Israeli seed company TomaTech LTD has experienced a lot of changes over the past year: from the launch of its first range of varieties resistant to ToBRFV, to the appointment of various figures such as VP Sales and Marketing Paul Van Dijck and the new Regional Manager for Italy Giuseppe Busacca. The recent merger with another leading seed company - Nirit Seeds - was also significant.
The most relevant change for Italy was the decision to allocate 1 hectare in Sicily to research and to strengthen commercial relations with local producers.
Red date tomatoes, Sept. 2021 transplant, TomaTech experimental greenhouse (Santa Croce Camerina, Sicilia)
"I believe the decision to get more structured is a natural evolution for a highly specialized company such as ours. Italy is one of the largest tomato producers and consumers, as well as one of the areas worst hit by ToBRFV, especially in the south. Therefore there is a reason for our presence there, especially if we consider the great progress made over the past 4 years against this virus," explains Ofer Ben Zvi, CEO at TomaTech.
Tomatech will attend Fruit Logistica 2022
"TomaTech's research activities are not focused on the development of products, but on solutions. If you want to offer effective solutions, you need to know the problem and act together with the territory: it is not possible to develop new resistant genetic material or new cultivars for a specific area without experiencing the difficulties producers have or understanding their immediate needs which, actually, do not always coincide with medium-long term commercial ones," adds Giuseppe Busacca.
Date, plum and cherry tomatoes. September 2021 transplant.
"After all, research is dynamic and perfectible by nature, so the direction taken by TomaTech seems clear: we developed specific breeding programs to obtain resistant hybrid varieties (IR/HR) to the virus in Israel, taking advantage of the knowledge acquired concerning molecular biology. We introduced intermediate-resistance genetic markers on commercial lines suitable for the Italian market, testing their performances on a small scale. This way, we are entering a third crucial phase, whose range of action widens and diversifies."
Breeding programs concern all tomato segments and are focused on the development of hybrids suitable for various cultivation systems and conditions: cold and high-tech greenhouses, both with soil and soil-less, with or without artificial light. There are multiple selection criteria, which take into account of the needs of each actor of the chain. However, for the Israeli seed company, tolerance to Tobamovirus is an essential precondition that marks the passage of each variety to the following development phase.
Colored cherry and bunch tomatoes. September 2021 transplant.
"We are implementing the commercial strategy we adopted a few years ago, which envisages the development of high-flavor varieties that are immediately recognizable by consumers and, most of all, suitable for various cultivation conditions. The objective is ambitious and requires a delicate balance between production, distribution and consumption needs. We want to supply the market with superior-quality products all year round boasting constant agronomic and organoleptic qualities."
For further information:
Giuseppe Busacca 
(Regional Manager Italy)
Tomatech
+39 338 344 5650
[email protected]
www.tomatech.it
