12 October 2026 News
Over three days, from 23 to 25 September, Enza Zaden welcomed customers, growers and industry partners from around the world to the Discovery Field Days in Twisk. The event focused on the latest developments in resistance breeding, breeding innovation and market trends. This year's event was centred around the overarching theme: Resistance Makes the Difference.
Particular interest focused on Enza Zaden's latest developments in Nasonovia HR Nr:0,1 for iceberg lettuce. As the availability of crop protection products continues to come under pressure, growers are increasingly looking for genetic solutions that support resilient and sustainable production. The latest iceberg and romaine lettuce varieties combine High Resistance to Nasonovia ribisnigri Nr:0 and Nr:1 with full Bremia resistance (Bl:29-41), offering an important component of an integrated crop management strategy. The new romaine lettuce varieties featuring Nasonovia HR Nr:0,1 also attracted considerable attention in the field. This development marks an important step forward for the romaine segment. Two of these new varieties will become commercially available next year.
One of the highlights of the week was the Dutch industry afternoon held on Thursday, where the latest developments in resistance breeding, market trends and breeding innovation were discussed.
Ton Smolders, Sales Representative & Product Developer at Enza Zaden, reflected on the exceptional lettuce season of 2026 and shared insights into the performance of newly introduced varieties under commercial growing conditions. He emphasized the importance of evaluating varieties on a broad range of characteristics, including resistance, quality, harvestability, shelf life and profitability.
Babette van der Kloet, Manager Post Harvest & Consumer Research at Enza Zaden, highlighted the importance of post-harvest quality and shelf life. Wilco van den Berg from GroentenFruit Huis shared insights from market data and consumer research, demonstrating how consumer preferences continue to influence the development of new varieties and the future direction of lettuce production.
"Resistance makes the difference, but ultimately the market determines the success of a variety," said Sven Paauwe, Sales Manager Leafy at Enza Zaden. "That is why we combine breeding innovation with a strong focus on market developments."
Modern breeding technologies were also highlighted during the event. Maarten Rouwet, Senior Pre-Breeder at Enza Zaden, demonstrated how techniques such as marker-assisted selection and speed breeding contribute to faster variety development and the targeted combination of multiple resistances.
The strong international attendance and many valuable discussions confirmed that resistance, quality and market-driven breeding remain key priorities for the future of the leafy crops sector. Through continuous innovation, Enza Zaden aims to support growers with reliable production of high-quality vegetables and contribute to a sustainable and future-proof food chain.
Take a look back at the Discovery Field Days in Twisk and experience three days of innovation, knowledge sharing and valuable conversations with customers, growers and industry partners from around the world.
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