Rijk Zwaan expands greenhouse capacity to support breeding work

Rijk Zwaan has expanded its breeding operations with a new greenhouse complex in De Lier, the Netherlands, adding capacity for tomato, bell pepper (sweet pepper) and eggplant (aubergine) research. The facility, called De Hybride Phase 2, was opened on 9 December as part of the company’s broader effort to scale its development pipeline. Rijk Zwaan is a privately held Dutch vegetable seed producer and one of the sector’s larger breeders, supplying varieties to growers in more than 100 countries.

The new compartments are being used for selection trials, variety testing and pre-breeding work. The company has already planted early-stage materials for upcoming evaluation cycles. “This expansion underlines Rijk Zwaan’s dedication to research, innovation and the future of vegetable breeding,” said Amanda van Oord, Breeding Manager for Sweet Pepper and Eggplant.

The De Lier site has previously produced several commercial introductions, including ToBRFV-resistant tomato lines, the Sweet Palermo pointed pepper and the Tatayoyo snack pepper. The new build also includes an isolation area for abiotic-stress research, where breeders will examine heat, cold, salinity and drought tolerance — traits gaining importance as growers face more variable climate conditions.

Van Oord said the additional capacity represents a step forward for the company’s research program as global demand increases for resilient vegetable varieties.