“High Resistance by Enza Zaden” (HREZ) is a growing collection of varieties with high resistance to ” tomato brown rough fruit virus” (ToBRFV). HREZ varieties represent a long-awaited change for the French tomato industry.

ToBRFV represents a formidable challenge for the global industry in general, and for the French one in particular. Its impact on yield, shelf life and overall quality threatens supply and profitability for all players in the industry.

Enza Zaden is the first seed company to market high resistance to ToBRFV. Enza Zaden is the only seed company to offer high resistance based on a hypersensitivity reaction.

What is a hypersensitivity reaction and how does it work?

The high resistance mechanism is based on a hypersensitivity reaction. When ToBRFV comes into contact with a HREZ plant, the plant delimits the virus by killing a few cells around the site of the virus. The virus is therefore confined. This defence mechanism actively prevents the virus from multiplying and spreading. Under normal conditions of viral pressure, there are no symptoms of the ToBRFV. The crop remains healthy, enabling growers to produce high-quality tomatoes with excellent yield potential.

In 2024, Enza Zaden France will launch around ten commercial HREZ varieties. An exceptional result that has required considerable resources over a short period of time. Our ambition is to bring this solution to French tomato growers for all the main typologies.