The emergence of ToBRFV required a new approach to tomato breeding. At Hazera, performance and protection have gone hand in hand from the start. Rather than focusing on resistance alone, we develop varieties that combine strong protection with the performance traits growers rely on. This has resulted in a robust ToBRFV portfolio adapted to different markets, segments, and production systems.

Let’s hear from our tomato breeding team:

Vision & Strategy
By Netta Doitch, Head of Tomato Breeding

From the beginning, Hazera adopted a multi-gene strategy to ensure durable resistance without compromising yield, quality, or plant performance. New varieties are extensively tested across multiple locations to confirm both resistance and consistent product quality.
We work closely with growers, whose success is directly linked to ours. Simply adding resistance genes is not enough, varieties must remain profitable and reliable. That is why we develop resistance and performance together, ensuring stability, resilience, and long-term value.
To respond quickly to challenges like ToBRFV, Hazera combines advanced breeding tools such as phytopathology and accelerated backcrossing, while continuing long-term breeding programs. This balanced approach allows us to deliver complete solutions that meet growers’ real needs.

From Strategy to Execution
By Ezri Peleg, Global Breeding Lead – Tomato

At Hazera, performance goes beyond resistance. A successful variety must combine high virus tolerance with strong yield, plant vigor, and fruit quality.
A key challenge is that resistance genes often originate from wild materials with lower performance. Our role is to introduce these genes into elite varieties while maintaining high standards through careful selection and genetic compensation.
Extensive global testing ensures that varieties perform reliably under diverse conditions. By working across markets, we expose our genetics to different climates and production systems, resulting in stable, high-performing varieties growers can trust, even in challenging seasons.

Performance in High-Tech Systems
By Caroline Wagner, High-Tech Tomato Breeder

In high-tech greenhouses, consistent yield and fruit quality are essential for competitiveness. Production costs are high, and even slight underperformance can lead to economic losses. That is why Hazera only commercializes varieties once strong, consistent performance is proven.
These systems involve high-density hydroponic growing and intensive labor, making crops highly vulnerable to fast-spreading diseases. Prevention and a deep understanding of disease dynamics are therefore critical.
Our breeding focuses not only on yield, but also on traits that reduce costs, such as labor efficiency. At the same time, fruit quality, shelf life, and plant vigor remain essential, especially for export markets. Our goal is to deliver hybrids that combine high yield, strong resistance, excellent quality, and lower production costs.
By combining tomato expertise with advanced technology and a dedicated High-Tech team, we help growers achieve higher yields more efficiently. Grower feedback remains central to our work, ensuring that every new hybrid starts from real needs in the field.

Segment-Specific Performance & Market Needs
By Jose-Antonio Zorrilla, Tomato Miniplum Breeder

Introducing resistance while maintaining all key traits is one of the biggest challenges in breeding, especially with multigenic resistance like ToBRFV. In segments such as cherry miniplum, yield, flavor, and post-harvest performance must all be preserved.
Market demands are often diverse: growers prioritize yield and efficiency, while retailers and consumers focus on taste, quality, and variety. This requires tailored solutions for different sub-segments, balancing resistance with performance.
For Hazera, performance ultimately means profitability across the entire value chain. A variety must work for growers, meet retailer expectations, and satisfy consumers.
Across markets, labor constraints and ToBRFV remain key challenges. Varieties like Camelot have shown that labor can be reduced without sacrificing quality. Earlier resistant varieties enabled continued production, while newer generations now combine stronger resistance with improved performance and quality.