QUALITY TOPPINGS SINCE 2003 –

BASF launching ToBRFV-resistant tomato seed varieties

To combat the spread of Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus (ToBRFV), BASF has 25 new seed varieties set to become commercially avialable in 2023.

The Nunhems® portfolio currently offers a range of resistant tomato seed varieties, all meeting the requirements of the different levels of the agri-food value chain. In addition to their productivity and plant health, they offer flavour, colour and visual appearance in line with current market demands.

“In 2020, we launched our first ToBRFV-resistant tomato variety, Teenon F1, in Mexico,” recalled Maria Muschitiello, product development coordinator of Tomato Fresh at BASF’s vegetable seeds business. “A year later, we introduced four more varieties: Blindon, Brovian, Strongton and Azovian – all saladette types with good resistance to Rugose and great adaptability to different hotspots, including Spain, Turkey and Morocco. At present, we have a commercial assortment with Vitalion, cherry round with high taste, adapted to high-tech growing in the Netherlands, as well as Canada. BASF will continue to introduce new varieties for different types of segments that can be cultivated in many countries.”

BASF is offering sustainable solutions that endure over time. “With the resistance, we contribute to the continuity of the crop and the production of commercial fruits. And this is precisely what we have successfully achieved,” said Geert Janssen, R&D crop lead solanaceae.

ToBRFV was detected for the first time in Jordan in 2014 and has spread to many of the main tomato production areas worldwide. In some countries, ToBRFV is now endemic, although it is not present in the likes of Australia and Brazil.