Lefroy Valley’s DNA is entrenched in sweetcorn. The journey started in the early 1990’s was in sweetcorn processing varieties with the help of our long term partner Snowy River Seeds (SRS). Breeding began in Orbost, Australia, a climate not too indifferent from ours. The bow was then strengthened further in 2009 with sale of Snowy River Seeds to Crookham Company, a 100 year old family owned business based in the USA. We see the benefits today with high quality fresh market genetics.
Early season Nirvana series - Sh2i gene:
Nirvana - combines the early vigour and the ease of harvest with high eating qualities. This results in Nirvana reducing harvest costs while presenting an excellent dark green flag leaf and higher packout rates. Photo below: Nirvana
Xanadu – maturing 3 days later than Nirvana, but adds another armour of rust resistance. A medium height plant.
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Maturity comparison: Nirvana – earliest Xanadu – 1 day later than Nirvana Globetrotter – 3 days later than Nirvana Launch – 7 days later than Nirvana |
What is the sh2i genetics in sweetcorn?
It specifically pairs the exceptional eating quality of a supersweet with genes that dramatically improve seed quality and early-stage field performance.
· Enhanced Seed Plantability: The seeds are physically more robust and uniform, allowing standard vacuum or plate planters to drop them precisely without skipping or crushing the fragile, shrivelled seed coats.
· Superior Vigour & Field Emergence: It gives the seedling a stronger "kick" out of the ground. It can handle less-than-perfect, cooler early-spring soil temperatures much better than older sh2 lines, ensuring a highly uniform crop stand.
The "Best of Both Worlds" Texture: While classic sh2 corn can sometimes have a tough, chewy skin (pericarp) to protect its watery interior, sh2i varieties are bred to combine that intense supersweet flavor profile with a exceptionally tender "melt-in-your-mouth" bite.
Mid – Late season varieties:
Globetrotter – mid season maturity, with a strong plant, adding to the sweetcorn portfolio for it’s robust plant which stands well in strong wind, where many fresh market varieties will fully lodge.
Launch – The longest maturing variety, strong resistance to Rust and Northen Leaf blight, and a plant which also stands well. A dark green husk which presents beautifully in the crates.
Photo above: Richard in Nirvana paddock, East Coast
