A decade ago, BASF | Nunhems began firmly committing to tomato. As part of its strategy, the company made several moves and brought in new specialists to significantly upgrade its portfolio. The results have become evident over time, especially in the past four years, with the development of a portfolio that has addressed one of the sector’s major challenges: Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV). Thanks to this, today the company ranks among the Top 3 seed houses specializing in tomato.
According to Juan Miguel Agüero, Local Product Development Specialist, the company’s key to success lies in developing the varieties that the market and farmers demand—without losing sight of consumer preferences. Another essential aspect is communicating what they do and the value it adds.
Tomato Experience
This is where their Tomato Experience comes in: a demonstration farm whose purpose, beyond showcasing all their varieties in one location, is to help prevent the spread of the virus. It began in Almería, where the team’s know-how supports growers, and this year they launched a second site in Águilas (Murcia), featuring varieties adapted to that market.
In Almería alone, they have held four open-door events this year to demonstrate the performance of their varieties from start to finish, and they organize personalized visits for clients throughout the year. One space where they show how, with the same management, all the varieties thrive. This is possible thanks to strong resistance traits and genetics, with very robust plants that adapt well to standard cultivation practices, explains Agüero.
Portfolio Innovations
BASF | Nunhems continues expanding its catalog with ToBRFV-resistant varieties, building on the success of Cabosur. Their flagship product continues to grow thanks to proven quality and resistance.
This year, they are introducing five new varieties that have just been assigned their commercial names:
- Palmeo* (NUN 05128): Launches BASF | Nunhems’ new loose tomato line. It produces highly uniform and stable fruits with G-GG sizing and a shelf life that exceeds the market standard.
- Beires* (NUN 05644): A truss tomato in the same segment as Cabosur, offering greater resistance to Fulvia and better performance in early sowings.
- Ismarian* (NUN 06229): A plum tomato that follows the Azovian line, but with a larger size, ideal for the domestic market in areas like Málaga or Murcia, where such sizes are in demand.
- NUN 06226: A new addition to the Intense line, now moving to commercial phase and marketed under its code.
- MaasPower* (NUN 00057): Following Dreampower, this is their new high-vigor rootstock, also resistant to ToBRFV.
With these latest additions, the seed house has nearly doubled its range of ToBRFV-resistant offerings, now featuring 21 varieties and 2 rootstocks—all resistant to the virus. A wide range of solutions that ensure security and stability in production, further consolidating its role as a leader in tomato genetics.
