Breeding Even Better Broccoli

The University of Warwick's plant research department is breeding better
broccoli. "Super Broccoli".

You will have to wait about 10 years till the breeding program is
complete, however.

What would you want to be included in "Super Broccoli"?

(I wonder if they are taking broccoli design requests?)

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/05/060519234559.htm
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 Warwick HRI, the University of Warwick's plant research Department,
has created a stand at the world famous RHS Chelsea Flower Show in
London this week. However the star exhibit in their garden won't be
multicoloured flowers or a soothing water feature. The Warwick HRI stand
will show how far scientists have reached in breeding a range of "Super
Broccoli" and its wider brassica family which will: help us live longer,
last longer on our shelves, and use much less pesticide and fertilizer.

Environmentally friendly Super Broccoli - Researchers have identified
cross breeding possibilities that will give broccoli much greater
resistance to two of its greatest threats - aphids and the bacteria
Xanthomonas campestris. This will vastly reduce the amount of pesticides
that have to be used on broccoli. This breeding programme will probably
be complete within a decade.

Longer lasting Super Broccoli - Broccoli is one of the most difficult
vegetables to keep fresh. Supermarkets find this particularly annoying
as most of their vegetables are brought in on a 4 day cycle whilst
broccoli's feeble shelf life means it is out of phase with other
vegetable deliveries as it requires its own 3 day cycle. Adding just one
more day to its shelf life would make customers happier and supermarkets
would be overjoyed. The researchers have already taken the first steps
to cross breed broccoli with a longer shelf life and expect the first
commercially available varieties to be hitting shelves (and staying
longer on them......) again within a decade.

Super Broccoli makes longer lasting humans - Broccoli is a rich source
of antioxidants which have a number of health properties including
defending against cancers. However broccoli's short shelf life means
those important antioxidants quickly break down and can lose much of
their power before being consumed. The cross breeding programme creating
longer shelf life will also ensure the antioxidants remain potent for
longer.