After the appointment of Saro Tumino as the new general manager for Italy, international seed company Harmoniz – which was recently created from the merger of TomaTech and Nirit Seeds – continues to demonstrate the high strategic value of the Italian table tomato market. This time, the company is presenting its new range of commercial and pre-commercial tomato varieties resistant to ToBRFV.

“Over the past few days, we presented the 2023 Harmoniz varietal range at the Parisi Giovanni company in Sicli (RG). It was developed directly on the territory through considerable breeding programs and starting from specific research objectives that include the adaptability to a Sicilian climate that increasingly has to deal with climate change and the introduction of genetic resistances to keep the main tomato diseases – including the ToBRFV virus – under control,” reports Giuseppe Busacca, Product Development Harmoniz Italia.

Over 150 visitors attended the event, confirming the interest towards the new varieties promoted by the Israeli company, Basoche F1 mini-plum and Midres F1 midi-plum in particular.

Mini-plum Basoche F1

“Producers, nursery operators, and technicians were very curious about Basoche F1 mini-plum tomatoes, but there was a lot of interest in Midres F1 as well. Basoche F1 was presented for the first time on May 18, and it is a mini-plum variety ideal for transplants in Sicily between September and December. It is undoubtedly interesting from a productive and commercial point of view, as plants are easy to manage and adapt well to the counter-seasonal cycle, maintaining a high level of productivity at the end of the cycle and preserving uniform grades, shape, and color also in the top trusses.”

“It is also important to stress the resistances: in addition to TyLCV and ToBRFV, plants are resistant to cladosporium and bacteriosis. As is well known, these diseases are particularly aggressive for small-grade varieties and spread easily in high-humidity conditions, which are now common in fall in Sicily. Fruit quality is excellent, with a high sugar content that does not drop below 7° Brix in winter, with a deep, bright red color appealing to final consumers, and an excellent shelf-life.”

“Midres F1 made the headlines already last February after its official presentation in the Donnalucata area. It is a variety suitable for counter-seasonal cycles, and there has been a lot of interest in it in various production areas, especially the Pachino one. The high quality of the fruits, long shelf-life, and good productivity perfectly combine with a good vigor and a good tolerance to ToBRFV. All of this makes Midres a safe investment for many producers.”

“The interest was high also for the various pre-commercial selections and the numerous colored demo varieties, including red mini-plum TT-1053, orange plum Cantando F1, chocolate mini-plum TT-768, yellow midi-plum 79943 and the yellow, orange, and chocolate cherry “Candy” collection.”

“We are extremely pleased with the feedback received during the event. The interest shown by the numerous professionals who attended confirms the privileged position of Harmoniz on the table tomato market. We are an innovative and dynamic company that can quickly adapt its breeding programs to the needs of the territory and develop hybrids for protected crops with a high added value that are appealing to final consumers, resilient, profitable, and sustainable,” concluded Saro Tumino, general manager Harmoniz Italia.

About Harmoniz

Harmoniz is an international agritech company dedicated to the development of seeds for greenhouse vegetables. Set up from the merger of TomaTech and Nirit Seeds in 2022, Harmoniz is the largest seed company in Israel and boasts over 80 employees from all over the world. The company conducts its breeding activities in Israel, Spain, Mexico, the Netherlands, and Italy with a specific focus on high-technology greenhouses and is quickly strengthening its position on the market by expanding its sales channels in such regions and setting up new commercialization circuits in other areas.

In Italy, Harmoniz sells and commercializes its tomato varieties all over the Country, either directly or via third-party distributors. Research is carried out mainly in Sicily and in the Fondi area (LT) as a reference for central and southern Italy, focusing on the creation of innovative hybrids with good flavor, resilience, and resistance to the main viruses, especially ToBRFV.