OriGene Seeds Open Day 2026: Innovation Meets Tradition

Every July, growers, breeders, distributors, researchers, suppliers, and industry professionals gather for one of the highlights of the vegetable seed calendar – the annual OriGene Seeds Open Day.

Far more than a product exhibition, the event provides an opportunity to evaluate commercial and advanced varieties under real field conditions, exchange ideas directly with the company’s breeding and commercial teams and discuss the future direction of vegetable production.

The event opened with a video featuring “OriGene Seeds Feeds the World” by the worldwide OriGene’s team.

Each employee shared in his or her native language a personal greeting for the company friends and guests.

Their message highlights the company’s international presence and the strong relationships it continues to build with customers across diverse markets. Founded more than twenty years ago, OriGene Seeds has grown into an international vegetable seed company with subsidiaries, representatives and local teams operating across key agricultural markets worldwide.

Under the leadership of Dr. Eyal Vardi, Founder, Managing Director and Head of Research & Development, the company continues to invest in breeding varieties designed to address the evolving needs of modern agriculture.

This year’s event also introduced a different presentation format. Rather than delivering a traditional welcome address, Dr. Eyal Vardi personally presented the company’s newest varieties and explained the production challenges and market demands that inspired their development.

Punto, an exclusive OriGene specialty melon, combines a distinctive cream-colored rind with green markings, crisp white flesh, excellent flavor, and extended shelf-life.

Golden Bowl attracted considerable attention through its smooth yellow rind with characteristic striping, orange flesh, and unique flavor profile.

Zafiro, a premium Piel de Sapo type offering exceptionally high sweetness and excellent eating quality.

Among the tomato introductions, Noga attracted significant attention.

The new cluster tomato combines high yield potential, early maturity, uniform ripening, an expanded disease resistance package and excellent shelf-life.

Having recently entered commercial production, it has already received encouraging feedback from growers.

The newly introduced watermelon Inspire combines early maturity, attractive oval fruit weighing 8–11 kg., deep-red flesh, clean slicing characteristics, and soluble solids of 12–13° Brix.

Following its commercial introduction, the variety is now being evaluated in additional international markets.

One of the most innovative concepts presented was the new City watermelon series, which bring nature to the Urbanic frame Weighing approximately 1.2 kg, these compact fruits are designed for modern consumers and smaller households.

Additional watermelon introductions included:

Chaac, a variety developed for early season planting under micro tunnels, requiring relatively limited irrigation policy, while maintaining high productivity.

Blonde, featuring a Tiger-type rind with bright yellow flesh and outstanding flavor, described as one of the best-tasting yellow flesh watermelons currently available.

As in previous years, the event also included a moment of appreciation for individuals who have contributed to Israeli agriculture. This year, OriGene Seeds honored Shimon Omer, Head of the Vegetable sector, The Department of Israel’s Ministry of Agriculture upon the completion of his role, recognizing his professionalism and long-standing contribution to the industry in general and to the Cucurbitaceae section.

Breeding for a Complex Market

While the new varieties attracted considerable attention, the broader breeding philosophy was equally evident throughout the event.

OriGene Seeds continues to focus on developing varieties that create value throughout the entire supply chain.

Significant investment continues in breeding varieties with improved tolerance to abiotic stresses, including water scarcity, enabling growers to maintain stable production under increasingly challenging environmental conditions.

These objectives are closely aligned with the company’s broader ESG strategy, integrating sustainable agriculture, environmental responsibility, and long-term value creation into product development.

At the same time, breeders must anticipate market requirements years before a new variety reaches commercial production.

The 2026 OriGene Seeds Open Day once again demonstrated the company’s ability to identify emerging trends, develop varieties that respond to real market needs and continue surprising the industry with innovative concepts.

The next generation of OriGene varieties is already generating considerable interest across international markets,

reinforcing the company’s commitment to developing genetics that meet the evolving needs of growers, retailers, and consumers worldwide.