BASF | Nunhems
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Industry Challenges & Our Solutions
Helping You Beat CGMMV

Industry Challenges & Our Solutions

Helping You Beat CGMMV - Grow Smarter with CGMMV Resistant Cucumbers

Cucumber Green Mottle Mosaic Virus (CGMMV) remains one of the most serious disease threats in commercial cucumber production. The contact-transmitted virus spreads easily via tools, hands, water, rodents, and even pests, creating the potential for rapid, devastating crop loss.  

That’s why BASF's vegetable seeds business, operating in the market under the Nunhems® brand, focused its fresh cucumber breeding and technical services  on helping growers minimize this risk through CGMMV-resistant varieties and integrated crop management support. 

“In high-wire systems, CGMMV can derail months of investment in pruning, lowering, and crop management,” according to Robert Swinkels, high tech cucumber breeder at BASF | Nunhems. “Resistant varieties give growers a critical layer of protection against this risk.” 

CGMMV infection causes stunting, fruit blemishes, and yield losses often exceeding 30% to 40% in heavily potentially infected greenhouses, says Swinkels. The economic impact can potentially reach over $100,000 per acre per season, especially in long-cycle or high-wire crops where replanting isn’t feasible, according to Swinkels. 

All New Cucumber Varieties Now Come Standard with CGMMV Resistance 

BASF | Nunhems began its CGMMV resistance breeding program in response to grower demand, with resistant varieties entering the market in the following years.  

“Resistance is only valuable if it comes with the yield potential, fruit quality, and plant vigor growers need,” said Swinkels. The BASF | Nunhems breeding team continues to close the gap between resistant and susceptible varieties to minimize production trade-offs. 

All in all, we offer several CGMMV resistant cucumber varieties in the US & Canada, including: 

  • Long English: DUnavin, SEquence, SEpire, SEiber, Hi Lumiere
  • Mini Cucumber: Beebond (NEW!), Beemaze (NEW!), Beefresh (NEW!) 
Beebond - Mini Cucumber

Tech sheets

All Around Protection: CGMMV Resistance As A Tool For Success
CGMMV-resistant genetics, while critical, aren’t the sole solution.  

“Resistance is one tool. It must be combined with good hygiene, crop monitoring, and greenhouse management to be fully effective,” says Marcel Huibers, global agro-technologist at BASF | Nunhems. To help, BASF | Nunhems supports growers through technical collaboration, offering guidance on: 
  • Sanitation protocols: disinfecting tools, knives, and greenhouse equipment. 
  • Pest and rodent control: reducing alternative vectors of spread. 
  • Substrate management: advising on when to replace or sanitize slabs. 
  • Early detection: water testing services that can detect CGMMV before symptoms appear in plants. 
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Get in touch with us 

Please leave your contact details below our get in touch with our experts if you are interested in learning more about our offerings.

Martin de la Orden
Senior Account Manager
+1 (519) 322-8912
Erving Garcia
Senior Account Manager
+1 (519) 325-6712