Atlas

OUTSTANDING QUALITIES

• Large, uniform fruit
• Healthy productive plants
• Industry standard for processing butternut
• Very good yield potential
• Reliability

Atlas F1 hybrid is a Cucurbita moschata type butternut bearing large fruit with excellent fruit qualities. Atlas is widely adapted and the overall vigour of this variety tends to make it less susceptible to diseases. Yield potential is very good. Fruit set is excellent and covers a long bearing season. Fruit shape is similar to that of Waltham and fruit weigh between 2 000 – 3 000 g in summer. Atlas is also well adapted for cooler season harvests as fruit are smaller and suitable for the fresh market. Flavour is considered excellent with improved colour and high sugars. The flesh texture is very firm and the rind is very smooth. The rind colour is tan when mature. The mature fruit have an excellent shelf life. Fruit are used as traditional butternut however the superior flesh quality makes Atlas ideal for processing. This is the variety of choice for most processors.

SPECIAL VARIETAL REQUIREMENTS

• Do not over fertilize with nitrogen, especially close to fruit maturity
• Ideal plant population is 10 000 – 12 000 plants per hectare. We do not recommend more than 15 000 plants per hectare
• We do not recommend irrigation in the afternoon