Ness Ziona, Israel
September 30, 2025
NRGene's High Resistance seeds now reaching farmers - offering enhanced protection and premium-quality tomatoes
NRGene (TASE: NRGN) announced the commercial sales of tomato seeds carrying its High Resistance (HR) trait to Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus (ToBRFV) developed in partnership with Philoseeds.
These sales follow pilot plots and small-scale sales during the 2024-2025 season in Switzerland and Canada where plants demonstrated strong resistance to ToBRFV, along with premium fruit quality and yields. For the first time, NRGene's breakthrough resistant genetics are being adopted at commercial scale by growers.
Leading the Fight Against ToBRFV
ToBRFV has emerged as one of the most serious threats to global greenhouse tomato production, causing significant crop losses across key growing regions. NRGene's High Resistance (HR) trait provides enhanced and durable resistance, validated through rigorous testing and comprehensive quality checks.
The trait was licensed to over a dozen companies in Europe, South Africa, and the USA, and supported by efficient DNA marker sets to accelerate its introduction into elite tomato varieties.
"This milestone is more than just a first sale - it's proof that our High Resistance trait is validated, reliable, and already protecting the yield of tomato growers. By developing and applying efficient genomics markers, seed companies introduced this solution to the market faster, giving growers the confidence to keep producing despite ToBRFV," said Dr. Gil Ronen, CEO of NRGene.
Voices from the Field
HW Seeds is among the first to integrate NRGene's ToBRFV High-Resistance (HR) trait into its commercial tomato varieties, launching full product lines that bring verified resistance directly to growers. Now in its second year of selling seeds harboring the HR trait, HW Seeds B.V. highlighted the impact these varieties are having on growers:
"Our customers are experiencing the benefits of real high resistance," said Roel Huisman, Director, HWseed. "Plants are thriving under ToBRFV pressure, yields remain consistent, and fruit quality meets the expectations of demanding markets. This is not just another resistance, it's a reliable, market-ready solution that restores grower confidence and strengthens our portfolio."
PurNatur, the first grower to use HWseed's resistant seeds, reported strong performance in the field, "These tomatoes finally give us peace of mind," said Marco Stricker, Director, PurNatur. "We can see the resistance in action, plants are healthy, and fruit quality is high. This is the kind of innovation that makes a real difference on the ground, giving us a powerful tool to combat ToBRFV and protect our farms from this devastating virus."
From Discovery to Commercialization
NRGene and Philoseed first announced the mapping of ToBRFV resistance in 2022. In less than four years, this trait was introduced into elite hybrid tomato varieties, tested in commercial plots, and sold to farmers, an extremely short timeline from scientific breakthrough to commercialization. More global breeding companies are following this path, and trials across Europe and the U.S. have confirmed the resistance's effectiveness. With commercialization underway, NRGene expects that more companies will adopt its HR trait, helping the industry move closer to overcoming the challenges posed by ToBRFV.
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About NRGene:
NRGene is a genomics company delivering turnkey solutions to the global seed, food, and agriculture industries. Relying on a vast proprietary database and advanced AI-based technologies, NRGene offers computational tools that enable the world's largest seed and food companies to maximize crop yields while saving time and cost. Now, through its ToBRFV-resistant tomatoes, NRGene is providing a fast, proven solution to one of the industry's most urgent challenges.
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