Gongga* is a new broccoli variety recently introduced to the South African market. Withstanding the temperature fluctuations and weekly rain of KwaZulu-Natal’s past summer season and yielding exceptional crops under the circumstances, as it did, is something special.
Gongga was planted in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, where conditions were initially cool but soon changed to hot and humid. Feedback received was that Gongga did not lose its shape and still produced an attractive product in the punnets. In the packhouse, Gongga presented a dark green colour with a perfectly dome-shaped head.
An important feature of Gongga is the very high cut percentage in the field despite the tough conditions. Growers were able to cut almost 100% of the planted population. Gongga was primarily planted as a summer variety and was cut at 75 days after transplant. With this maturity it slots perfectly into any planting programme.
Gonnga also showed it has good field resistance to various head and leaf diseases. This, coupled with a strong vigorous plant, means it is a reliable choice for difficult times.
Gongga was not only a success in KwaZulu-Natal, but also performed well in the Northern region under slightly more favourable growing conditions. We look forward to seeing a lot more of this variety in the near future!
