"Presenting one of today’s most productive vine tomato varieties"

On Wednesday, 27 August, Enza Zaden's Innovation Centre in Pijnacker hosted the Tomato Open Day. In addition to the 3,000 m² of exposed and 6,000 m² of unexposed tomato cultivation, Enza Zaden set up a large presentation area at Duivestijn Tomaten's farm, where all the novelties were showcased, with special attention to the new variety E15A.43687. "One of the most productive vine tomato varieties at the moment," said Frank van Antwerpen.

© Izak Heijboer | FreshPlaza.comFrank van Antwerpen proudly displays the new variety E15A.43687

According to Enza Zaden's product manager, the variety is distinguished by high production with good quality and is suitable for both exposed and unlit cultivation. "The variety produces firm fruits, a nice red colour, and uniform bunches. Overall, the variety yields about 7.5–8.5 flowers per cluster, which is 1.5 more than the reference variety. This variety has sufficient elongation to be pruned to six fruits. Moreover, it has all the resistances, including our High Resistance to ToBRFV, and is strong against leaf edges and botrytis. The variety has already been sold to two growers, but there will certainly be more."

© Izak Heijboer | FreshPlaza.comFrank van der Spek and Ferry Adegeest

"In this coarse truss tomato segment, the cost price is the deciding factor. We are therefore proud to add quality-improved varieties in this segment to the assortment, because in terms of cost price, productions in this segment have to be spot on," said Frank. In fact, the Formoza variety is so coarse that it particularly meets demand in the North American market, where it has even sold out. "Our variety EZ 377 is 10–15 grams coarser than our reference in the quality segment Bronski, delivering higher production than Bronski with the same advantages of this variety."

Enza Zaden varieties have also established a strong position in the plum tomato segment, with San Blas standing out. "It looks like we are going to get a 70% market share with San Blas. And a newcomer is knocking on the door called EZ 3669," said Frank. In the small tomato segment, the new variety Dunk is notable, meeting demand especially in the UK market for pound packs. Sunstream Heaven, the successor to the well-known Sunstream tomato, is also among the newcomers. This midi plum tomato combines high production with excellent fruit quality and long shelf life. "We looked for better attachment to the truss," said Frank.

© Izak Heijboer | FreshPlaza.comSunstream Heaven

Virtually the entire Enza Zaden portfolio now has high resistance to tomato virus. "Our HREZ collection has provided a breakthrough in combating the spread of ToBRFV. We are therefore proud to present the latest developments in the HREZ portfolio here at the Innovation Centre," said Frank. According to the product manager, the trend continues that the acreage of cherry tomatoes in the Netherlands is decreasing every year, and the planting of cocktail tomatoes will also be somewhat lower in the coming year. "But we do foresee further growth in the coarse vine tomato segment. Then you have to be sharp on your cost price, and fortunately, we have some gems in-house for that."

IUNU
Special attention was also given to IUNU during the open day. Enza Zaden has partnered with IUNU, which provides AI-driven machine vision data platforms for horticulture to increase precision and performance in selecting new varieties in a greenhouse environment. IUNU's LUNA Imaging System and AI platform, installed at the Enza Zaden Innovation Centre in Pijnacker, give breeders and growers access to objective, real-time plant data.

© Izak Heijboer | FreshPlaza.com
Gerard Flinterman (left) and Don Cronin (right) of IUNU with Frank van Antwerpen and Maarten van den Heuvel of Enza Zaden

The system combines a robotic system that measures crops with an AI-powered data platform that offers growers insights. "Generating more data is the future, and camera technology is always objective. A unique opportunity to see how technology and breeding reinforce each other," Frank concluded. The Open Day ended with a convivial drink and barbecue, where growers critically assessed how Enza's tomatoes performed in salads and on burgers.

For more information:
Enza Zaden
[email protected]
www.enzazaden.com