Australia
Ocober 19, 2025
Rijk Zwaan representatives Sam King, Eva Sarosi, Stefanie Renaud and James Bertam at the Gatton AgTech Showcase.
Rijk Zwaan proudly participated in the second Gatton AgTech Showcase, held on October 15-16 at the Gatton Smart Farm. Building on the success of the 2023 inaugural event, this year’s showcase drew more than 1,500 horticulture professionals.
As a leading global vegetable seed company, Rijk Zwaan reaffirmed its commitment to driving success in vegetable industry through innovation and research. The company’s participation highlighted how technology and genetics are shaping the future of protected cropping, breeding, and seed quality.
Protected Cropping and ToBRFV Resistance
A key focus at this year’s event was the milestone opening of the new Protected Cropping Centre for Mild Winter Climates. Rijk Zwaan contributed to this focus with an exhibit in the Protected Cropping Pavilion, showcasing ToBRFV-resistant tomato varieties. Client Manager and Crop Specialist James Bertram joined a panel discussion on Preparing for New Diseases: The Case of Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus (ToBRFV), sharing insights from international breeding and production experiences.
“At Rijk Zwaan we’re combining our global research efforts with best practice to stay ahead of ToBRFV and similar emerging challenges,” said James Bertram. “High-resistance genetics are proving to be a cornerstone of sustainable, long-term production systems in both protected and open-field environments.”
Technology in Research and BreedingRijk Zwaan continously invests in technology to deliver better outcomes for growers - Digital Phenotyping Specialist from Rijk Zwaan’s R&D team, Stefanie Renaud, demonstrated how digital tools are transforming the way the company collects and analyses crop data - accelerating breeding progress and improving seed quality.
Engaging with Growers and Industry
Local Queensland representatives Eva Sarosi and Sam Kim were on site across the two-day event, connecting with growers and industry partners, and discussing key innovations and resilient varieties for local conditions. Rijk Zwaan thanks the event organisers, the Department of Primary Industries, Hort Innovation, the National Farmers Federation and AusVeg, for delivering a world-class program that showcased the best of agricultural technology and research collaboration.
The strong turnout and enthusiasm from participants highlight the Showcase’s growing reputation as a key fixture on the horticultural calendar.
The company also extends appreciation to the many growers and industry members who attended and shared their perspectives on the future of horticulture.
Through continued investment in genetics, data, and technology, Rijk Zwaan remains committed to helping growers achieve productive, profitable and sustainable businesses for the future.
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