In a new project, AgroTech is performing screening and cultivation experiments in order to develop new types of lettuce for Yding Grønt product line. The objective is to capture marketshare both in Denmark as well as in the company's export markets.
Yding Grønt is one of Denmark's largest producers and suppliers of special types of lettuce and baby leaves. The company provides high-quality lettuce solutions to the retail and catering markets. The product line encompasses approx. 20 types of lettuce, ranging from oakleaf and the now somewhat better known rocket to the more exotic, grandiloquent “Bull's Blood” lettuce, which is a delightful, extra red beetroot leaf variety. In addition, various herbs are also included.
The challenge
Yding Grønt wishes to continue its growth by developing a new product line of unique salad mixes. The goal is also to increase production of raw materials in Denmark as well as to reduce imports to a minimum. To be able to realise the objectives, it is necessary to perform screening of edible wild plants and exotic species of plants to assess their suitability as new herbs and leaf vegetables. Based on the screening, a number of species will be selected for cultivation experiments.
Project tasks
AgroTech's contribution primarily involves experiment design, evaluation of the cultivation, culinary and post-harvest quality, plus examining the plant compounds and cultural history.
The project is divided up into three phases:
- Screening tests of approx. 50 different species
- Cultivation experiments to evaluate the large-scale potential
- Legislation, plant compounds and cultural history
The University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Life Sciences, is participating in the project by providing advising on seed technology and seed treatments.
Development prospects
An expended product line will differentiate Yding Grønt both from its Danish and foreign competitors. In addition, the company will have procured a design for its experiments that can be utilised in future product development work. For the consumers, this will mean exciting new content in their salad bowls and thus additional reasons to eat green.