Breedx’s Advanced Breeding Techniques Revolutionize Pepper and Tomato Cultivation
Breedx has made significant advancements over the past three years, enhancing the availability of sweet and seedless peppers, as well as specialty tomatoes, on supermarket shelves throughout the year. This success stems from their development of new varieties that tolerate both hot and cold conditions during fruit set, providing growers worldwide with more resilient crop options.
According to Breedx CEO Lior Carmeli, the company’s primary focus is on developing specialty vegetables that offer consumer benefits, specifically targeting peppers and tomatoes. The Breedx brand “Pepperito,” known for its sweet seedless peppers, has gained popularity as a healthy snack in Europe and North America. Breedx’s varieties are cultivated in Canada, the U.S., and Mexico for the North American markets, in Spain for the EU market, and in Israel for the local market.
Carmeli highlights Breedx’s latest developments, which include intermediate resistance to PMMV (L4), Powdery Mildew, and TSWV. These advancements are crucial as many growing areas globally face challenges with these diseases. The current Pepperito portfolio features three colors—red, orange, and yellow—allowing growers to offer a vibrant assortment.
Breedx is also heavily invested in tomato cultivation, following the mantra of “Taste Tomato.” Utilizing classical plant breeding techniques, the company has been developing special varieties that enhance the fructose/glucose ratio and balance sweetness and acidity. This breeding approach, which began at the Volcani Center in Israel in 1991, aims to produce tomatoes with improved taste reminiscent of traditional varieties. The collaboration between Volcani researchers and Breedx breeders has resulted in varieties with increased soluble sugars and controlled glucose and fructose levels.
Three tomato varieties developed under this program have been commercialized, notable for their unique taste and mottled/striped coloring. These single-pick varieties range in fruit sizes from 8 to 25 grams with a Brix value of no less than 9.0. These varieties are currently being trialed globally, including in Europe, North America, Japan, South Africa, and Israel.
Recently, Breedx introduced Intermediate Resistance (IR) to ToBRFV and the ability to fruit-set at high temperatures in its most advanced varieties, continuing to push the boundaries of agricultural innovation.
For more information:
Yasmin Sagiv Breedx
Tel: +972 52 9404726
Email: yasmin@breedx.com www.breedx.com
