German company EW Group last year acquired Spanish plant breeder Planasa to expand its animal breeding portfolio to plants: Planasa's nursery, among the largest in the world according to commercial director Manuel Garcés, started in 1973 with white and green asparagus, followed by endives, strawberries, raspberries, garlic, blackberries, and, since 2020, also blueberries. He was addressing attendants to Planasa's field day at a Lebombo Cape blueberry farm and packhouse outside Wellington, the Western Cape.
© Carolize Jansen | FreshPlaza.comJeffrey Fan, Planasa general manager in China, with Planasa CEO Michael Brinkmann
Planasa annually produces 1,000 million soft plants, sending them to over 35 countries. In the case of South Africa, Planasa tissue culture arrives from Spain, is multiplied in the Western Cape, and then sent, rooted and plugged, to Planasa's nursery in Mooketsi, Limpopo, where winter temperatures support root establishment.
The Planasa Western Cape field day photo report
They supply plants in nothing smaller than one-litre pots, a decision made to guarantee the vigour of young plants.
Four of Planasa's six blueberry varieties are available to Southern African growers. Their faith in these four is such that Garcés doesn't foresee the company ever stopping their production. At the same time, he noted, since they are a breeding company, they have further blueberry varieties in the pipeline for eventual commercial release.
These four varieties - Manila®, Madeira®, Maldiva®, and Malibu® – are already planted on farms in the north and south of South Africa, as well as in Namibia and Zimbabwe. Planasa would like to expand that footprint to more African countries.
© Carolize Jansen | FreshPlaza.comPieter-Ernst Coetzee, Planasa business development manager for the Southern Africa region
Maldiva® is Planasa's flagship for the region
Planasa's flagship variety in South Africa is Maldiva®, and amongst themselves, various attendants noted it had been performing very well in Southern Africa. "It has what everyone is looking for because of its yield, its size, and its quality," remarked Pieter-Ernst Coetzee, Planasa business development manager for the Southern Africa region. "It grows in difficult conditions. The management of it is also very easy following pruning."
The Planasa Western Cape field day photo report
The Maldiva® harvest is preceded by the early Manila® harvest and succeeded by the Madeira® variety. "Madeira® is really good in combination with the previous two varieties for a long season. In Zimbabwe, Maldiva® bears 80% of its crop between June and September. It is a variety with a focus on jumbo berries, and I think with Maldiva® Zimbabwe is in a very good position to send to China."
An agronomist by training, Coetzee has observed a number of points on which Planasa growers are advised, amongst them the wisdom of avoiding excessive pinching, or overtipping. "When you are working with the new generation varieties coming to the market, because of the size, a high focus must be placed on high potassium and high calcium levels to promote quality very early on, well before flowering."
This year, Planasa will be conducting sea freight trials on its varieties from South Africa to Europe.
The Planasa Western Cape field day photo report
© Carolize Jansen | FreshPlaza.com
For more information:
Pieter-Ernst Coetzee
Planasa
Email: [email protected]
https://planasa.com/