Apex has been Harris Moran's star but other winners soon appeared on the horizon. Artica, developed for the main and late season, is the newest variety on the Harris Moran roster. Our program is also currently breeding for early, main, and late season cauliflower.

A prolific producer, Artica has strong self wrapping that protects its curds and maintains its heavy weight and density. 

However, most notable is its true white color which holds well and resists internal greening, even after processing.

The processing industry is an important market and Artica is ideal for that purpose with its white, solid, dense, and regular florets.

Artica is the first variety developed by Harris Moran that uses the cytoplasmic male sterility seed production system. Created through traditional breeding efforts, this new technology in cauliflower makes a big difference in seed lots.

Traditionally, hybrid cauliflower seed production relies on a process called self-incompatibility. This process is not 100% effective and inbreds, resulting from the self pollination of the seed producing parent line, are often present in variable quantities in hybrid seed. These inbreds complicate commercial cauliflower production. Unusually weak, they may produce unmarketable heads.Cytoplasmic male sterility-based seed parent lines do not produce pollen, thus totally eliminating the risk of self-pollination.

What does this technological advance mean to growers?

• Better yield. Each plant is genetically able to give its best.
• Increased uniformity 
• Less cuts in the field.
• Decreased harvest costs
• Same quality year after year.