High-value black confection hybrids under a new market segment called Onyx were launched to the Ukranian market today at <AgroComplex 2017>. Onyx N5LM307, a Clearfield herbicide resistant hybrid and Onyx N6LM304 a Clearfield Plus resistant hybrid offer significant advances for both growers and the processing industry.
The key to both hybrids is their large kernal size, attractive black shell and desirable taste, all traits which are appealing to both processors and roasters.
For growers, the appeal is the end market desirability, very high yields and agronomic traits, including the Clearfield and Clearfield Plus herbicide tolerance traits for controlling difficult weeds.
“The confectionary market is under developed in Ukraine despite the demand from consumers, so we see the launch of these varieteis as very timely,” said Igor Savinsky, commercial leader of Nuseed in Ukraine, Russia and Kazakhstan.
In 2017, the total area of sunflowers harvested in Ukraine totalled approximately 6,250 hectares yielding13,750,000 tons, Mr Savinsky adds. “As yet, confectionary production is not currently recorded separately, something that we anticpate will change following the introduction of Onyx.”
Following a successful registration process by the State Variety Institute, Nuseed is delighted to announce the registration. of «N6LM304» and anticipates the registration of «N5LM307» upon successful registration completion in time for the 2018 planting season
“Both varieties have also been registered and are concurrently launching in Europe however, this launch in Ukraine is the first in the heartland of black confection varieties and the first hybrids available for a traditionally open-pollinated market segment” he notes.
“It is important to note that, it is not only the high yields and colour of these two hybrids that is newsworthy, but also the percentage of large calibrated grain that the hybrids produce. This is highly appreciated by roasters and consumers,” says Mr Savinsky.
“In the black confectionery sunflower market, there are currently no competitors to Onyx, not only in the Ukrainian market, but also in the world.”
Other important attributes of Onyx are that 90% of grain achieves sizes of 3.2mm or above according to Maxim Bernatsky, director of ROST-AGRO LLC from the Poltava region. “This ensures that Onyx is a stable, predictable and profitable option for the end-market as well as growers.”
Futher advantages of Onyx are:
– Significant agronomic and harvest benefits over open-pollinated varieties
– Ease of growing
– High-tech ‘business grain’ ideally suited to the end market
– Minimum waste
– High nutritional value for consumers
– Extraordinary taste of the grain
“We all know that there is potential for yield, but there is a real life yield record for this harvest,” says Anton Posunko, head of the group of companies” Agro Marketing Group “. “In the central regions of Ukraine, the actual yield of hybrids NuSeed is 4.2 tons per hectare, in the East is 4.4 tons per hectare while 3.7-4.0 tons per hectare can be achieved in the South. Therefore, if one word was used to describe NuSeed hybrids, it would be ‘victory’ in the confectionery sunflower market.”
Commenting on NuSeed’s plant-breeding activities, Patrick Dieterich General Manager of Nuseed Europe adds: “Nuseed has world class breeding stations in Serbia, Australia, South and North America. However Ukraine is the №1 country in the world for growing and processing quality sunflower seeds, which is why breeding a confectionery sunflower for the market has been one of our primary goals.”
Onyx N5LM307 will be available to the wide market while Onyx N6LM304 will be aligned to end-market processors and roasters with dedicated contracts for growers, Mr Dieterich notes.
