Tasty but transportable

KWS develops vegetable crops that meet various, sometimes even contradictory, requirements

Vegetable breeding differs in many ways from the breeding of other crops. This is due to specific breeding objectives such as appearance and taste, as well as sometimes contradictory requirements arising from the value chain. However, there are also similarities and synergies that need to be exploited in breeding.

KWS has been active in the vegetable seed sector since 2019. More than 300 employees in 12 countries focus on 9 strategic crops: bean, cucumber, swiss chard, melon, pepper, red beet, spinach, tomato and watermelon. KWS pursues a long-term strategy that includes the sale of licensed varieties and targeted acquisitions as well as the organic development of its own breeding activities.

Since entering the market, KWS has built up an international network of research and breeding stations, which now includes 10 locations in the Netherlands, Brazil, Spain, Turkey, Italy and Mexico. Recently, KWS significantly expanded its site in Andijk in the Netherlands and officially inaugurated a state-of-the-art research and development center.

The aim of such investments is to further drive innovation in the vegetable seed sector. KWS expects to be able to launch new varieties of all 9 vegetable crops on the market within the next 3 years.

Find out more about our Vegetables business unit and its products and ambitious goals here: Vegetables - KWS SAAT SE & Co. KGaA

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Joost van den Eijnden, Head of Business Development KWS Vegetables
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Martin De Vos, Global Head of Research KWS Vegetables
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From tasty to long-lasting: The example of tomatoes illustrates how different and sometimes contradictory requirements along the value chain are.
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Breeders are using innovative methods and tools to speed up the breeding process and develop new varieties.
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In the greenhouse, you can see whether the plants have the desired characteristics, such as a certain shape and size or resistance.