Enza Zaden Bringing Virus-Resistant Tomato Varieties to Growers
May 9, 2023 
Photo: Enza Zaden
Enza Zaden is now offering 18 varieties of tomatoes under the High Resistance by Enza Zaden (HREZ) brand to help growers deal with tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV). The varieties are available in all significant tomato types, and do not compromise on taste, yield, or quality.
Until now, the only controls against ToBRFV have been strict phytosanitary measures, such as more frequent crop rotations and extra cleaning, resulting in higher labor costs. Now, High Resistance from Enza Zaden (HREZ) offers growers a vital tool to tackle this devastating disease.
The growing collection of HREZ varieties is available in roma, beef, grape, cherry, cocktail, and tomatoes- on-the-vine (TOV) tomato types. As the varieties complete their first season of commercial production in The Netherlands, Mexico, Canada, and other key production regions, their strong performance has led to better quality and yield.
While resistant varieties are not a substitute for good phytosanitary controls, they provide additional confidence to growers. This is partly due to the unique resistance identified in HREZ varieties, which actively blocks progression of the virus in the plant under normal virus pressure. After the virus enters a HREZ tomato plant and starts replicating, the plant defense system will be activated. As a result, the infected cell will be killed, thereby preventing the disease from spreading.
“Just as islands are insulated from diseases and pests, HREZ varieties highly restrict virus accumulation. This is why HREZ varieties are named after islands around the world,” says Jean-François Thomin, Regional Marketing Manager at Enza Zaden, who adds that HREZ varieties have created a sense of relief in the tomato industry.
“There is light at the end of the tunnel as growers now have a chance to return to preferred planting dates and regular harvest cycles. In turn, growers, shippers, and retailers can expect a return to predictable supply planning and consistent product quality,” he says.
The effectiveness of this unique resistance was illustrated in Dutch crops with HREZ varieties grown in greenhouses located in areas known for high ToBRFV pressure. The same is true of commercial crops in Mexico and Canada, where growers are increasing their area of HREZ tomatoes this year as they become more familiar with the HREZ varieties.
“As a company, our goal is to bring innovation and solutions to growers, and it is a privilege to be involved in the HREZ project that benefits not just growers, but the whole tomato supply chain, all the way to consumers,” says Enza Zaden Mexico Commercial Director, Antonio De Sainz.
For more information about HREZ, click here.
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