Flickr Creative Commons

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