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Mr Hamadouche on his plot of artichokes with two Greencoop's team members: Director Majid Kribel and Engineer Younes. A successfull collaboration!
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Hybrid artichokes - Concerto variety
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Hybrid artichokes: excellent results in Algeria

ICS and its partner Greencoop have recently obtained excellent results with Nunhems' hybrid artichokes in Algeria. Available as seeds, these artichokes varieties are well adapted to a large range of growing conditions (soils, temperatures). Caracterised by a certain tolerance to salt (moderate at least), like every artichokes varieties, hybrid artichokes present a lot of advantages compared to vegetative-multiplied traditional cultivars such as:

• Homogeneity, especially when compared with open populations.
• Lower diseases incidence, direct (no Rhizoctonia problems during rooting period) or indirect because easier crop rotation and management (Verticillium). The number of failed plants during the starting of the crop can be reduced drastically in some cases.
• Better frost tolerance.
• Profitability: saving in manpower and transport costs. Also net yield is higher very often.
• Flexibility in the production cycle: summer production, annual or biannual crop, new growing areas...

Crop management: key points

Growing hybrid varieties requires specific crop management practices. With their long field experience, ICS' agricultural engineers provide their farmer-customers with very pertinent advises leading to high yields especially in artichokes production. In Algeria as well as in Maghreb and all around Mediterranean countries, several key points are important:

• Optimal average temperature for seed germination is 18-20°C.
• Seedlings are sensitive to excess of humidity.
• Ground fertilization and watering have to be adapted to specific needs of seed varieties before and after planting.
• Under basin irrigation, fields should have a good water evacuation or drainage system with a proper slope.
• Under drip irrigation, doses of fertilizers should be split according to the phenological stage of the plant.
• Efficient weed management consists in a combination of both cultural and chemical control methods.
• Artichokes planted from seeds need vernalization for bolting. In some cases, the use of external application of gibberellins (growth regulators) may satisfy this physiological need.
• Harvest and post-harvest operations partly depend on artichokes' further use: fresh market or industry.

Our selection of hybrid artichokes varieties

We provide four different Nunhems' hybrid artichokes varieties. Depending on natural conditions (climate, soil...), and considering market goals of each farmer, we can sell:

• CONCERTO
  This late variety gives vigourous plants with conical well closed heads. Caracterised by a good internal quality (compact and dense), Concerto is very attractive for fresh market.
  Density: 5.000 – 6.000 pl/Ha
   
• OPAL
  This early variety of artichokes offers the possibility of getting a second harvest in warm areas.Suitable for both fresh and processing markets, OPAL is notably good for green industry, without coloration of the final product.
  Density: 6.000 – 7.000 pl/Ha
   
• HARMONY
  In appropriated conditions, this medium-early variety can produce a second harvest after the main one, but with considerably smaller heads. With big primary heads, those artichokes are suited for both fresh and processing markets.
  Density: 6.000 – 7.500 pl/Ha
  
  
• MADRIGAL
  Madrigal is a late variety giving vigourous plants and very productive. Heads are compact and dense and very suitable for industry, even if primary heads tend to be too big for normal industry process.
  Density: 5.000 to 6.000 pl/Ha