Vegetable seed innovations at the ‘Arava Open Days’

despite the covid-19 pandemic that broke out in the world in the past two years and resulted in the cancellation of the exhibition that is held every february in hatzeva in the arava district, israel, leading seeds companies did not pause and continued to work on new developments and innovations in their field. this annual exhibition is an opportunity for companies to display their products and innovations to farmers and distributors.

existing products vis-à-vis new developments – companies’ booths at the ‘arava open days 2022’:

 

hishtil, a world leader in seedlings and young plants of herbs, ornamentals and vegetables displayed its diverse herb species that are well known throughout the world, including products that are durable to extreme weather conditions, such as ‘durablo‘ – a new series of herbs and perennials suitable for home growing in dry conditions. in addition, hishtil took this opportunity to launch its new product “star tray” – a planting tray that enables easy removal of the plant, without tearing the roots and growing by using the rc technology for easy enrooting of the roots in the ground.

 

hazera, a global seeds company committed to developing high-quality seeds that allow communities to flourish, presented a new branding for existing products, as well as new products.
new products included: the rubikon – an indeterminate variety of the tamar tomato, unique in its powerful growth, long shelf life with good preservation of the plant and an especially attractive red fruit. sowing is from september to march, and individual clusters or fruits are picked, each weighing 100-140 grams.

 

 

an additional product launched by hazera is a sweetcorn varieties, developed in collaboration with hm clouse, and boasting a brand of four new strains, three times sweeter than the corn we have known to date, juicy and with an exceptionally crunchy texture.

hazera also displayed the opening of a new department, titled “product innovations,” in which it will develop vegetables that aim at minimizing the risk of contracting common illnesses and limiting harm from sun rays. the future department is comprised of a team of genetic specialists, senior researchers, and marketing and commercial experts, which has been toiling on the development of vegetable varaieties with unique features, in accordance with the needs of various food, cosmetics and medicine companies.

 

an example of such health-invoking vegetables is the new orange peppers- sharp with these unique features, that has been developed in the aforesaid department. the pepper contains zeaxanthin and carotenoids, anti-oxidants that cannot be found in other colored peppers and which are known to delay degenerative illness and amd – the common macular degenerative illness of the eye.
sharp is a strong plant, with high yields, uniform in shape, firm and big, with even distribution over the season, and a good level of continuity at the end of the season.

 

 

innovation did not skip over the zeraim gedera booth, in its boom of progression, presenting a basket of new products – zeraim gedera syngenta – alongside its blockbuster varieties (ikram, cannon,botarus). these varieties, presented for the first time, excel in a high quality fruit, high yield, and long durability.

 

 

other varieties were also displayed at the booth:
 lansor – the first variety in the world with ir (tobrfv) resistance, picked in one fruit-picking season.
tylkram – this variety is similar to the ikram, with added resistance to tylcv, and is picked in clusters.

deluxe cucumbers – a crispy and high quality product that is planted in cold seasons, with high yields of a long and unified vegetable.
blocky pepper, hokkaido and saitama – firm vegetables with a long shelf life and resistance to mildew and nematodes.
red cabbage – round-headed and an attractive color, good internal density and at an average weight of 2 kilograms.

 

 

 

origene seeds is a worldwide leader in the development and marketing of the squash varieties, including watermelons and melons that boast international fame. the innovative variety developed in the past two years known as the essence watermelon, a seedless product, that is adapted to growth in a dry climate. another product is melon varieties that are sold all year around under the ‘365’ brand – justin, delicia, punto , ruby.

 

 

in addition, origene seeds presented, at their booth at the arava, two new varieties of tomatoes to the local israeli market:
ashleigh – a medium-sized tomato, with high yields, long shelf life and sweet.
toffee – a yellow cherry tomato, crunchy, with a long shelf life and delicious.

 

the exhibition clearly shows that the leading seed companies invest significant resources and hard work in research and development, to manufacture   innovative products of greater quality, with a higher yield, and durability against illnesses and viruses, but without detracting from the taste and preserving ground resources, in an age of global warming.