RZ-100-wt4-E-flipbook-240702 - Flipbook - Page 48
Rijk Zwaan’s views on making hybrid varieties were
described earlier. The first hybrid breeding in professional horticulture in the Netherlands took place as
early as 1946 with tomato seeds, and by the end of
the 1950s, plant breeders in the Netherlands are
switching more and more to this breeding method.
However, Rijk Zwaan still insists that this is not the
correct way to create a good variety. As a result, he
ultimately loses the battle for a bitter-free cucumber.
Demand for this product came from Germany in
particular, and the US occupying army also complained about the bitter aftertaste of the cucumbers
being sold in the shops at that time. After a lot of
hard work and patience, Rijk manages to produce
the first ‘bitter-free’ cucumber using his own
particular method. Jan Wesseling is the person who
has to test the taste each time. To this day, it has left
a bitter taste in his mouth: ‘I can’t eat cucumbers
anymore: I had to taste thousands of them.’
The drive for perfection has taken Rijk Zwaan’s
company far, and Rijk is convinced that he has
now found the best method. His son Jaap later
describes him in the following way: ‘He had
something unyielding and was quite
Introduction of the bitter-free cucumber
in the 1958-1959 catalogue,
authoritarian. He was a driven man and very
focused on his work.’ Rijk Zwaan is often right,
but once in a while this philosophy leads to a
missed chance.
Use of the mobile greenhouse in
Bergschenhoek (above and below).
46
Rijk Zwaan | Moving forward together
