Leamington, Ontario, Canada
May 28, 2026
De Ruiter® Brand, at its latest Spring Demo Day event held May 20 in Leamington, Ontario, welcomed growers and industry collaborators for an inside look at the latest advancements shaping the future of greenhouse tomato and specialty crop production.
Held in North America’s most active controlled-environment agriculture regions, the event featured guided tours through De Ruiter’s commercial and pre-commercial crop trials, providing direct access to breeders, product experts and De Ruiter team members from around the globe. Throughout the event, growers engaged in discussions about the commercial pipeline, focusing on innovations addressing yield potential, fruit quality, ToBRFV resistance, and market versatility.
“We are passionate about crafting exceptional products that delight consumers, while empowering growers with robust disease resistance packages designed to thrive throughout the demanding growing season,” said Stephanie Poletti, Unit Portfolio Activation & Marketing Manager at Vegetables by Bayer. “Events like Demo Day give us the opportunity to showcase the strength of our product pipeline while engaging in meaningful conversations directly with our growers. Those interactions and customer insights help shape the future of the products we focus on and bring to market.”
Among the key highlights from the event were Riboski, a beef tomato variety featuring a large average fruit weight, good yield potential and attractive FULLRED internal and external color; and DRTH5076, a pre-commercial Touché conversion small beef variety designed for growers seeking traditionally rounded fruit and good production potential. The event also showcased De Ruiter’s expanding tomato-on-the-vine (TOV) portfolio, including Grandice RES, Serenity and Luminity, each offering distinct benefits tailored to specific grower needs.
Growers received an early look at De Ruiter’s pre-commercial pipeline, including products anticipated for launch later this year and 2027. Roma varieties included DRTJ4081, recognized for its desired marketable fruit weight (AFW), consistent fruit setting and strong yield potential; and DRTJ4101, suitable for both loose and truss markets. The Cocktail pipeline was highlighted with DRTC8116, a flavor-focused loose grape variety; and DRTC8613 a cherry variety, both under evaluation to balance flavor and productivity.
A key theme throughout the event centered on De Ruiter’s continued investment in ToBRFV innovation and multi-gene resistance technologies, reflecting the company’s long-term commitment to helping growers navigate evolving production challenges without compromising fruit quality, consistency or yield potential.
“Events like Demo Day give growers an opportunity to have a firsthand look at our most advanced varieties and to learn about De Ruiter’s ToBRFV innovation strategy driving progress across the portfolio,” said Sandeep Sakhale, Product Development Breeder, Tomato. “Our goal is to continue advancing durable multi-gene resistance while maintaining the fruit quality, consistency, yield potential and reliability growers have come to expect from De Ruiter genetics. That balance of innovation and proven performance continues to build confidence in our brand and in the future of greenhouse production.”
In addition to showcasing tomato innovations, the event featured a marketplace-style tasting experience where attendees sampled tomato varieties alongside peppers and cucumbers. The event also included a hosted lunch and networking opportunities, fostering collaboration and direct feedback between growers and the extended De Ruiter team.
As De Ruiter continues expanding its portfolio, the company remains focused on a farmer-first innovation approach, developing products that balance performance, flavor, resilience and long-term grower success.
For additional information about products featured at Spring Demo Day, visit vegetables.bayer.com.
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