Recently, the European Commission has launched several initiatives to reduce or neutralise climate change. One of them is the “Farm to Fork” strategy, which is part of the European Green Pact. The aim of this plan is to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. Another project is the Nature Restoration Act, to be presented in 2022. The aim of this legislation is to repair various European habitats by reducing the use of chemicals and pesticides.
In this context, our company has been investing in recent years with effort and commitment in these initiatives by developing a line of “low nitrogen” research in the tomato segment, trying to find the perfect balance between high production, fruit quality and minimum expenditure on nitrogen fertilisers for tomato production. In this way, the aim is to promote alternative and more eco-friendly agriculture in line with new policies.
The team of breeders and developers have been working for years on finding tomato varieties that require minimal treatment with nitrogen compounds for their varieties. As a result of all this work, the company has introduced the Mandela loose tomato. According to our studies in one of the research centres in Agadir, this variety is capable of high yields even when nitrogen fertiliser is limited by 30% compared to other varieties in the same segment. This means that it is a success, as this variety complies with the new law on the restoration of nature.
More sustainable tomato seeds with CapGen Seeds
“This is a breakthrough, we are reducing the use of the input and mitigating production costs by experiencing this remarkable reduction in nitrogen,” commented Rafael Cremades, commercial and marketing director at CapGen Seeds, regarding this tomato.
On the other hand, organic farming experts estimate that this type of development will be in high demand both nationally and internationally. In this sense, the Mandela loose tomato is a promising development in the search for more sustainable agricultural practices.
Today, the CapGen Seeds team of breeders continues to search for and perfect strains that require minimal nitrogen treatment.
Characteristics of the loose tomato Mandela developed by CapGen Seeds:
This plant is characterised by its vigour and resistance. In this sense, it is cold tolerant and has an excellent flowering and fruit setting capacity. In turn, the fruits are round and of size 2. Furthermore, they are characterised by an intense red colour and are firm and fleshy. They also allow an excellent post-harvest conservation.
Nuestra investigación se ajusta con las directrices de la nueva ley de restauración de la naturaleza propuesta por la comisión europea para impulsar este modelo agrícola.
